Schools and kindergartens are currently closed in Ukraine due to the war. The lessons are given via the internet. Volunteers are called in to allow children to have social contacts and enjoy carefree hours. An example is the “Tato Hub” project in the small town of Kramatorsk.
“Many people sleep poorly, they are extremely afraid of the dark or are afraid of loud noises,” reports Natascha, involved in the aid project. Behavioral abnormalities are often identified. Many children come from cities that are hotbeds of war. Their families escaped the fighting in the small town.
At “Tato Hub” – “Tato” means father – the children can sing, play or do crafts. “Art therapy is meant to help children. “They must learn to control psychosocial processes better and become more resilient to stress,” says Natascha. The air raid sirens, which go off several times a day, but also the noisy trucks and tanks can cause stress. Air raid sirens can also be heard several times a day in Kramatorsk if there is a risk of rocket attacks or if Russian military aircraft are spotted in the sky.
It is not allowed to play outside
Because of these dangers, the children of “Tato Hub” are not allowed to play outside. For safety reasons, the maximum number of small participants is also limited to 15 children in a group. If there are more, the group must be divided. One of the children in the project is five-year-old Dasha, who likes to play and joke.
However, the war is not completely ignored in the facility. The leader is a trained explosive ordnance disposal officer and uses photographs to prepare the children for the danger.
Another emergency service is also offered: anyone who finds Kramatorsk too stressful or dangerous can benefit from an evacuation trip. The family is brought free of charge from the east near the front to the center or west of the country.
Source: Krone
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