City of Prague Allocates CZK 8.5 Million to Aid and Integrate Ukrainian Children

In a significant move, Prague City Councillors allocated CZK 8.5 million towards supporting an array of initiatives within the city.

The primary objective of these projects is to facilitate the seamless integration of Ukrainian children who sought refuge in the Czech Republic following the Russian invasion.

The approved funding is earmarked for a variety of purposes, including the facilitation of adaptation and integration endeavors led by the Nusle Ukrainian Center. Additionally, a portion of the funds will be directed towards a range of nonprofit causes, spanning music workshops, activities organized by children’s and youth homes, as well as the production of subtitles for theatrical performances.

Among the commendable initiatives receiving financial backing is the Pražský majdan, z.s., project. This project, with a subsidy of approximately CZK 3.15 million, is dedicated to aiding Ukrainian refugees at the Nusle Ukrainian center.

This center offers an array different services, including an informative hub, healthcare consultations, housing and employment advice, distribution of humanitarian aid, Czech language courses, and personalized psychological counseling.

A sum exceeding CZK 1.3 million will be dedicated to diverse cultural activities. Divadlo na Zábradlí will produce theatre courses and Ukrainian subtitles for performances. The Prague Symphony Orchestra plans interactive music workshops and trips to community centres.

The Prague City Gallery is organising tours and workshops in Ukrainian for children, as well as the purchase of art materials, printing and intergenerational workshops.

Prague will then provide almost CZK 4 million to children’s and youth homes from the funds of the UN-UNICEF Children’s Fund, as part of the program supporting Ukrainian refugees and the development of social cohesion in Prague for 2023.

The new goal from July 2023 is not only to continue adaptation groups, but also to establish integration groups for children aged 3-6 or low-threshold clubs for teenage children from Ukraine. The project also includes parent meetings between Czech and Ukrainian children.