Lesson for Life defies difficult politics in Ukraine

Despite the difficult political situation the Lesson for Life was successfully held in Ukraine.

Preparation for the Lesson for Life was implemented by NGO 'Foundation of Youth Culture and Education' (FYCE) which translated the materials developed by the Global Movement for Children into Ukrainian and distributed these among all interested governmental and non-governmental institutions and mass media. The thematic web-page on the issue and the youth e-forum in Ukrainian and Russian were prepared and placed on the Independent Media Center web-site.

Information on the event was shared among NGO resource centers providing the basis for information distribution acrosss regional organizations in Ukraine. NGOs involved in the campaign conducted trainings for teachers and social workers and were directly involved in the Lesson implementation for local schools children. The event was broadly covered by local mass media. Local TV channels and Radio stations broadcasted thematic interviews with representatives of local authorities, NGO, field specialists and children. Printing mass media published analytical and informational articles on the issue.

Accordingly to the reports collected from the regional participants 750 Lessons for Life were carried out in 12 regions of Ukraine (Ukraine consists of 25 regions). About 20,000 children participated from both rural and urban areas.

The Lessons were held in schools, orphan houses, social houses for street children, social youth centers, NGOs. Children played the key role in all activities. They took part in different competitions (on the best poster, drawing, essay, etc.), showed theatrical performances, made gifts for the people living with HIV/AIDS.

Activities included:

- Disabled children – members of Rehabilitation Center 'Renaissance' (Chernigiv region) making the 'Joy Card' and origami for their HIV-infected peers from Social center opened by the 'Life +' organization (Odessa region).

- The children of Independent Media Center 'Children’s Voice' presented 300 copies of the comics book made by the children themselves and published this year for the kids aged 9-12.

- Children of every school involved in the campaign prepared their 'good news' reports – the kid’s view on the issue and their plans aimed at the problem solving in Ukraine and the world.

- The State Social Youth Center joined the Lesson implementation providing round tables for NGOs working in the HIV/AIDS field, holding actions 'Life without HIV', 'Youth for healthy life style', 'Amateurs youth theater against HIV' and organizing 'peer-for-peer' outdoor education.

The most active participants, winners of the competitions on the best creative kids work were awarded with the prizes provided by the NGO Foundation of Youth Culture and Education (FYCE). In the short time the awarded works will be placed at the web-site of Independent Media Center.