September recap: turning needs into action

Winter Support: the first aid has arrived in Ukraine

As the fifth winter of the war in Ukraine approaches, millions of people face the prospect of another winter without reliable access to heat or electricity. Continued attacks on energy and heating infrastructure make the coming months especially challenging. 

This month, our Winter Support for Ukraine campaign moved from preparation to action. 

More than 25 volunteers came together to sort, pack and load winter relief supplies. Partners like Lifeline Ukraine and Royal LC Packaging supported us with the distribution, while bol.com, Nomad, Bamboo Basics and many others donated goods from their networks. 

Two trucks filled with essential goods have now arrived in Ukraine, carrying 67,446 relief items, including sleeping bags, warm clothing, hygiene products and other practical essentials. Together, the donated goods are worth more than €800,000. 

This first shipment is an example of what can happen when available resources are connected to a clear need. And there is more to do. Over the coming months, we aim to reach at least 25,000 people and their families with essential winter support.

Would you like to support as well? Contribute by donating goods, making a financial contribution or using your network to help spread the word. Together, we can make sure help reaches Ukraine before winter starts!

Exploring new ways to trauma treatment

This summer, young psychology students from Ukraine travelled to Amsterdam for a programme focused on trauma treatment, stress management and practical therapeutic approaches. 

During lectures and workshops with teaching staff from Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, the students explored approaches including EMDR, cognitive behavioural therapy, creative therapy and boxing therapy. They also learned from specialists and saw how mental-health care is organised in the Netherlands.

But the programme was about more than professional development. After years of war and uncertainty, it gave the students space to connect, recover and learn from each other.

They returned to Ukraine with new knowledge, practical tools and professional connections, and with ideas they hope to bring into their work with people affected by the war.

For us, it was a privilege to contribute to a programme that invests in the people who will play an important role in Ukraine’s mental-health system in the years ahead.

Laila in Syria: exploring educational needs

This month, People for People Crisis Response Manager Laila travelled to Syria (Deir Ezzor) to visit an educational project we are supporting.

Years of conflict have disrupted education for many children and young people. Rather than starting with a fixed solution, the visit was an opportunity to listen, visit schools and speak with local organisations about what is needed on the ground.

Many of the schools Laila visited have been damaged or destroyed. Others are still standing but lack basic facilities such as toilets, desks, windows and doors. 

As much as the country is trying to recover, the learning environment is not fully equipped to meet children’s needs. Also due to a shortage of specialized teachers, trauma-informed instruction, and essential practical skills, including digitalisation. 

Education is the main component upon which post-crisis countries can rebuild their future, giving youth not just knowledge, but hope and a path toward healing.  

Young people taking action

This month, 6,000 first-year students came together to start the new academic year during the Young Impact Albeda Kick-off at Rotterdam Ahoy. The Impact Zone created room for conversation and made students explore different ways to take action for others.

They wrote personal messages to children living in crisis areas, such as Ukraine, through our Mailbox of Love. The messages were simple, but they gave students a practical way to turn their concern into something they could do themselves.

At the end of September, we continued this work with our partner Young Impact at DC Terra MBO in Assen.

Together with our volunteer Malik, we hosted a session on Equal Opportunities. Students heard Malik’s personal story and learned more about the experiences of young people with a refugee background. The COA team also joined to share what life is like in an asylum reception centre.

The session ended with a card writing challenge. Students wrote messages to young people living in reception centres and turned their cards into collages for the common areas. 

It was another example of how creating space for conversation can lead to action, and give young people a way to contribute themselves.

Coming up!

The coming months will bring new opportunities to turn what we have learned into action. In Ukraine, we are expanding support for children and young people who are forced to evacuate and move to transit centres. In Syria, we will continue exploring how education can create opportunities for children and young people, building on what we learned during Laila’s visit. 

And across our projects, we will keep looking for the same thing: where is there a need, who already has something to contribute, and how can we connect the two?