Creating and supporting community activities is one of the key priorities of the IOM team, which has been working in the Humanitarian Centre (HC) in Gabcikovo, where approximately 1,000 people from Ukraine with temporary protection status live.

This painting was created by women living in HC Gabcikovo for people who has to stay in Ukraine and live close to the frontline. Photo © International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2023.

As a result, an informal group of women of different ages has been established, gradually gaining their interest. Women meet every Wednesday and they paint, make pottery or do handy crafts.

Doing activities and supporting community life is regular and consistent work.

“In the beginning, it is necessary to provide people with a safe space and atmosphere so that they can share their thoughts, experiences, worries and ideas. It is also an opportunity to express supportive words and sincere sympathy,” says Kataryna Borysovych, who works as Senior Project Associate at the Emergency Project in HC Gabcikovo and helps with organizing these sessions.

The art-therapeutic group process positively effects communication and mutual emotional enrichment between all participants. Photo © International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2023.

Recently, women from this group decided to support people who remained in Ukraine, especially civilians living along the contact line in the Eastern part of the country. Women cut out paper hands and wrote their wishes on them; words of support and encouragement for the people of Ukraine.

Olga, one of the talented and highly skilled Ukrainians living and working in HC Gabcikovo painted a poster of a Ukrainian woman. The painting, as a gesture of support, will be sent to Bakhmut, which has been a target of heavy shelling and bombing for a long time. 

“We want to support people who are in Ukraine, those who could not leave the country and are forced to live under constant shelling and bombing,” Olga says while holding her painting.

Olga wants to send her painting to Bakhmut as a gesture of support. Photo © International Organization for Migration (IOM) 2023.

Working in a small group and engaging people in simple activities such as painting, pottery, and various crafts helps to build trust between participants. The main aim is to work with the group members in a way that encourages the transformation of possible traumatic experiences in a positive direction as well as the removal of psycho-emotional tensions.

The art-therapeutic group process positively effects communication and mutual emotional enrichment between all participants. Common activities also facilitate community cohesion and friendly relations, helping newcomers to adapt to the new reality more quickly.

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