OUR WORK

On 24 February 2022, the lives of 7.5 million children from Ukraine changed forever. The war in Ukraine triggered the largest and fastest refugee crisis in Europe since the Second World War. Over one year on, it continues to have a devastating impact on children in Ukraine and across Europe.

Save the Children Poland has been responding to the needs of children and families from Ukraine since 27 February 2022. As a new organization in Poland with no previous presence, Save the Children set up its operations in Poland and was successfully registered as a Polish foundation in April 2022.  We have been delivering activities and implementing programmes across Poland, and we work together in partnership with local NGOs. Our team keeps growing, and as of June 2024, we have about 70 team members.

OUR WORK IN POLAND

In Poland, Save the Children has been working to provide humanitarian aid and essential services, such as education, child protection, child—friendly mental health and psycho-social support, as well as cash transfers for essential needs, to children and families who fled Ukraine.

Thanks to our supporters and partners, in 2022 and 2023, we have made a difference in the lives of more than 130,000 people, including almost 106,000 children.

Save the Children Poland has been working to ensure that refugee children have access to uninterrupted and quality education, through both formal and non-formal education opportunities. Save the Children delivers integrated Education in Emergencies (EiE) assistance in partnership with five local partners, namely the Information Society Development Foundation (FRSI), Nativated, Towards Dialogue Foundation, Ukraine House, and Foundation Ukraine to ensure localized response and to demonstrate commitments towards the Grand Bargain.

Since 2022, in Poland, we have been supporting 4 Ukrainian and 15 Polish schools, as well as 50 Digital Learning Centers (DLCs) located in public libraries across the country.

During the 2022/2023 school year, over 1,800 children from Ukraine attended the Ukrainian schools, where they learned based on the Ukrainian curriculum, studied in the Ukrainian language, and were assisted with psychosocial support. In Polish schools, we are working closely with our local partners to support the recruitment and training of intercultural assistants, who can provide tailored support including psychosocial assistance to children from Ukraine attending Polish schools to bridge the cultural divide.

DLCs are safe spaces where children can play, take part in recreational activities, get tutoring and attend online classes. DLCs also offer activities and support to caregivers, including training and information sessions, as well as psychosocial support, both for children and adults. Moreover, we are providing activities for out-of-school Ukrainian adolescents through 23 libraries in Poland. Within this initiative, Ukrainian refugee teenagers are supported with MHPSS activities, Life Skills Development and career pathway advisory support. The project also includes activities aimed at creating connections with their Polish peers through the realization of youth projects.

Together with our partners, we are supporting the provision of Polish language classes, through schools and DLCs, as well as through online courses delivered via a digital learning platform allowing for country-wide reach.

Save the Children Poland is supporting the most vulnerable and marginalized children through case management, alternative care and support to children and families living in collective shelters.

Our Child Protection programmes aim to connect childrenat risk of or experiencing violence with consistent support from a caseworker or government social worker. We endeavour to ensure that children and families on the move have access to Child Protection, MHPSS, and Education services to strengthen resilience, and prevent and respond to violence. Furthermore, our interventions strive to provide care for children evacuated from institutions in Ukraine in a setting appropriate to their individual needs and in line with national and international standards. Throughout 2022 and 2023, we have delivered Child Protection programme in numerous locations across Poland, including Child Friendly Spaces in reception centres and collective living centres.

This success was made possible by the support of our generous donors and the dedicated efforts of our local partners,
including Fundacja Dajemy Dzieciom Siłę (FDDS), Fundacja HumanDoc, and Komitet Ochrony Praw Dziecka (KOPD).
Together with our partners, we achieved significant milestones. Additionally, we provided support to over 1,000 children
evacuated from institutional care to various locations in Poland, facilitating safe identification and referral processes, providing group and individual MHPSS assistance, education services, and distributing non-food items for winter.

Moreover, we contributed to establishing three new child advocacy centers dedicated to children affected by violence, offering specialized MHPSS services and legal support. We also facilitated capacity strengthening sessions for child protection actors and organized awareness- raising activities on child protection, including onlinesafety campaigns.

Save the Children is committed to enhancing the environments in which children live and grow, employing a comprehensive approach that bolsters family resilience to ensure optimal development and well-being for children. Likewise, our response to Child Poverty has been centred on enabling affected populations to fulfil their basic needs through the provision of Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance (MPCA) and targeted sectoral support. This aid in the form of cash assistance has empowered communities and families to prioritize the specific needs of their household, while upholding dignity.

Our program is structured to complement the efforts of the Polish Government, offering additional support to vulnerable
families. Collaborating closely with municipalities, voivodships, and international stakeholders like UN agencies and NGOs, we’ve gradually extended our reach. We maintain strategic relationships with voivodeships and municipalities across different regions, including Malopolskie, Podkarpackie, and Lubelskie.

These collaborations involve referring those in dire need of cash assistance residing in collective shelters, as well as smaller towns and villages.