As of January 23, 2023, the number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) is estimated at 5.4 million across Ukraine, with protracted displacement becoming increasingly common. As of January 23, 58% of all IDPs have been displaced for six months or more.
Integration of IDPs into host communities can be challenging due to differences in regional culture, access to humanitarian assistance, language, etc. A recent study found that over 70% of IDPs state that even after leaving their places of residence, they do not intend to return to their homes. While these intentions may change, it is certain that a large number of IDPs will remain in their new places of residence. Given this context, it is important to develop systematic approaches that support a culture of conflict prevention and promote social cohesion.
The project "Preparing schools to be sites of social cohesion" is designed to strengthen the resilience and capacity of the Ukrainian population to withstand the consequences of Russian aggression and is based on methods of supporting the Ukrainian school system in Kharkiv, Sumy, Chernihiv, Dnipro, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv and Odesa oblasts. It provides a framework for moving towards strengthening the role of schools as places of social cohesion, including emotional well-being and psychosocial support, as well as a culture of conflict awareness and resolution, that meets the short- and long-term needs of selected local communities.
The proposed project will follow the following main workflows:
- Physical infrastructure work. This component will be the entry point and facilitate the initial participative assessment of the potential tensions/conflicts in the community, conflict sensitivity and needs.
- Support for teachers and other professionals in the education system: aiming to achieve enhanced well-being, psychological resilience, sensitization and capacity to understand and address conflict, including experiences and MHPSS needs of displacement affected children and youth.
- Participative activities for children and youth (from IDP and host communities) – involving them in creating safe space (physical/social) and empowering them to lead initiative to foster social cohesion.
The main target groups of the project are school administrators, teachers and other education personnel at the school and regional levels, children and youth (IDPs and host communities) attending schools, and their families, parents or guardians.
The project will support:
- 500 teachers and teacher educators
- 800 children and youth attending schools
- 2000 family members, parents or guardians
The project will run until the end of July 2024.
Terre des hommes is implementing the project "Preparing schools to be sites of social cohesion", with the support of the project "EU4ResilientRegions – Special Assistance Programme Ukraine", implemented by the German Federal Company "Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit" (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Government.
