Project period: April 2025 – December 2025

Project donor: Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs

Project partners: “ZNOVU” (Ukraine), Georgian Ukrainian Platform (UKRGE, Georgia)

Project budget: 99 975€

The war in Ukraine has posed major challenges to the education system, affecting both students and teachers. According to OCHA, in 2024 military attacks have interrupted one-third of Ukrainian schoolchildren’s studies. The situation is particularly difficult among internally displaced persons, who are three times more likely to study online. In-person learning is most challenging near the front line and in areas bordering Russia. Psychological stress caused by the war and digital fatigue also affect learning, increasing school absenteeism. 

In cooperation with the Ukrainian organization “ZNOVU”, Mondo provides educational and psychological support to students and teachers affected by the war in Ukraine. 

Through this project students receive support through an online learning platform, where high school students from vulnerable groups can access online lessons to catch up on missed studies, acquire essential skills, receive psychological support, and prepare for national exams or entrance interviews. Successful outcomes give students the opportunity to continue higher education in Ukraine, plan their future in their home country, and develop their potential.

According to research, teachers are also seriously affected by the war, experiencing emotional exhaustion, mental stress, financial instability, the loss of their homes, and even the deaths of loved ones. Many teachers belong to vulnerable groups, making their work even more challenging. More than 15% of teachers in the “ZNOVU” program live near the front line, about 10% are spouses of military personnel—some of whom have lost their partners in the war—and over 23% are internally displaced or have had to live without applying for official IDP status. In order to provide quality education despite these hardships, teachers need just as much support as students. Therefore, we offer psychological support and professional development opportunities for teachers.

As part of the project “Educational and Psychological Support for Students and Educators Affected by the War in Ukraine as well as cash-based assistance to Ukrainian refugees in Georgia,” we also support Ukrainian refugees in Georgia, who struggle to cover their food, medical, and heating expenses. A UNHCR report highlights a high demand for cash-based aid, which enables refugees to meet these essential needs. Vulnerable Ukrainian refugees, primarily elderly people and single-parent households, will be supported with financial aid for purchasing medical supplies. 

The direct beneficiaries include 550 Ukrainian students, 60 Ukrainian teachers, and at least 400 refugees in Georgia. The expected outcomes are reducing students’ educational setbacks, improving the mental health of students and teachers, and alleviating the primary needs of refugees in Georgia.

Contact:
Kristi Toodo
kristi.toodo@mondo.org.ee