On July 25, a cross-sectoral project of the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) was launched in Zhytomyr region to strengthen the region’s capacity to respond to changing challenges in the field of child protection and to improve the provision of social services for all residents of Zhytomyr region, including vulnerable groups. An important task of the project is to help and support IDPs, especially psycho-social support for internally displaced children.
The project is being implemented in the following areas:
- Education
- Health care
- Child protection
- Social protection
- Youth and sports
- Hygiene and water supply
The UNICEF project is being implemented in the region by the NGO In Touch Ukraine Foundation.
Our team is also involved as a partner. As of August 26, 2022, the following has been accomplished under the project:
Social protection.
A program of financial assistance to vulnerable families is being implemented in the region as part of UNICEF. Razom. Assistance is provided to families with 3 or more children under the age of 18, or at least 1 child with a disability under the age of 18. You can apply for assistance through the social protection department or the center. Already 1,533 applications for assistance have been registered.
Child protection.
The project already has 2 Spilno.Tochky in Zhytomyr near the Zhovten cinema and in Berdychiv. At the Spilno.Tochky, children can participate in active games and workshops, and parents can get legal and medical advice, including the services of psychologists and teachers. It is planned to open 8 more Spilno.Tochky in other municipalities of Zhytomyr region. In addition, the Popasna Center for Rehabilitation of Children with Special Needs has moved to Zhytomyr and has already started providing professional and social adaptation services to Zhytomyr residents aged 14-18.
Education.
In the education sector, 174 educational institutions in Zhytomyr Oblast received school-in-a-box kits, which include more than 650 sets for leisure and education of preschoolers and schoolchildren. In addition, 583 laptops were provided to Zhytomyr teachers to support the educational process, including distance and blended learning. In addition, measures are currently being implemented to introduce a blended learning system in the region’s schools – online and offline, create STEM laboratories for research training of children and adolescents, and equip bomb shelters in educational institutions to ensure the safety of children as best as possible.
Healthcare.
It involves strengthening the health care system by equipping prenatal centers and shelters in hospitals, and ensuring vaccination of the population. In this area, the Korostyshiv Central District Hospital has already received more than 20 units of medical equipment for its departments and shelters, as this medical institution is the main one in the Korostyshiv district.
Sanitation and hygiene.
The project involves the restoration of damaged social infrastructure and water supply in Zhytomyr Oblast municipalities. Design work in this area is currently underway.
The program is expected to cover 250,000 children living in the region, including about 30,000 internally displaced children.
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