Sky Art Foundation took part in the one of UNICEF programmes

The United Nation’s Children’s Fund (UNICEF) in Ukraine with the participance of NGO Sky Art Foundation together with children created a mural in Sievierodonetsk, Luhansk region, in the framework of EU’s “Children of Peace” programme. The mural creation marked the start of delivery of the two components of the project – Life Skills Education and Psychosocial Support – to conflict-affected children and adolescents in Eastern Ukraine who have just started the new 2016-2017 school year. Oleksandr Korban, a prominent Ukrainian mural artist based his work on children’s drawings, and together with children he turned a wall of a 3-storeyed primary school building of Sievierodonetsk school #14 into an art object. The children also attended various art sections during the event, while parents had a chance to meet and communicate with the educators trained under the “Children of Peace” project.

The European Union “Children of Peace” project, managed by the EU’s Humanitarian Aid and Civil protection department (ECHO) is aimed to provide children and adolescents affected by the conflict in Eastern Ukraine with life skills they need to live peacefully within host and returnee communities through school- and community-based programmes. The project targeted the internally displaced children and adolescents,and children living in conflict-affected areas. It started last year with trainings for teachers and psychologists, who now use new techniques to strengthen children’s and caregivers’ resilience and coping mechanisms, and increase social cohesion among children and communities.

“Children are particularly vulnerable in conflicts and crises, which cause traumatic experience and distress. It is important to create safe spaces for them that strengthen their psychosocial wellbeing. With life skills education we help children cope with different situations and thus facilitate their return to normalcy. We are grateful to the European Commission’s humanitarian department (ECHO) for their support”, said Fatima Yandieva, Head of UNICEF Field Office in Kramatorsk.

735 preschool educational facilities and 835 schools of general education participate in the Life Skills Education project, 3,240 educators were trained in the project aimed to help 174,000 children and adolescents affected by the armed conflict.The project is implemented in five regions: Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, Zaporizhia, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions. Sievierodonetsk school#14 is one of the education facilities participating in the project.