The American charity "This Child Here," together with volunteers in Ukraine, established the "This Child Here" children's creative center in the city of Izmail (Odesa region) for families affected by the war. The initiative, which began with basic aid to displaced persons—providing $20 per child—evolved into a program offering psychological support, art therapy, English language lessons, and opportunities for Ukrainian teenagers to study in the US. Currently, thanks to the foundation, seven children are receiving an education at American schools.
This was reported by Suspilne.
The initiative originated in the spring of 2022, when internally displaced persons began arriving in Izmail in large numbers. American volunteer Robert Gamble, together with local resident Olga Balaban, developed a remote support model. He sent funding from the United States, calculated at $20 per child. Initially, this involved the standard distribution of humanitarian aid kits every two weeks; later, displaced families were invited to supermarkets where they could personally select the groceries and items they needed within the allocated budget.
Over time, this one-time financial assistance evolved into a psychological rehabilitation program. In the summer of 2022, funding from American donors made it possible to organize a therapeutic camp in Bulgaria for 50 mothers and their children. According to Robert Gamble, a fundamental principle of American psychological practice adopted by the foundation is the rule against separating mothers and children during the stress of war.
Following the success of the camp in Izmail, a permanent children's creative center was opened. Today, the facility operates daily, offering art therapy sessions and English lessons; Robert Gamble himself, who later traveled to Ukraine, teaches the children to play the guitar. Sundays at the center are traditionally set aside for psychological support for mothers.
The American organization’s activities have extended beyond support within Ukraine. When the first participants from the Izmail center graduated from school, the foundation took charge of arranging their education in the United States.
Despite bureaucratic hurdles and the fact that Ukrainian tax documents did not meet the requirements for state-funded enrollment in American higher education institutions, Robert Gamble enlisted the cooperation of private schools affiliated with the Presbyterian Church (USA). Currently, seven Ukrainian teenagers are pursuing their education in the United States thanks to the foundation: two are students at the University of New Mexico, while five others are completing their senior year of high school with plans to enter university. Preparations are also underway for another program participant to join in 2027.
In addition to financial support, the foundation conducts an active public awareness campaign in the U.S. According to Olga Balaban, head of the NGO "This Child Is Nearby" (*Tsia Dityna Poruch*), Americans often require an explanation of the war's context from scratch—dispelling Russian myths about a "civil conflict" and clarifying basic geographical facts about Ukraine.
The organization regularly holds meetings with donors to explain that the smiles of Ukrainian children in photos from the center do not indicate an absence of trauma, but are the direct result of the daily, hard work of volunteers and therapists.
For reference
"This Child Here" is a children's creative center in Izmail and a direct affiliate of the American non-profit organization (501(c)(3)) "This Child Here, Inc." Its founder, Dr. Robert Gamble, is a Presbyterian pastor, a Doctor of Theology, and a former officer of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy. He has extensive experience working in Ukraine: since 2006, Gamble has implemented projects in Odesa, caring for street children and adolescents facing difficult life circumstances—notably in collaboration with the "Road Home" (Doroha Dodomu) foundation.
Funding for the Ukrainian projects comes from private donations and a network of American Presbyterian congregations. The project operates as a specialized "Validated Ministry" with the support of the Presbytery of Western North Carolina (USA). In its reports to American donors, the organization emphasizes a shift in paradigm: while humanitarian aid serves as a foundation, the mission's primary goal is to create a safe, long-term environment for the development of children traumatized by the war.
Photo: Olha Balaban
Author: Danylo Pievchev