Early Starters International.Photo: Early Starters International
Even asRussia’s invasion of Ukraineenters its second year, children from the war-torn country are getting a sliver of reprieve, thanks to a humanitarian organization offering them a safe space in which to play and learn.
Early Starters International is operating a series of spaces for Ukrainian refugee children in Moldova, Czech Republic, Poland and within Ukraine itself.
Yulie Khromchenco, the Eastern Europe programs coordinator for the organization, explains that offering children a semblance of normalcy is crucial during wartime.
“As we know now from research, the imprint of childhood experiences is the strongest in the early childhood years — because in many ways it determines the life, development and well-being of a child in his adulthood,” Khromchenco, 48, tells PEOPLE.
She continues: “The good news about early childhood is that when working correctly with children at that age, due to the relative flexibility of their brains, the traumatic imprint might be reversed or at least reduced.”
Early Starters International
The longtime educator says the experience of working with the children and “seeing the kids happy, and engaging in kids stuff despite the situation” is rewarding. But it’s not without obvious challenges.
“I think one of the hardest tensions for our staff is the [balance] between aspiring to make the space safe and knowing that our ability to ensure the safety of the kids can go only to some extent,” she says.
“Last week a missile fell in Lviv area, wiped a building and killed five people,” Khromchenco notes, adding: “We got another proof that our ability to control even the basic conditions for our space as safety is limited.”
Yulie Khromchenco (left) at the opening event for the Lviv, Ukraine, center.Early Starters International
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But now, more than a year into the Russian invasion, Khromchenco says she and the other educators have noticed a change in many of the children they teach.
She continues: “The chance to socialize with other kids in the same situation, the diverse activities kids can choose from and mainly the deep connection that was created with good adults helps the kids open up. After several months, and sometimes after only several weeks, we see different kids — lively, smiling, creative, willing to give and receive hugs. This change is a great moment to celebrate.”
source: people.com
