In Kyiv, a chance to build offers children hope for the future
Through a youth leadership initiative, students in a Kyiv school are taking an active role in shaping their future by designing an outdoor recreational space for generations of pupils.
In a sun-drenched school hall in Kyiv, rows of chairs filled with excited young faces are set up in front of 13-year-old Anna. She calmly takes a deep breath, closes her eyes for a moment, and walks towards the piano on the stage.
The crowd consists of her school friends, classmates and teachers. They watch in silence as her hands hover over the piano keys, ready to play the iconic opening of one of her country’s most famous songs: Carol of the Bells.
“It was one of those happy moments that makes you cry more than sad times do,” says Yana, a coordinator at the secondary school in north-east Kyiv, which has been supported by Plan International since 2025. “During our school talent show, everything felt normal again,” Yana continues. “It was really beautiful.”
But for schools across Ukraine, those moments are becoming increasingly rare. Almost 4 years ago, Russia’s full-scale invasion changed the course of children’s lives and education in Ukraine forever. The invasion shook the country to its core, bringing untold physical and psychological trauma to the lives of its children.
Anna was just nine years old when she fled her home in Ukraine with her mother and sister to seek safety in a small village outside Warsaw, Poland. In the same month, Yana was forced to flee to Kyiv with her young son, Ehor, who is now 14, when their family home in Kharkiv was hit by Russian shelling.
Finding it difficult to settle in her new school in Poland, Anna felt isolated as a refugee child so the family made the decision to return to Kyiv. Constant electricity blackouts in Ehor’s new home mean that his online courses are frequently disrupted. Their classmate Daniil, 14, who fled Dnipro in 2021, says he keeps warm by doing high-intensity exercise when the heating cuts off most evenings at his family’s apartment in Kyiv.
Rediscovering a sense of purpose, comfort and community
Students like Anna, Ehor and Daniil are part of the global Champions of Change programme, implemented by Plan International, which promotes social transformation and gender equality while helping young people rediscover a sense of purpose, comfort and community.
“Encouraging our children to have an active role in shaping the future of our institution is a great feeling. I think it helps provide them with some context and hope, despite the terror of our current situation.”
Yana, Champions of Change
coordinator,
secondary school in Kyiv
The three students are among 44 Champions of Change at their school. Despite nationwide school closures, freezing temperatures and attacks on energy infrastructure during the winter months, the students have been hard at work on a new project, embracing a newfound sense of responsibility.
Together, they are designing an outdoor recreational space which is set to be constructed on the school grounds later this year for the enjoyment of all 800 pupils for generations to come. “We’re going to make sure the recreational space is welcoming to all. Everyone at the school should be able to take pride in it,” says Anna.
Handing children the keys to their future through school infrastructure projects like this represents a significant shift from the daily reality of war, where many experience feelings of helplessness and insecurity.
“Encouraging our children to have an active role in shaping the future of our institution is a great feeling,” said Yana. “I think it helps provide them with some context and hope, despite the terror of our current situation.”
Reflecting on the Champions of Change programme and the impact it hopes to achieve, project coordinator, Liliia shares: “I hope this project, which we are so happy to be able to support, helps the children find a greater sense of purpose by building part of their school’s future.”
About the project
Plan International began implementing the Rising Strong pilot project in 2024 in the Kyiv, Sumy, and Kharkiv communities, focusing on fostering resilience through mental health and psychosocial support, increasing awareness of gender-based violence prevention, and equipping girls, boys, and youth with the knowledge and skills necessary to advocate for gender equality with their communities. The project leverages local knowledge, expertise, and existing infrastructure of our partner organisations to provide programming for conflict-affected children and adolescents, employing Plan International’s flagship Champions of Change methodology.
Categories: Education, Emergencies, Skills and work, Youth empowerment
Related pages
