The City of Rožňava / We Care About Children from Ukraine
The City of Rožňava, in cooperation with several partners, provided comprehensive assistance in integrating children who fled war in Ukraine and their families into the local community. They created a safe environment for them and promoted social cohesion in the city through various activities.
The Buddy programme received very positive feedback as it fostered numerous friendships between Ukrainian and Slovak children and their families, which continued even after the project ended. The support provided by Slovak children to Ukrainian children contributed to better integration of Ukrainian students into the school environment. Strong friendships developed outside of school, with children spending time together and visiting each other on weekends.
In collaboration with a mentor, a comprehensive report on the project was prepared for the city council. Subsequently, the city council committed to continuing the activities, incorporating them into the community plan, and allocating a budget for their continuation.
“The project has improved relationships not only within the local Ukrainian community but also with the local Slovak population. Ukrainian children have successfully integrated into the school environment, and the inclusion process is being fulfilled thanks to the work of field social workers. The municipality of Rožňava plans to continue supporting the Ukrainian community in all aspects in the future.“
Primary School with Kindergarten, Budimír / Inclusion is not an illusion – together we can handle it
This school is one of the leading schools in Slovakia in terms of implementing inclusive practices in education. Thesupport from the Together for Children programmehas enabled them to develop this work further. The school integrated inclusive strategies into the school’s daily life and strengthened the support team by employing a Ukrainian assistant anda therapeuticpedagogue . The school’sprincipal sharedtheir learning and gained know-how with other schools and educational policy-makers at the International Conference on Inclusive Education, organized as part of the Together for Children programme.
“During the implementation of the project, the number of children from Ukraine receiving assistance from the Ukrainian assistant fluctuated. Since September, she has been more intensively involved with first graders, where we have both Ukrainian and Arabic-speaking children. There has been a shift in attitudes from the teachers; initial concerns have subsided, and the assistance provided by the Ukrainian assistant to children incoming from other countries is much appreciated. Thanks to the project, the role of the therapeutic pedagogue has been greatly strengthened, and there is increasing interest in his therapeutic services.”
Different – Civic Association / Together for Children in Bašta
Thanks to the support of the Together for Children programme, the grantee (a networking center for nonprofits and activists OZ Different) has established a new low-threshold center on its premises in the town of Bardejov. This center provides comprehensive education and care services for children living in Bardejov.
They also created a co-working space for other NGOs working on the social inclusion of various groups living in the town. As a result of the project, the NGO People in the Peril has stable office space at Bašta, gaining a foundation for working with the local Ukrainian and Roma communities. The two organizations started collaborating on Bašta’s programme for the local public, organizing discussions, concerts, and other formats together to help improve the quality of life for vulnerable groups in Bardejov. Their activities also received support from the local government.
“The center’s external communication about the importance of inclusion has become an integral part of our work. This project has also significantly contributed to initiating long-term collaborations with other stakeholders addressing this issue. Thus, inclusion has become a daily agenda of individuals and organizations located at Bašta.“
Inklucentrum – Center for Inclusive Education / Trauma-Informed Approach and Inclusive Education
Inklucentrum piloted and scaled up two psychosocial support programmes for Ukrainian children in schools and strengthened inclusive approaches in education across the whole Slovakia. Not only children from abroad but also other children with additional needs received necessary support. They partnered withCounsellingandPsychology Centers (CPP) (andtenelementary schools. The piloted programmes included establishing a new model of psycho-pedagogical teams, including assistants in schools, and trainings on topicssuch asnonviolent communicationand collaboration between assistants and teachers. Inklucentrum piloted programmes at five schools in Bratislava and expandedthem to ten more.. Based on the experiences and knowledge gained, they created manuals shared with 100 schools.
“The project developing the support for Ukrainian children is one of the largest endeavors in the history of our organization. It has brought a fundamental change for hundreds of Ukrainian children. Children have received regular support, developed a sense of security, and received tailored psychosocial and language support.. We have opened up several important topics of inclusive education, inspired schools to introduce morning circles, achieved the opening of the topic of therapeutic groups in the counseling system, and connected and networked people.“
Effeta – St. Francis de Sales Center / Connecting for children with disabilities
The project increased access to and quality of inclusive approaches in early childhood education and care of vulnerable children at the community level. . It focused on vulnerable children,, children with health disabilities, or multiplehealthdisabilities,taking into accountthe individual needs of each child. Thanks to the supported project, EFFETAexpanded its early intervention services for families with childrenwith disabilities anddelayed development.. They increased the number of supported families, including families of refugees from Ukraine. The project enabled stimulation of children’s development in their home environment and improved the diagnostic process.The project also enhanced psychological counseling for parents and caregivers and facilitated community life for families through various activities. You can read about how EFFETA helped little Oliver and his mom HERE.
“By expanding programmes and enhancing care and education services at the community level, we have become a more stable provider of inclusive services in the region. Since its inception, our organization has advocated for a fully inclusive approach for vulnerable children in the region. We were established to enable vulnerable children and their families to live as inclusively as possible in the community and their natural environment. So that vulnerable children do not have to leave their region for special schools due to insufficient system support measures and can remain living, growing, and educating themselves in their natural social environment and within their family circle. We have worked towards this goal for over 20 years, and this project has contributed significantly.“
