HOW IS THE WAR AFFECTING UKRAINE'S CHILDREN?

Tragically, children are caught in the crosshairs of this conflict. Since the war 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."

HOW CAN HART'S COMMUNITY HELP?

For the past 30 years, the primary focus of HART'S ministry has been on children and youth. So, 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.

Over the next several months, we will be highlighting many HART programs/projects geared toward helping children heal and recover. Many of these will be familiar to you, while others are new and created in response to the needs of this generation of war children.

For example, we are presently forging partnerships with many Christian child-care ministries serving children suffering from various war-related issues. One of our newest partners is the Calvary Church in Kherson, a city liberated from the Russians in Nov 2022, but still under intermittent shelling. Their Pastor (Paul) sent a letter to HART asking for our assistance with their child-care ministry. He gave us an overview:

"The center's main task is to create a safe space for children in the dangerous city of Kherson. Thanks to the work of our team, which consists of Christians with specialized social, educational, and psychological education, 30 children have the opportunity to spend time learning, having fun, and getting to know God's love every day. For this purpose, the basement of the church, which provides safety from shelling, is equipped with classrooms for children, a dining room, showers, and toilets."

The Pastor's request is for financial support to provide three meals daily for the children at their center, which is about $2,500CA/month.

Paul described the situation this way: "Our specialized child-care center is just a 'drop in the bucket' because I believe over 5,000 children in Kherson alone need to be in facilities like this."

Please consider supporting Child-Care ministries through our Children & Youth Fund. YOUR support will allow us to partner with and serve many children's ministries whose impact and importance cannot be overstated.

Together, we are changing hearts - restoring hope
- and saving lives during this crisis in Ukraine.
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