Activities of non-formal education ensure the inclusion and well-being of children affected by war

Children and their mothers from Ukraine continue to flee the shellings, leaving behind the hope that their home will not be touched by the axe of war. By August 2023, Xenia, 37, from Ismail, Ukraine, believed the rockets would bypass her town and life. However, once Ismail became one of the strategic points for transporting grain from Ukraine to other European countries, the vital infrastructure of the city came under a wave of attacks. "Mum, I'm scared." These words of her son Miroslav, 10, forced Xenia to pack a few essentials and seek a safe place. "I wanted to stabilize him emotionally. That is very important for children's development. They cannot always be in stressful situations," says Xenia. 

Miroslav and his mother arrived in Cahul, Moldova, in November. Here, they rent an apartment and try to return to regain the sense of normalcy. "It is a lifetime trauma. He will always remember the war. For example, the fireworks on New Year's Eve scared him because he remembered the bombings," says Xenia, who, along with her son, asked for the support of a psychologist. However, children need other children, education, and a healthy routine to allow them to be themselves. Xenia enrolled Miroslav in school and tries not to miss any recreational and non-formal education activities organized for Moldovan and refugee children. 

Today, they came to the Refugee Placement Centre to participate in a robotic activity. Initially, Miroslav didn't seem enthusiastic about what would happen, but the little robot he had to program kept him busy and away from his memories. Meanwhile, his mother is calm and confident that she has taken another step to help her son for her son. "Here we feel at home. Many things are similar to our life in Ukraine. During this time, I try to spend as much time with him as possible to talk to him about what he feels and what is happening in his life. Miroslav has made new friends, and the teachers are very friendly. Children in Ukraine need activities to forget the past and distract themselves from the news about the war. They need to be oriented towards something, towards the future," says Xenia as Miroslav participates in the robotics activity organized within the UNICEF project 'STEAM on Wheels' implemented by TEKEDU and financially supported by the European Commission and the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office of the United Kingdom.  

Specifically, this initiative is represented by a bus equipped with STEAM kits, such as robotics and Arduino sets and laptops, which travels across the country to reach children in rural areas, including refugee children, who have limited access to STEAM skills development opportunities. "The field of technology is the future, and that could be interesting for children, including Miroslav," says the boy's mother. 

Alongside Xenia is Ludmila, from Herson, Ukraine, who is waiting for her granddaughter, Victoria, 13, as she participates in the activity. Ludmila recounts that she came to Moldova with three children in March 2022 when Herson was under occupation. "Our road to peace was very difficult. We travelled under white flags. My daughter said we needed to get the children out of the country because it's dangerous, and we don't know what will happen next," recounts Ludmila. When she and her grandchildren arrived in Moldova, they received support and were accommodated in a placement centre in Cahul. "We received all the help we needed, including psychological counselling. Now I talk more peacefully, but it was difficult to manage my emotions before," says Ludmila, smiling. Once in Moldova, she enrolled her granddaughter in school. 

"From my point of view, online classes don't mean learning. She must communicate with other children and make friends. When Viktoria studied online, many classes were postponed due to power outages," notes the girl's grandmother. In addition to the school curricula, Victoria enjoys every opportunity for development, such as the robotics activity she participates in today. "Such activities are very good for their psychological well-being. Children need to try different things to understand what they like and what defines them. They need such activities, and we will participate wherever Victoria shows interest. Children need to be integrated into society and constantly learn something new. Even at 60, I am still learning," says Ludmila optimistically. 

Meanwhile, the robotics activity has ended, but not the children's enthusiasm. Miroslav jumps into his mother's arms, eager to show her his robot, which he learned to program quickly. His first words were, "When will the next visit be? Maybe I could become a programmer in the future." 

From 2022, around 12,600 children from Moldova, including more than 700 refugees, have participated in activities organized by the 'STEAM on Wheels' team. UNICEF continues to work with the Government of the Republic of Moldova and other partners to ensure and enhance refugee children's access to education, health, protection, and inclusion services. To date, around 116,000 refugees from Ukraine, including around 51,000 children, are in Moldova.