Young people in Ukraine face many serious challenges to their health and wellbeing. Despite the increase in HIV infections, knowledge of HIV prevention amongst young people in Ukraine is shockingly low at 23% (UNAIDS, 2017).
HIV is not the only pressing issue. A third of young people have experienced family breakdowns. Alcohol consumption by children and youth is the highest in the world and suicides are the leading cause of death amongst adolescents.
ACET Ukraine brings much-needed hope by offering young people the tools necessary for building a positive future. They do this through mobilising and equipping local churches around the country to reach young people with key messages on living a healthy lifestyle.
Through this network, they now support 771 volunteers championing healthy lifestyles to more than 25,500 young people each year in 101 cities.
ACET Ukraine's Activities:
- Educating young people through a Ministry-approved curriculum that encourages building healthy lifestyles and building positive relationships.
- The University of Healthy Youth, a supplementary course that helps educators choose topics to best support the needs of young people in their context.
- Interactive video assemblies which use videos and discussion to engage large groups of young people.
- In-person and online consultations with volunteer counsellors for young people struggling with their mental ill-health.
- Youth clubs to disciple young people by exploring their gifts and talents, raising their self-esteem, and promoting social activism.
- Parents’ evenings and teacher training to support adults to confidently discuss relationships and sex with young people.
- Educating church leaders about relationships and sex education, child psychology, family relationships, and ministry development for young people.
- Social campaigns to promote improved health and wellbeing in local communities.
The work continues
In spite the continuing conflict within their country ACET Ukraine is working within eighteen regions of Ukraine. Fourteen regions where programmes are being actively implemented in-person and four other regions online.
ACET Ukraine’s 547 amazing volunteers, have reached 8,287 young people and 1,345 adults, including those who are living in areas of occupation... Read more.
Bringing hope in wartime
It’s now over 2 years since the start of the war in Ukraine. We are so humbled by the resilience of our ACET Ukraine colleagues whose determination to continue serving young people is incredibly inspiring. Thank you so much for your support which enables and encourages them in these difficult circumstances
347 of ACET Ukraine’s faithful volunteers have been able to continue their mission to deliver high-quality relationships and sexual health education and other important life skills education to young people in schools, youth clubs and churches across 14 regions. Read more.
Ukraine: Teens & Joy
It has been wonderful to hear of the difference ACET Ukraine’s Teens and Joy project has had on young people.
The project’s aim is to support children and young people during this overwhelming season of war, enabling them to express their feelings and fears, build resilience, and experience increased hope for the future. Read more
Finding hope & joy in Ukraine
As you can imagine, the war with Russia has had a devastating impact on the young people ACET Ukraine work with.
The team has continued to provide their programme in person wherever possible but has maintained connections online when this has not been viable. Read more
Psychological support
We are so inspired by the courage of the ACET Ukraine team, who have continued working with young people throughout the war.
Since May, as well as delivering relationships and sex sessions and youth clubs, online and in-person where possible, the team have been providing specialist psychosocial support for young people.
This has been critical for the Read more
Ukraine - working in a war zone
"Parents were shot and mothers were raped in front of their children. This is the horror that Russian troops made in the Kyiv region. There is a lot of pain. After the Russian troops left, there were many corpses of civilians, even teenagers were raped there."
It has been heartbreaking to speak with our colleagues in Ukraine and hear them talk about the horrifying impact of the war. Read more
Club activities, Ukraine
Most young people first come into contact with ACET Ukraine when their school invites ACET in to deliver their ‘University of Health Youth’ programme. Many students then go on to join one of ACET Ukraine’s youth clubs, which help teenagers take responsibility for their future, be part of a team and become socially active.
Lockdowns did impact the clubs last year but 203 ACET volunteers were still able to run sessions of 15 clubs in 9 cities for 2,040 young people.Read more
Youth Engagement, Ukraine
Young people often first meet ACET Ukraine when the team comes to their school to provide University of Healthy Youth sessions. Then the teenagers discover there are other ACET activities they can participate in, such as youth clubs and social campaigns.
13-year-old students Natasha and Irina are in the same class in the city of Lozovoe. After meeting the ACET team in school, the girls joined an ACET club together - and then joined a home group at a local church. Read more