Safe space offers mental health support to Kharkiv students
A new project run by a group of UPSHIFT participants aims to reduce young people’s anxiety through the use of a safe space.
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Kyrylo, 20, from Kharkiv, studies psychology at university. Due to the ongoing war in Ukraine, the city’s educational institutions only operate online. As a result, students have little opportunity to meet and spend time with friends.
Kyrylo has noticed how this can negatively impact their emotional state.
"Many high school graduates are currently taking exams and preparing to enter university. This is a difficult time for young people. There is uncertainty about the future, fear for their lives and the safety of their families, and not knowing where to go next because everything could be destroyed by a missile at any moment.”
That is why Kyrylo, along with his friends Kateryna and Anastasiia, decided to support the mental health of young people in Kharkiv. In January, they applied to the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF)’s UPSHIFT youth innovation programme, and received training in the programme's methodology, mentoring support and resources to implement a new idea – a safe space for young people to come together.
"For our team, UPSHIFT was our first experience in developing and implementing a project,” says Kyrylo. “We learned how to work in a team and with an audience. We also realised that we can help to address young people's problems on our own.”
The ‘Hut of Calm’ events are aimed at young people aged 14 to 22, offering a safe space for them to communicate with their peers, play team games and board games. They can also participate in art therapy, including classes in gingerbread decorating, drawing on clothes, making wish lists and creating toys.
So far, Kyrylo and his team have held eight events, benefiting 135 young people.
"While doing different tasks, the participants interacted and joked with each other,” says Kyrylo. “They returned to normal communication where they could feel free to talk. We managed to relieve some of the tension and anxiety in these young people.”
UPSHIFT is an innovative youth programme conducted by UNICEF. The full-scale war has caused many humanitarian challenges in all regions of the country. As young people are one of the driving forces of communities, UNICEF has engaged UPSHIFT participants in addressing these challenges. Over the past year, 459 teams (2,003 young people aged 14 to 24) have participated in the UPSHIFT programme and developed their projects, reaching more than 30,000 beneficiaries.
