Since the beginning of Russia’s full-scale invasion, representatives of international organizations and foundations have been actively involved in creating the necessary mechanisms to help Ukrainian children who suffered as a result of Russia’s actions in Ukraine.

Our Ukraine Children’s Resilience Fund works to this end, providing protection and assistance to children affected by the war as well as support to NGOs working in various areas to improve the lives of children.

This was discussed during a briefing at Media Center Ukraine – Ukrinform.

In order to implement the necessary measures to support Ukrainian children, the Fund, together with Crown Agents Ukraine, has cooperated with various Ukrainian civil society organizations to direct their work to help Ukrainian children affected by the war.

“February 24 marked two years since Russia’s full scale invasion into Ukraine, and children have been confronted with unimaginable challenges amidst the turmoil of war. They’ve not only faced physical dangers from ongoing attacks across the country, but they’ve also endured significant mental strain due to the loss of homes, parents, loved ones and friends. The Children’s Resilience Fund has been dedicated to enhancing their resilience through various initiatives such as child protection, education and activities that improve their quality of life. Our commitment to this project and to the children of Ukraine remains unwavering. And we are continuously seeking new opportunities to amplify the impact of our efforts,” Catherine Leach, Project Manager of the Children’s Resilience Fund, said during the briefing.

Emily Nell, Project Director for Children’s Resilience Fund, mentioned that after the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Crown Agents doubled down on their efforts to help Ukrainian children in the ongoing crisis. To assist in the most effective way, the Fund uses holistic and inclusive approaches to assist the work of Ukrainian civil society organizations.

“In addition to our technical team, who are all Ukrainian and include child protection, gender and mental health experts assessing the applications, we engaged directly with the CSOs themselves. We listened to their input and incorporated it into the design of this fund. The outcomes have been significant in enhancing the stability and resilience of children and their caregivers. The CSOs have implemented projects that enhance the online inclusion and protection of children, provide psychosocial support to Roma children and children with disabilities, and foster social cohesion between entirely displaced children and host communities, amongst others. By offering ad-hoc technical assistance and back-office support, enhancing capacities in budget and financial management, promoting accountability to affected populations, incorporating conflict sensitivity and gender and inclusion considerations, and supporting the understanding of international donor requirements and pre-qualification standards, we’ve bolstered the positioning and confidence of this small to medium-sized organizations in applying for future international funds,” she explained.

Emily Nell also pointed out that the fund has not only enhanced the resilience of children, but has also strengthened their peers, parents, caregivers, teachers, community representatives, social workers and more. The impact has been profound, with eleven project partners tirelessly working across Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, Chernivtsi, Lviv, Kamianets-Podilskyi and Ivano-Frankivsk.

According to the Crown Agents team, such activities made it possible to reach more than 5,200 Ukrainian children in need. However, that this is only the beginning, as the project aims to expand and continue cooperation with CSOs in Ukraine.