The funding will mostly go towards adaptation and integration activities. Credit: Archive of Prague Municipality
At Monday’s meeting, Prague City Councillors allocated CZK 8.5 million to support various projects in the capital city aiming to further the integration into society of Ukrainian children who fled to the Czech Republic following the Russian invasion. The funding will go, among other things, to adaptation and integration activities operated by the Nusle Ukrainian Center, and to various non-profit causes in the capital, including music workshops, activities organised by children’s and youth homes, and the production of subtitles in theatres.
“It is sometimes said that the level and maturity of a society can be recognized by how well it can take care of the most vulnerable,” said Jiří Pospíšil, Deputy Mayor of Prague for Culture. “Children are undoubtedly one of the most vulnerable groups, especially those who had to flee from war. That is why we supported the support and integration of Ukrainian children with CZK 8.5 million. This is not a staggering amount, but it is another fragment in the mosaic of Prague’s aid to Ukraine.”
One of the supported projects, receiving a subsidy of approximately CZK 3.15 million, is Pražský majdan, z.s., for a project aimed at supporting Ukrainian refugees in the Nusle Ukrainian centre, which offers adaptation and integration activities, such as an information service, advice related to healthcare, housing and the labour market, distribution of humanitarian aid, Czech language courses, and personal psychological counselling. The aim of the subsidy is to maintain and further develop the centre’s existing services, as well as helping to build a creative hub and leisure space for Ukrainian youths aged 15 and over.
“The support of children’s cultural, social and other competences will serve, among other things, as the primary prevention of risky behaviour,” said Antonín Klecanda, Prague Councillor for Sports and Leisure. “Prague City Council is aware of this, and in cooperation with the non-profit sector, we support the preservation or creation of new afternoon clubs and preschool centres for Ukrainian children, operating under our children’s and youth clubs.”
More than CZK 1.3 million will be provided for various 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.
