For kindergarteners in Ukraine, sirens can be an everyday occurrence.
“Air raid alarms sound every day, sometimes three to four times during the time children are in class,” says Dariia Bui, an FHI 360 psychologist who works in a mobile medical unit. “Each of these times can be a real threat.”
That’s because the school is in Mykolaiv oblast, near the frontline of the Ukraine war — according to Bui, “rockets and drones are constantly flying past it.” Half of the children — ages 2 through 6 — in this kindergarten class have been internally displaced by the conflict. FHI 360 Social Worker Olena Smrynova, who leads the children in motor exercises like sculpting and making art out of foil, says some of the children have had to leave the country at times to find safety.
“A protracted conflict of any nature — in the family or in the country — always has a negative impact on the child’s psyche,” says Smrynova. “The sound of sirens several times a day, during which children protect their lives in a bomb shelter [a few minutes away], also affects the emotional state of children.”
The kindergarten’s headmistress noticed the emotional and psychological impact on the children — they were anxious, hyper-reactive to loud noises, and showing signs of increased aggression. It was clear they needed support, but there weren’t any mental health services available. That’s when she decided to seek out the FHI 360 medical mobile unit — part of the Ukraine Humanitarian Assistance Response Program (UHARP), which is funded by USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance — operating nearby.
“I gave her an informational consultation about the work of our organization, including my services as a psychologist,” says Bui. “That’s when the idea of a support group came up.”
In October 2023, Bui and Smyrnova began facilitating mental health sessions for the class, using stories, games and other activities like singing and dancing to help reduce anxiety and aggression. During the first session, Bui introduced Sunny Hedgehog, and in later sessions, Hugging Goose, characters from therapeutic fairy tales who help the children feel brave and cope with tension and uncertainty.
“At the beginning of our work, the children were cautious and did not immediately take an active part in the activities,” says Bui. “One girl, Daryna, is a vivid example. At our first meeting, she spent most of the time sitting by a shelf with toys and did not come to us or talk to us. At the second meeting, she came out, participated, and even hugged us.”
The atmosphere of the classroom is much different than it was back in October. At first closed off and reticent, students are now more trusting, open and engaged. Through the activities, they’re getting to know each other better and learning to understand, recognize and regulate their own emotions. The headmistress has noticed big shifts in the children’s emotional well-being and demeanor and says they look forward to the regular sessions with the psychologist and social worker.
The impact of the daily evacuations to the bomb shelter has lessened, too, as the children have slowly grown accustomed to the security context in the region.
“The psyche of children is more flexible” than that of adults, says Bui. “They are quicker to adapt and react less intensely to air raid alarms or loud sounds.” Now, the students are not afraid of the alarms and calmly go to the shelter with their teachers.
Still, the situation is far from normal and will result in mental health effects for many years to come. As the war continues, there is a pressing need for mental health assistance to continue and expand to reach more Ukrainian children in more schools. With continued support from USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance, FHI 360 is working to establish contacts with school principals and kindergartens “in every village in every direction.”
“Psychological support is critical in these difficult times for our country,” says Bui. “The situation is dynamic and constantly changing, and the negative consequences have a prolonged effect.”