Citi Ukraine Supports the “Children of Heroes” Camp Program

Citi Ukraine, the only global bank with an on-the-ground presence in Ukraine, have provided the Children of Heroes Charity Fund with critically important support. Over UAH 5,5 million will be allocated to one of our key psychological recovery initiatives for the Fund’s beneficiaries who have lost one or both parents due to the war.

Our camp program combines rest, emotional support, and work with psychologists. It offers a safe space where children can recover, begin to trust the world again, make friends, and gradually regain a sense of stability and support.

“At Citi, we see it as our responsibility to support those who need it most, especially in such a difficult time. Since the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, we have focused on humanitarian and educational initiatives for the most vulnerable—children. Supporting the Fund is not only an investment in helping children recover from devastating loss, but also a duty to those who made it possible for us to continue working every day,” said Alexander McWhorter, Chairman of the Management Board of JSC Citibank.

Thanks to Citi’s funding, in 2026 we plan to run five camp sessions and reach 400 program participants. For hundreds of children, this journey becomes a meaningful step toward stabilization and long-term recovery.

“Citi’s support is about real change in the lives of children who have experienced loss. At the camps, they gradually open up, make friends, and for the first time in a long while feel like children again. We see a sense of life returning, trust re-emerging—in themselves, in others, and in the world. And for us, this is the most valuable outcome of this support,” says Valeriia Abdal, co-founder of the Children of Heroes Charity Fund.

Camps supported by this funding:

Svitlyachok — a Carpathians camp for our youngest children and their mothers. The program includes individual consultations, group sessions with psychologists, art therapy, and shared activities that help families restore a sense of safety and support.

One Camp — an active camp focused on recreation, socialization, and development, with a packed schedule of excursions, workshops, games, and competitions. The camp also includes ongoing support from the Fund’s psychologists in both group and individual formats.

Strength Within You — the Fund’s original program, created on the basis of a three-year study of the emotional and social needs of children who have lost one or both parents. It combines rest, psychological support, and socialization.

“The ‘Strength Within You’ project is designed for children and teenagers who have lost their parents. The program is structured to help participants gently process their emotions, restore a sense of safety, and build inner resilience. Through art therapy sessions, creative practices, team activities, and psychological exercises, children discovered their own ‘superpowers’—inner qualities that help them overcome challenges: courage, resilience, trust, and the ability to support others.Through interactive and symbolic approaches, we spoke with children about their hidden resources—sometimes calling them ‘inner strengths’—that help them keep moving forward even after profound loss,” says Yulia Kryzhanivska, psychologist at the Children of Heroes Charity Fund.

Guardians’ feedback after attending the camps:

«There is nothing more valuable in life than seeing children’s joyful eyes and happy faces. Thank you for this incredible fairy-tale journey, for safety and support. Thank you for giving our children a break from thoughts about the war. Thank you for helping them discover their strengths and overcome their fears.» — Mariia.

«An amazing camp: a packed program, entertainment, dancing, contests, hikes, and excursions. The camp helps a child release their ‘held-back self’! Thank you so much for such a camp. It’s a wonderful break!» — Anna.

«The Fund gave not only the children a chance to reset morally, physically, and emotionally, but the mothers as well. Thank you so much! Everything was fantastic, fun and beautifully organized. This will stay with us and remain in our memory for many years. Thank you!» — Yuliia.

We are grateful to Citi for the strength of their support and for a meaningful contribution to the future of children who need recovery and care. This kind of partnership makes systematic socialization programs possible, exactly where they truly change and improve lives.