Mental health matters: How Filipinos can contribute to safe spaces for Ukrainian children

Amid attacks from Russian invaders, a quiet yet violent battle to stay mentally strong is being fought in Ukraine. Every day, Ukrainian children are holding the fort on this end.

According to a survey from the United Nations Children’s Fund, 73 percent of youth aged 14-34 expressed their need for emotional or psychological support, but only 30 percent of them sought help. These children are bereft of a normal school life, deprived of safety and security, and many have suffered the ultimate tragedy as they lost one or both parents due to Russian aggression. These children and young people are at risk of severe psychological problems which may have lasting effects on their lives.

Our organization, Children of Heroes, provides psychological and emotional support for Ukrainian orphans directly: dedicated psychologists work with children to process their grief and provide the support they need. In Wonder Camp, one of the grief camps we held for children, Vlad described war this way: “It’s a waste of time, a waste of people, a waste of everything. War is — I don’t know what it is for.”

As of October 2023, more than 1,000 children like Vlad have visited similar camps and have learned useful coping mechanisms for their daily lives. Through our team of Family Helpers (case workers dedicated to each Ukrainian child and his/her family) and staff psychologists, 12,105 hours of “stabilization therapy” has been extended to children and their guardians and 6,475 individuals received and continue to receive professional psychological support.

Aside from psychological support, our organization provides other forms of medical assistance, monetary allowance, gifts on holidays and educational supplies to 6,400 Ukrainian children who we will be supporting until adulthood through the generosity of institutional and individual donors. Established in April 2022, we have provided more than $5 million worth of monetary support to Ukraine’s children.

To aid in mental health efforts, state support by the Ukrainian government is available, with first lady Olga Zelenska speaking for the “All-Ukrainian mental health program” website, which provides Ukrainians online support to those who need it. While governments lead in these programs, it is imperative for us civilians to share in this responsibility to create a more peaceful world, to benefit current and future generations. The intergenerational trauma created by Russian aggression will take decades to address and we must as soon as we can, from wherever we are in the world. We need everyone’s help to create and maintain a future of peace in Ukraine.

Helping children and families robbed of their freedom is not an unfamiliar concept for Filipinos. Historically, we have displayed this concept of communal unity and bayanihan as we welcomed communities affected during the Second World War, and even during the Vietnam war.

We hope to tap into this cultural practice and channel our collective energy to helping Ukrainian children and their families. We can do this by raising awareness on the situation in Ukraine, and highlighting the need to create safe spaces for children everywhere. As we celebrate World Mental Health Month this October, let us take this opportunity to respond to the challenges of our time: stay engaged in current events, join existing initiatives to support peace-building efforts, and amplify stories of positive change through digital channels.

In this time of war, Ukrainian children are fighting to stay strong mentally and emotionally – as advocates of peace, let us support existing efforts for them and help build a culture of peace in Ukraine.

(The author is Global CEO of humanitarian organization Children of Heroes)