We are launching a bi-weekly podcast to showcase the vital and innovative work of our grantees in the Daphne-CHILD programme as they combat violence against children across Europe. Through these conversations, we aim to highlight the dedicated organisations working on the frontlines of child protection, share their unique approaches to supporting survivors, and amplify the voices of those creating meaningful change in their communities. Each episode offers listeners insight into the challenges, successes, and resilience found in this critical field, whilst demonstrating how grassroots civil society organisations are transforming lives through comprehensive support, legal advocacy, and trauma-informed care. In this first episode, we speak with Julia Sachenko, Executive Director of Child Rescue Ukraine, about their work providing legal representation and holistic support to child survivors of sexual exploitation and abuse, including those returned from occupied territories and Russian deportation.
In this second episode, we speak with Tom O'Brien, CEO of The Community After Schools Project (CASPr), about their project "Listen to Us" - an initiative empowering children in Dublin's northeast inner city to lead conversations about violence prevention. This podcast is part of a series aiming to showcase the vital and innovative work of our grantees in the Daphne-CHILD programme as they combat violence against children across Europe.
In the third episode of the series, our guest is Elena Jurado, from Asociación Acercando Realidades. She presents the Lazos y Raíces (Ties and Roots) project, which aims to transform young women who have left the child protection system into community leaders in preventing sexual violence in a disadvantaged neighbourhood of Seville. This podcast is part of a series aiming to showcase the vital and innovative work of our grantees in the Daphne-CHILD programme as they combat violence against children across Europe.
In the fourth episode of our podcast series, our guest is Iryna Puschyk from Dignity Online in Ukraine. She presents their Youth-led Safety Lessons project, which transforms teenagers into peer educators who teach their classmates about online risks, from sexual abuse to wartime recruitment, in a country where children spend more than seven hours daily on digital platforms. This podcast is part of a series aiming to showcase the vital and innovative work of our grantees in the Daphne-CHILD programme as they combat violence against children across Europe.
In the fifth episode of the Daphne-CHILD Grantee Spotlight Series, we sit down with Gonzalo Santamaria from the Asociación Instituto de Técnicas Educativas or ITE Network to explore an innovative approach to cyber safety for children affected by migration. As digital platforms become increasingly integral to young people's lives, ITE's "Peer-led safe and secure online behaviour and well-being" project will train children as peer educators to address online risks, cultural challenges, and the complex digital landscape faced by migrant and isolated children. This podcast is part of a series aiming to showcase the vital and innovative work of our grantees in the Daphne-CHILD programme as they combat violence against children across Europe.
In the sixth episode of the Daphne-CHILD Grantee Spotlight Series, Beatrice Darie from the Bethany Social Services Foundation discusses Educate Gently, a project addressing child violence in rural Romania. The initiative centres on parental education and community engagement, with messages created by children guiding workshops for parents and teachers. The project challenges traditional discipline practices and fosters systemic change in child protection. This podcast is part of a series aiming to showcase the vital and innovative work of our grantees in the Daphne-CHILD programme as they combat violence against children across Europe.
In the seventh episode of the Daphne-CHILD Grantee Spotlight Series, Karolina Svyryda from the Ukrainian NGO 3.5% discusses their project Combating Violence Against Children in Rural Schools of Lviv and the Zakarpattia Region. The initiative addresses psychological violence and creates child-led safety mechanisms in rural communities affected by traditional attitudes and limited resources. Working with students across multiple Hromadas, the project combines legal expertise from former Deputy Minister Natalia Fedorovic with innovative peer mediation systems designed by young people themselves, fostering both immediate protection and long-term cultural change in school environments. This podcast is part of a series aiming to showcase the vital and innovative work of our grantees in the Daphne-CHILD programme as they combat violence against children across Europe.