Ukrainian NGOs unite to support children with disabilities
UNICEF and partners are bringing together parental organisations from all over Ukraine to empower them to protect the rights of children with disabilities
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Ukrainian NGOs have come together as part of a project to help meet the needs of internally displaced families raising children with disabilities, as well as children with special educational needs, with the help of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and the Lviv Rehabilitation Center 'Dzherelo', and the support of the United Nations Partnership for the Protection of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD).
The Dzherelo project unites parental organisations that protect the rights of children with disabilities, strengthening their voices, studying best practices in social services for children with disabilities and providing grants to implement initiatives.
“Each of us works in our own place,” says project coordinator Yulia, whose 13-year-old daughter Marichka lives with Down syndrome. “But there are situations when we need to ball our hands into fists and move together. I was happy to join the parental component of the project and the UNICEF initiative.”
When Marichka was three months old, Yulia took her to classes at Lviv’s Dzherelo Rehabilitation Center for the first time.
“In addition to professional help for the child, I received psychological support as a mother,” Yulia recalls. “It was very valuable for me. Here, I got a roadmap and was advised to expand Marichka's social circle and try inclusive education at school. However, we have not broken off our relationship with Dzherelo. For example, when my daughter is on vacation, we receive a social daycare service here.”
Today, Marichka has a busy social life – she goes rock climbing and swimming, attends a theatre group, shoots videos and dreams of becoming a photographer.
“There are many experts, but there are also parents who know and feel what their children need,” says Yulia, about the Dzherelo centre.
“The cooperation of specialists and families gives great results. It is very important for me to participate in the parental movement and be heard. At Dzherelo, we have long dreamed of bringing together parents and NGOs from all over Ukraine to cooperate. Thanks to UNICEF, we have the opportunity to work on such a project.”
The project involves 57 organisations from 20 regions of Ukraine. Both residents of regional centres and small towns participate in the project. The project also held a mini-grant competition, which saw 34 organisations apply.
“We thought for a long time about whether to hold meetings offline,” says Yulia. “Air raids, power outages and lack of communication were a challenge for us. However, I am very glad that we decided to hold the first live meetings in Lviv and managed to create a community. Further training sessions were held online. We recorded lectures if there was no electricity in some regions. It is important for us that all participants are able to complete the training in full.”
Participants were divided into two groups depending on their experience in project activities and advocacy.
“Parents understand the needs of their children,” adds Yulia. “Every day, they face obstacles in various areas of life. We are creating a platform for discussing and solving urgent problems. After our training sessions, parental organisations will be able to prepare local projects, implement various social services and improve the quality of life of children with disabilities and special educational needs.”
Yulia hopes the project can help to build a brighter future for everyone.
“We are building Ukraine up to make it comfortable for everyone to live in. Now, we have many positive changes, but we also have a lot of work to do. It is important to take care of the future of children when they are still young.”
