This week as Ukraine marks the grim anniversary of four
years of war and a growing mental health crisis, World
Vision New Zealand is funding a digital chatbot to help
caregivers support children living through
conflict.
Four years of armed combat, bombings, and
death have scarred children and nearly 85% of households
report psychosocial distress among children, with nearly
one-third of under-fives showing visible signs of anxiety
and trauma [i]
World
Vision New Zealand Acting Head of Fragile and Developing
Contexts, Andy Robinson, says the impact of the war on
children will last generations.
“Children in Ukraine
are growing up feeling unsafe and scared. Many have been
separated from their fathers, and many will have witnessed
death and violence at close quarters.
“We’re
seeing high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder,
anxiety, depression and other mental health issues.
Professional mental health services are limited and families
are overwhelmed. World Vision hopes that this digital
chatbot will give parents practical ways to support their
children’s mental health and wellbeing right now,” he
says.
The Parenting in Crisis Chatbot, locally
named Batkivska Opora, is a digital tool that
provides Ukrainian caregivers with evidence-based guidance
on child protection, psychosocial support, and positive
parenting amid the ongoing war.
girl in transit camp
(Photo/Supplied)
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In partnership
with Parenting for Lifelong Health, it delivers practical,
culturally-adapted guidance via messaging platforms using
text, audio, illustrations, and short videos, and provides
strategies for stress management, positive parenting, and
child protection.
Its flexible, low-bandwidth format
ensures access, even in remote or low-connectivity
areas.
“This is not a replacement for professional
care, but it will help parents who are already struggling
with displacement, lost jobs, reduced income, and ongoing
security concerns who tell us that they don’t have the
resources to support their children effectively,” Robinson
says.
A recent World Vision report found that access
to protection and mental health services was extremely
limited in Ukraine with only 28% of households reporting
that they are able to access services from NGOs or UN
agencies, leaving 72% without child protection or mental
health support at a time of heightened vulnerability.[ii]
The
chatbot will initially be trialled with around 500 parents
before being scaled-up to reach thousands and complements
World Vision’s other work to support children and families
in Ukraine.
World Vision’s Ukraine Response
Director, Arman Grigoryan, says children and families are
currently suffering not only the perils of war, but of an
extremely cold winter.
“Winter intensified the risk
facing children. It compounds learning loss, emotional
distress, and protection concerns all at once. When power
cuts disrupt schooling and displacement interrupts in-person
education, children suffer and lose stability. Children and
families in Ukraine need extra support in winter – it is a
life-saving intervention,” he says.
More than half
of families report disruption to their children’s
education. A quarter of children are unable to attend school
due to unsafe conditions, and a third cannot access online
learning because of power outages.[iii]
As
Ukraine enters another winter at war, World Vision New
Zealand is calling on New Zealanders to help expand support
for children and families facing prolonged trauma.
To
help support Ukrainian children, visit www.wvnz.org.nz/CHR
[i]
https://reliefweb.int/report/ukraine/ukraine-humanitarian-needs-and-response-plan-2025-april-2025-enuk
[ii]
https://www.wvi.org/newsroom/ukraine/ukrainian-children-face-worsening-learning-loss-fourth-winter-war-world-vision
[iii]
https://www.wvi.org/newsroom/ukraine/ukrainian-children-face-worsening-learning-loss-fourth-winter-war-world-vision
Notes:
World
Vision New Zealand is a children’s charity working to
overcome poverty and injustice so that children can build a
brighter future. World Vision works to support the most
vulnerable children in more than 100 countries around the
world.
World Vision has been working in Ukraine since
the war began in 2022 and in that time has supported more
than 2.3 million people, including more than one million
children. World Vision has provided food, non-food items,
cash assistance, protection, education, livelihoods, and
mental health support. We operate in 22 of Ukraine’s 24
regions and continue to deliver both immediate relief and
long-term recovery
programmes.
