Helping Young Ukrainians Find Hope After Four Years of War and Isolation
February 24, 2026 marks four years since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2022, triggering a massive humanitarian crisis. While the on-again, off-again peace negotiations dominate the news, violence continues to upend civilians’ lives. Attacks on infrastructure in Kyiv have intensified since January, leaving thousands of people without water, electricity, or heat in sub-zero temperatures.
As the war drags on, many Ukrainians are feeling the isolating effects of long-term displacement. Mayumi Kuramochi, a member of the Peace Winds Ukraine team, explains that many young people now feel hopeless about the future, and that one effective way to counteract that is through proactive psychosocial support and career guidance.
“Since the COVID pandemic and the start of the war in 2022, school classes have been primarily online,” she says. “This has deprived (many young Ukrainians) of opportunities to socialize for more than five years. As a result, they say they are anxious because they don’t know how to interact with people or step out into society.”
From the start, one of Peace Winds’ priorities in Ukraine has been to support psychosocial care. In 2025, we organized group therapy sessions for 110 junior and senior high school students at three schools in the north. Many have lost family members in the war, and they live each day in fear of air raids. Students taking part in these sessions learned techniques for processing and expressing their immense grief and anxieties, and those who needed extra support received one-on-one counseling.
Since last year, Peace Winds has also operated a “Family Hub” in Zhytomyr Oblast in the north. It provides free support for families–especially women and children–affected by the war. Services include legal advice, such as on public assistance programs and domestic violence issues; information on education and work opportunities; and individual and group therapy.
“I often hear expressions of grief, particularly from women whose husbands are in the military or who have lost family members in combat,” says Mayumi. “While everyone is trying their best to figure out how to live amid suffering and war, I also sense that thinking about the future brings new anxieties.”
At the Family Hub, a business training program is bringing a bit of hope for residents who own or want to open a small business. The five-month course guides them through steps like creating a business plan, earning profits, and managing staff and finances.
One participant, Tetiana, fled her home in eastern Ukraine after the Russian military invasion. “I participated because I wanted to find out if business is really for me,” she says. “I hope to open a small cafe someday when I can return to my hometown. I love baking bread and pastries.”
The Family Hub operated out of a temporary space for several months, but last fall, Peace Winds began renovations on a new building. An official opening ceremony for the new Family Hub was held in January, marking a new chapter in its mission to guide families coping with trauma and taking steps to find financial stability.
With no end in sight to this war, Peace Winds will continue to support the people of Ukraine as much as we are able. To help us further this mission, please donate by selecting “Ukraine” in the dropdown menu. We are so grateful for your support.