War Toys Toolbox: Ukrainian Children Under Attack
As a group working with War Toys, we are aiming to help children who are witnesses of the wars. War Toys is a project founded by photographer Brian McCarty in 2019. The main goal is to help children who have been affected by war by using art therapy and play-therapy methods, specifically, helping them to tell their stories and find a way to express their emotions. Right now, we are trying to design a toy to help them with these purposes. War Toys aims to use its resources for children all around the world. Recently, the conflict in Ukraine continues and this brings our attention to Ukrainian children.
Community Timeline
The root of the Ukraine and Russia relations coming from 1919 involves the Soviet invasion of Ukraine. After that, in 1922, Ukraine became the part of newly established Soviet Union. From that time Ukraine is becoming a witness to negative global incidents including the Ukrainian Famine and World War II mainly because of its geopolitical location. In 1991, Ukraine gained independence when the Soviet Union collapsed. I tried to design a timeline focusing more on milestones after 1991 to understand the recent situation. However, seeing all historical and political events as a summary reminded me of the phrase saying “history repeats itself”. Moreover, it demonstrated that this long-term conflict -starting from 1919- affected not just one generation, instead it created intergenerational trauma in the community.
Taking Inventory Regarding Stigma Of Mental Health
Applying for mental health treatment was not a common practice in Ukraine. The reason behind that is the using psychiatry as a punishment during the Soviet Union. It was observed that people who have opposite political view was stigmatized as mentally ill and were locked in psychiatric hospitals. For this reason, for the old generation, it was still taboo to seek mental health treatment and they don’t want to be labeled by the community. Research showed that depression, anxiety, PTSD, and alcohol use are common disorders in Ukraine. However, nearly 75% of people are not seeking treatment based on a report published in 2017.
It is also important to note that due to the conflict in Ukraine, nearly 1.5 million children are at risk of mental health disorders. In addition, 45% of parents’ biggest worry for their children is their mental health based on No Peace of Mind’s report. This data made me think about an issue; if a child is a case, adults can give up on their stigmas. The reason can be their instinct of responsibility.
Mapping Of Interventions
War Child, another NGO that creates resources for children in war zones, started a project called “Can’t Wait to Learn”. This project provides a digital platform and the goal is to help children in conflict-affected countries continue their education. They also launched this project in Ukraine. Our target community is the same but their main focus was on educational support.
In addition, UNICEF supported the project called “PORUCH” which is aiming to help children, teenagers, and parents affected by the war. For children, they created a safe place in refugee camps where children can play sports, attend drawing sessions and, discuss their feelings and emotions which are similar with our project.
There is also another project similar to ours, it is called “Hibuki Therapy Project” developed by a child psychologist in 2006. This project brings a play-based intervention to children in Ukraine. Hibuki is a dog with long arms, which makes it available to hug, and an apparent emotional expression on the face, which helps children to recognize it.
Interviews of Community Members
It is undeniable how wars create a psychological burden on children and their families. From the resources that I found, I learned that fear is one of the most obvious emotions that children have. Moreover, leaving everything (their family members, houses, friends, teachers, and even daily routines) behind and moving from their countries creates sadness and anxiety. However, looking on the bright side, they also feel supported when they are being together with other children and playing with them. Play is becoming a tool for them to interact, to share their emotions and experiences.
In addition, as a team, we arranged a couple of online meetings with Brian McCarthy and interviewed the art therapist Myra Saad who is working with refugee children in war zones. Taken together, there are very limited sources for children in refugee camps and it is very important for these children to feel safe, and to have something (a toy or an object) to keep with them in the refugee camps.
Resources:
https://www.history.com/news/ukraine-timeline-invasions
https://www.dw.com/en/how-the-ukraine-russia-crisis-reached-a-tipping-point/a-60802626
https://www.wvi.org/sites/default/files/2022-07/No%20Peace%20of%20Mind.pdf
https://www.unicef.org/emergencies/war-ukraine-pose-immediate-threat-children
