Europe and Central Asia

It is another busy day at the office of one of Dushanbe's local marketing companies. A portrait of Steve Jobs with his famous quote  “Stay hungry, stay foolish”  stares at everyone who enters the office space .  A team of young developers and graphic designers work elbow to elbow at a table almost as big as the room itself.  The sounds of typing…, From UPSHIFT to “BizKids”, Khusrav Malangov, 20, is a young person from Vakhdat city, who moved to Dushanbe to further his education and follow his dreams. Like half a million other young people in Tajikistan who are not in employment, education or training (NEET), Khusrav was struggling to find employment. Khusrav was looking for a training programme to help him develop…, Sustainable livelihood and economic resilience  , Since “BiZKids” began operations in 2022, Khusrav has had a stable source of income from enrollment fees. Because of its financial sustainability, Khusrav has hired five full-time employees - training facilitators, marketers, and sales managers - enabling other young people to become economically resilient. Today, Khusrav is more financially…, Building a network of future young entrepreneurs in Tajikistan, “I’ll beautifully wrap my product and make it more appealing, so that my customer spreads by word of mouth the virtues of my product and brings me more customers.”- said 13-year- old Madina, a “BizKids” participant, when the director of the marketing company asked her about her sales strategy. Meanwhile, Khusrav is excitedly encouraging young…, The importance of the right skills for economic growth, Tajikistan has one of the youngest populations in Central Asia. Young people under the age of 35 make up 70 percent of the population. In 2018, young people said the biggest obstacles to achieving their dreams included lack of financial resources (29 percent) and limited access to training opportunities in rural areas (16 percent). To realize the…

The Humanitarian Center in Gabčíkovo is a very contrasting place. Freezing corridors and warm rooms; a constant silence broken by the echoing noise of closing doors. Smiling children run and play together, but their families are torn apart by the war. Initially a temporary solution; now a continued reality for those who have nowhere else to go.…, Helping others: Yulia’s distraction , Yulia first arrived in Gabčíkovo with her 10-year-old son Artemy in the middle of March 2022, almost a year ago, leaving behind her husband and her routine, scared and uncertain about the future.  Artemy was not happy to leave his home country and move abroad, but things got a bit better when they were joined by Yulia's mother.  Yulia, a former…, The children are still scared , Karine has been in Gabčíkovo for almost a year now. Originally from Odessa, she also arrived in Slovakia in March 2022, together with her children and sister.    Karine, a kindergarten teacher from Odessa, Ukraine, in her class in Humanitarian Center in Gabčíkovo. Karine, a kindergarten teacher from Odessa, Ukraine, in her class in Humanitarian…, A contrasting place indeed   , "On the one hand, Gabčíkovo is convenient because refugees have everything here,” explains Katka, a social worker at the centre. “If they have any problems, they can sort them out here: they don't have to go anywhere; everything is in one place. On the other hand, it makes it more difficult for them to integrate.”    Social workers Katka, Melinda…, I just want to take my dog on a trip  , A completely different glimpse into everyday life in Gabčíkovo is offered by Marianna, a 15-year-old girl who fled Kramatorsk, close to the frontline in Eastern Ukraine, with her family eleven months ago.    She and her family did not plan to stay in Slovakia for long. This is the main reason why Marianna initially did not enroll in a Slovak…, The end of the war with a magic wand   , Samuel and Anastasia, both 8 years old, like Gabčíkovo, especially when the volunteers come and play with them. Like many kids their age, they are not too fond of going to school or attending their Slovak language course, which is a must for all children until the age of 15.  Anastasia is playing in the kindergarten room in Gačíkovo Humanitarian…

Choosing to stay Matylda, 22, calmly oversees some of her peers as they move food items at the Krakow Główny railway station, in Poland. Her attentive eyes gaze at every movement made by Scouts* and refugees alike, making sure that not a single request made by refugees remains unattended. “When the war started, I was terrified,” she says. “History…, About the World Organization of the Scout Movement, Scouting is the world’s leading educational youth movement, engaging millions of young people to be active citizens and create positive change in their communities. The Scout Movement is made up of more than 57 million Scouts, including 2 million who are active in the European Scout Region. The role of the Region is to support its 40 Member…

It has been nearly two months since classmates Stepan and Yaroslav last stepped foot in their school in Kharkiv. On 23 February, their final lesson was a history class. The next day, the 14-year-old boys woke up not to their alarm clock, but to the sound of explosions. Image Stepan and Yaroslav play on the swings at their former school. Image…, Birthday under fire, The school was destroyed by shelling the day before Stepan’s birthday.  Instead of celebrating with friends, Stepan had spent the day in the basement, hiding with his family from an air attack. That night, on the evening of his fourteenth birthday, the boy stared out of the window as the flames licked the walls of his school. “I was feeling…

Croatia, Four tons of equipment have been delivered from UNICEF's Copenhagen warehouse to Croatia including 30,000 professional medical masks, 30,000 protective gloves, 18,000 protective suits and gowns, 4,000 bags for safe disposal of medical waste, 2 500 protective caps and 130 pairs of protective rubber boots. The first batch of professional protective…, Georgia, Three hundred and eighty Roma families in Georgia received packages with essential hygiene and food products. UNICEF personnel also visited some of the vulnerable families to inform them on measures they can take to stop the spread of COVID-19. A child with a package in Georgia, Italy, The first shipment of supplies arrived in Italy on 30 March and included surgical masks and gloves, protective suits and goggles, gowns and thermometers. UNICEF packages, Kosovo*, Since the COVID-19 outbreak began, UNICEF in Kosovo* has distributed 12,000 family hygiene kits to an estimated 72,000 people. UNICEF has also conducted a rapid assessment of 204 families with children through telephone interviews. Almost every family involved - 97 per cent – said they valued the assistance and asked for ongoing support. The US…, Romania, UNICEF in Romania is providing protective equipment to frontline community workers during the pandemic. UNICEF is also supporting social workers and community nurses who provide the most vulnerable children and families with care and medical support. Not only do these frontline workers support families but they also help relieve demand on the…, Serbia, UNICEF in Serbia has procured more than $935,000 USD of supplies to respond to the COVID-19 pandemic. The supplies include medical and protective equipment for health care workers, as well hygiene kits that will be given to vulnerable families and children.  Hygiene packages for the most vulnerable families in Serbia, Tajikistan, In Tajikistan UNICEF is supporting the Ministry of Health and Social Protection by delivering vital medical supplies. Essential medical supplies, Turkey, UNICEF, in partnership with the Turkish Red Crescent and other national partners, is distributing psycho-social support kits to 50,000 Turkish and refugee families throughout Turkey. The kits include writing and drawing materials, puzzles, playdough and activity booklets which provide parents with exercises and games to engage their children.…

The House of Colours is the name of a large welcoming house in Tirana, Albania. The walls are covered in children’s artwork and girls’ and boys’ voices can be heard chatting and laughing.  The House of Colors, run by UNICEF partner NGO ARSIS, provides support for some of the most vulnerable children in the city and surrounding suburbs. These…