The Tolk group joined the training from the Mental Help project of the UN Global Compact network

Children from Kyiv, Novovolynsk, Lutsk, Irpen, Uzhhorod, Kovel, Nizhny Bystroy, Khust, and many other settlements of Ukraine took part in an art therapy session conducted online by specialists of the Mental Help project of the UN Global Compact network, which includes the Tolk Group of Companies.

Project psychologist Oksana Zanina conducted online art therapy training for Ukrainian children, which allows them to overcome internal conflicts, anxiety, and fears with the help of creativity. As the Tolk Group of Companies is a member of the UN Global Compact since 2022, company employees and their children gladly participated in the online training. They invited their acquaintances and friends, especially from the areas currently affected by the occupiers. Upon invitation, children from the families of internally displaced persons and children from socially vulnerable families who now live in Nizhny Bystrom in Zakarpattia and are cared for by the Tolk Group joined the lesson.
Participants of the training had to draw their five favorite things, objects, things or animals, or something that warms them in a difficult moment, that gives warmth. This is how cats and dogs, the Carpathians, and houses appeared on paper, which children depicted in the contours of the map of Ukraine or their own palm. At the same time, they told the psychologist where they are from, where they were born and where they live now, what they dream about, and what brings them happiness.

"I'm happy when there are no sirens...", "...I'm happy when Ukrainian soldiers shoot down Russian missiles...", "I'm happy when there's light and water, and also when grandfather comes" - such simple and at the same time so disturbing formulas of Ukrainian happiness children involuntarily bring tears to the eyes of each of the adults who were present at the training. Because the terrible things of today - war, bombing, death, and destruction - broke into the childhood of millions of Ukrainian girls and boys and left a mark on everyone's fate that cannot be erased by anything. At the psychologist's request to draw resources that, in the children's opinion, would benefit their native country, the boys and girls, almost without thinking, began to draw weapons, airplanes, and leopard tanks. It was scary to hear from the children's lips that they were drawing "...the biggest bomb in the world, which will destroy all the enemies of Ukraine", but at the same time they warmed the words that "... here I have an excavator in the picture, which will help build new houses after our victory ...", "...and here I have a rainbow that will protect my land from all troubles..."
According to psychologist Oksana, by drawing and depicting their dreams, fears, desires, and hopes on the leaves, children simultaneously pour out their emotions, which is very important. "The most important thing is that I ask everyone to remember: when you draw and create, you already support Ukraine because you think about it. You have no idea how much love you gave to your native Motherland today!"

The organizers asked the training participants to send their work to the UN Global Compact network office in Ukraine. All drawings will be saved and shipped to the United States of America for a charity exhibition to raise funds for the needs of children affected by the war in Ukraine.