Whether humanitarians and other professionals are responding to a conflict, a natural disaster, or any other crisis, child protection must be considered among the core objectives and values. To equip local workers supporting children affected by the conflict in Ukraine with the essential child protection knowledge, this September, our team in Eastern Europe organised two workshops in Ukraine. The workshops were part of the child protection for frontline staff training opportunity provided by the Child Protection Area of Responsibility (CPAoR) in collaboration with the Humanitarian Leadership Academy, Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action (CPHA) and Save the Children International Ukraine. Prior to attending the workshop, all the participants went through the online course Child Protection Minimum Standards (CPMS) on Kaya.
Having had the opportunity to familiarise themselves with the Minimum Standards for Child Protection in advance, participants used the in-person workshop to focus on applying these standards in real-world scenarios. They explored challenges related to community and child communication, with particular emphasis on inclusive protection.
On 2-5 September, 25 people supporting children affected by the conflict gathered in Kyiv to attend a 4-day workshop. The training covered child development, communication with children and communities, recognising concerns, inclusive support, accountability and the role of humanitarians in wider protection systems.
The participants shared about main outtakes from the workshop:
– It is important to understand the stages of child development and how to avoid burnout in staff.
– We all need to work together to ensure compliance with the standards and principles. Networking is crucial for this.
– I’ve learnt a lot about inclusivity strategies and how to communicate with affected children.
The second cohort of this workshop was conducted in Dnipro on 16-19 of September. 28 people from all over Ukraine representing local CSOs and NGOs participated in the workshop. The contextualised content was developed in accordance with the CPAoR-led capacity assessment, based on a training package developed by the Alliance for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action, that was adapted by an HLA consultant.
The participants highlighted the parts of the training they found the most valuable for their current roles:
– Identifying signs of violence, inclusion and communication with children.
– Psychosocial support for children in emergencies.
– Reflection on burnout; critical analysis of referrals systems; networking with other NGOs.
– The socio-ecological model and selfcare to prevent burnout.
– Exchange of experience was priceless.
To spread Child Protection knowledge further across the country, selected participants from both cohorts will attend a Training of Trainers in November to be able to deliver the CPHA package to more people supporting children on the frontline.
Access these free online courses on Kaya:
Child Protection Minimum Standards
