Support Children Affected by the War in Ukraine

zSince the onset of the war in February 2022, GFC has approved more than 140 grants, totaling $3.1 million, supporting 76 grassroots partners in Ukraine and neighboring countries, including Croatia, Georgia, Hungary, Italy, Moldova, North Macedonia, Poland, Romania, and Serbia.

In just the past year, GFC disbursed more than 45 primary grants to partners reaching nearly 75,000 children and youth. The key target groups for this work are young people who have had their education disrupted, and children and youth that have been disproportionately affected by the conflict, such as children and youth living with disabilities, LGBTQ+ youth, and Roma children and youth. GFC has provided consistent technical, programmatic and consultative support to the cohort, continuing to prioritize the strengthening of relationships with our partners to help them better support children impacted by the war. Our approach remains focused on supporting partners to adopt a long-term perspective while adapting to the constantly shifting realities of the conflict.

Our grantee partners are utilizing their grant support from GFC to strengthen and expand access to education for these children, including those internally displaced and those residing in neighboring countries listed above. The Ukrainian education system continues to face severe challenges due to the constant bombings of educational facilities, and online education is frequently disrupted by electricity shortages and blackouts. As a result, many of our partners are now supplying batteries and alternative power sources to ensure children can continue learning remotely.

The toll on the mental health for children and families across Ukraine is tremendous, and the need for psychological support continues to grow, especially as there is little time to grieve due to the relentless, daily bombings. Our partners have been using their grant funding to provide consultations and sessions with psychologists, therapists, and peer mentors. This support is essential, as the ongoing stress and uncertainty make it difficult for many to maintain their mental health, particularly within the LGBTQ+ community, which faces additional challenges. Many NGO teams are also struggling with their mental well-being as they grapple with an uncertain future.

Partners have been using grant support to conduct creative arts and sports activities, form parent support groups, develop trauma-informed curricula, and establish a cohort of mental health specialists trained to support LGBTQ+ youth. Partners working with children and young people living with disabilities have focused on developing tailored support groups and creating leadership and training programs that address their specific needs and circumstances.