Ongoing Support for Ukrainian Refugees
We actively assisted war refugees in the Czech Republic. Among other things, we supported the integration of Ukrainian children into our society. We focused on extracurricular and informal education. We established adaptation groups for children, organized summer day camps, and offered art therapy courses.
About the project
At the beginning of the war in 2022, we acquired a residential space in Prague for free use, which we transformed into an island of hope for displaced Ukrainian mothers with children. A total of 30 people found accommodation here. In cooperation with the Archdiocesan Charity of Prague, the House of Children and Youth of the Capital City of Prague, and the Prague 6 Municipality, we opened two adaptation groups.
That summer, we held camps at the Jenerálka chateau. The camps were open to all children, not only those of Ukranian origin. Ukrainian children participated for free, as did Czech participants from lower‑income families. We organized the camps in cooperation with the House of Children and Youth of the Capital City of Prague, Nerudný Fest, the Duncan Centre Conservatory, the Šoltys Atelier, and athletes from the SportLife4Kids association.
„The camp program was great. I especially enjoyed the music part and dancing. We had a lot of fun in sports. We did all sorts of activities, like running a relay race with a ball and playing ping‑pong. Our camp leader was Serhiy Hrechko, a footballer from the Ukrainian club FC Nyva Vinnytsia. It was awesome!“
Camp participant
Supporting Activities for Children
We were at the inception of the unique project Supporting Activities for Children. This initiative, organized by the Czech Council of Children and Youth (ČRDM), helps fund extracurricular activities for children. At its core, the project operates on a voucher system. It was originally launched in response to the war and primarily intended for Ukrainian children, the program gradually expanded. Czech families in financial distress were also eligible to receive financial support of 1,500 CZK.
Over three years, more than 8,500 children who would not have otherwise been able to afford to attend were given the opportunity to access extracurricular activities. In total, 15.3 million CZK was distributed. Our partners in this project included the Česká Spořitelna Foundation, the Eduzměna Endowment Fund, Aktivní Město, the international organization UNICEF, the Prague City Hall, the Albatros Foundation, Sazka, and the Škoda Auto Endowment Fund. The project was also endorsed by the First Lady of the Czech Republic, Eva Pavlová.
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