Engaging pastimes, friendly contests, artistic pursuits, and the thrill of new companionships in an entirely new environment! What could be more enjoyable and easier than making friends in such a scenario?
We are on the brink of wrapping up our series of integration holidays designed for the children from families of internally displaced persons (IDPs). As of now, we have organized these events in 24 cities throughout Ukraine, with Mukachevo being the last city on our list. Once this is done, we’ll have met our objective of holding 25 such events in 25 communities where the United Voices in Action program is being implemented.
Both local children and teenagers, along with those who are gradually adapting to life in their new cities, have come together under this initiative. Our program team has been actively engaged in conducting these activities since the end of March. Thus, we are thrilled to share our accomplishments, which are indeed extraordinary! For, when IDP children and local children collaborate on something intriguing, stimulating, and productive, the outcome is bound to be positive!
So what exactly did we do to help the children meet each other, bring them together, assist their integration, and encourage them to make new friendships?
We organized:
- Artistic workshops,
- Drama gatherings,
- Local history quests.
In most communities, the event planners chose to employ a unified approach — the “Movement, Games, Sport, and Creativity” methodology developed by the Swiss organization Terre des Hommes. For over 40 years now, this method has seen successful implementation in countries where children are impacted by natural disasters or armed conflict.
The approach is grounded on brief games aimed at nurturing children’s social skills. Each session is designed with three integral phases: play, creativity, and physical exercise.
“I thoroughly enjoyed it, gained lots of new knowledge, and made new friends. I wish for more such events.”
“We collaborated as a team, met peers who relocated to our city.”
“We’ve planned to hang out with the girls over the weekend.”
“I’ve never participated in such events, and I’ve made several exciting connections.”
The above are merely a handful of the responses, as each community meeting was marked by the children’s radiant smiles. Most importantly, there was a sense of belonging among the children.
We extend our heartfelt thanks to all our team members who planned and facilitated these important and meaningful holidays! More to come!