A single father's fight for his sons' access to education amidst war in Ukraine

“He heard explosions, and that’s when he stopped talking,” says Hennadiy about his 14-year-old son. “And then he saw me covered in blood from a bullet wound, which completely terrified him”.

Hennadiy, a single father, and his two sons – Mykola, 14, and Andriy, 15, lived in the city of Kherson in the south of Ukraine. In autumn 2022 as hostilities were ramping up around the city, Hennadiy decided it was time to evacuate.

“The boys were in a suburb, across the river from Kherson”, Hennadiy explains. “I needed to cross the bridge to get to them. That’s when I got shot. But that’s not a big deal, all I cared about was getting them out.” The bridge, a few hundred meters long, was heavily damaged, but all three managed to make their way back. Reunited, Hennadiy and the boys left Kherson with the help of “Save Ukraine”, World Vision’s local partner, and days later found themselves a new home at a collective center in the town of Irpin.

“Kherson was too dangerous. There’s constant bombardment, half of the city is in ruins”, Hennadiy describes his hometown. However, safety was only part of the issue. Both of his sons have special educational needs. The younger, Mykola, who was only 12 at the time, had been diagnosed with autism. The impact of the trauma on his mental, and physical health has been especially dramatic.

Before 2022 both boys went to a regular school: as part of the inclusive education approach, most Ukrainian schools will have some special needs students. With the war breaking out, that was no longer an option. “Mykola lost his speech”, Hennadiy seems to barely contain his emotions. “He couldn’t use his hands – to hold a pen or a spoon – and needed to be spoon fed. His condition severely deteriorated.”

“Save Ukraine” provided the family with more than just accommodation. The day center in Irpin that serves internally displaced children, as well as children from the local community, gave Mykola and Andriy a chance for recovery. “The boys enrolled as soon as the center opened. Speech therapy, physical therapy, mental health, art, Ukrainian language classes. Children get all the attention here”, Hennadiy elaborates.

The math and Ukrainian language classes, part of a catch-up program for Ukrainian children are supported by World Vision and funded by the European Union. This initiative intends to reach out to over 4,500 girls and boys aged 6-17, including those with disabilities, helping them build resilience in the face of adversity. 

Currently, eleven educational centers are operational, but the educational needs in Ukraine are urgent and growing. With 5.3 million children requiring immediate educational support, disrupted lessons, hybrid learning approaches, and safety concerns are making it increasingly difficult for them to secure a future.

According to the Ministry of Education, over 2,600 schools have been damaged and more than 400 destroyed. Since the war started, only 25% of schools can provide full-time, in-person learning. This ongoing crisis leaves Ukrainian children struggling to access education while facing serious security risks and mental health issues. 

As Hennadiy is sitting on a bench in the back yard of the day center, Andriy is skateboarding along a row of mobile homes – five of them can house internally displaced families right here, on the premises, with a bigger collective center just down the street. Mykola gets off a trampoline with other children, runs back to his father, sits next to him leaning on his shoulder. A skinny teenager in a baseball cap, just like his peers, at a glance it is impossible to tell how traumatized he was by the war just months ago.

“Mykola is back to his regular self”, Hennadiy agrees, while hugging his son. When asked about the biggest struggles of being a single dad he immediately says “Homework”. The boys are now preparing to go back to school. 

World Vision is supporting children like Mykola and Andriy as they reintegrate into the education system through catch-up classes and a holistic approach to mental health. With over 267,000 children supported through education programming, World Vision is advocating for greater access to quality education for Ukrainian children, and better support for teachers.

Story and photos by Oleksandr Shpygunov, Communications Officer