Conducting workshops for Ukrainian refugee children and adolescents in Poland

JICA is conducting a project for improving the basic educational environment of Ukrainian refugee children and adolescents staying in Poland in cooperation with a Polish NGO "Polish Women Can Do Everything Foundation" (Fundacja Polki Mogą Wszystko).

Following the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in February 2022, 989,540 Ukrainian refugees are still living in Poland, 39% of whom are children (UNHCR, December 2024). The impact on basic education due to living conditions that differ from their home countries such as language etc. This project aims to improve the educational environment for Ukrainian refugee in Poland by providing psychological support and motivate them to learn.

In early February 2025, during the winter vacation period of public schools in Warsaw, the capital city of Poland, a variety of workshops were conducted with the cooperation of private companies.

On 4^th, 6^th and 11^th February 2025, Ukrainian refugee children and adolescents were invited to the “E. Wedel Chocolate Factory Museum” in Warsaw. The museum, which opened in September 2024 next to the chocolate factory of Lotte Wedel, is a hands-on facility designed to provide visitors with a tour of the chocolate production and food education. During the visit with Polish-speaking guide, the youths learned about the process of producing chocolates and the history of the E. WEDEL brand, which has been popular with the people of Poland since its establishment in 1851.

On 10^th February 2025, two Ukrainian staffs from Panasonic Ukraine Ltd visited the NGO and gave a presentation to the youths. The company, which has been developing its business in Ukraine for many years, introduced how Japan has been contributing to Ukraine, and the youths actively participated by answering quizzes related to Japan and the company’s history.

Besides the company-related workshops, the NGO “Fundacja Polki Mogą Wszystko” has been organizing a variety of workshops in this project by methods taking into account the psychological aspects of Ukrainian refugee children and adolescents. In one such activity, “Wintering birds and how to help them,” they think together about how to help birds wintering in Poland, gather information through visits to a museum, build wooden nests for birds, set them up outside, and regularly feed and observe them until spring. Through this activity, they are developing teamwork and learning about the natural environment.