To change a nation, start with its children.
Societal problems stemming from poverty and unemployment damage the healthy development of children in Ukraine on a daily basis. A large percentage of Ukraine’s young people are born into poverty and despair.
Unemployed parents choose to cope with their hopeless circumstances with alcohol, drugs, and a variety of other poor choices that negatively impact the development of their innocent children.
If children are the future, then Eastern European young people are crucial to righting the course of their home countries. This is why we invest so much in programs for children and youth. We believe all children should have the opportunity for higher education or job training, which will lead to a better future.
HOW HAS THE WAR IMPACTED UKRAINE’S CHILDREN?
Unfortunately, children are caught in the crosshairs of this conflict. Since the war in Ukraine began on February 24, 2022, a generation of children has experienced 13 months of violence, fear, loss, and tragedy. There is not a single aspect of children’s lives that the conflict has not impacted, with children killed, injured, forced from their homes, missing out on critical education, and denied the benefits of a safe and secure environment.
An economic crisis, with 50-70% of Ukrainian families living below the poverty line, and an energy crisis triggered by the war, have devastated the well-being of children and families. The poorer a family is, the greater the proportion of its income it must spend on food, leaving less for children’s healthcare and education. The steep rise in child poverty will also leave them more ‘at risk’ of violence, abuse, and exploitation.
The war is also having a devastating impact on the mental health and well-being of children. An estimated 1.5 million children are at risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, and other mental health issues, with potential long-term effects and implications.
UNICEF says. “Children need an end to this war and sustained peace to regain their childhoods, return to normalcy and begin to heal and recover.”
In this wartime era, we are more than committed to responding to the needs of children suffering from the effects of war. If we don’t intervene, the result will be lost lives, lost learning, and lost futures.
We are presently forging partnerships with many Christian child-care ministries serving children suffering from various war-related issues. Please join us in helping these children heal and recover through a variety of programs for children and youth that you see on this page.
HART is unleashing the power of investing in programs that foster healthy physical, spiritual, and mental development for a country’s children that ultimately will help raise up and develop the next generation of Christian leaders in Eastern Europe.
