In 2024, MAG’s community liaison teams in Ukraine delivered over 4,000 risk education sessions, including more than 1,000 sessions in schools, equipping over 36,000 men, women, and children with the essential knowledge needed to identify, avoid, and report potential hazards.
With 12 teams operating in Ukraine’s southern Mykolaiv region and eastern Iziumskyi district of the Kharkiv region, these sessions are held regularly in schools, engaging children aged 6 – 16. Beyond schools, the teams also go door-to-door in communities, reaching people directly in their homes to raise awareness about safe behaviours around explosive ordnance and the specific contamination risks in their local areas. These sessions are vital for helping families to continue to live and work safely.
Both the Mykolaiv and Kharkiv regions have suffered extensive bombardment since conflict escalated in 2022, with aerial strikes damaging critical infrastructure, residential buildings, and farmland. The conflict has caused a sharp rise in the use of landmines and explosive ordnance, posing an ongoing threat to the population. The devastating consequences of war will persist long after the fighting has ceased.
Elmira, one of MAG’s community liaison team leaders, previously worked in school and kindergarten management before the war began. Reflecting on her work now, she shared: “Many people are in despair, wondering what to do next, but there is still hope. The fact that we’re here, helping, is important. These people, who lived through occupation, are now being visited and spoken to. They haven’t been forgotten. It’s not just about the help – it’s about the human connection. When we show up, we recharge them with positivity.
“During the occupation, equipment and machinery were abandoned and destroyed. People have nothing left to work with. My father is a farmer, and it’s heartbreaking for him to drive nearly 100 kilometres, passing fields that are all mined. As a farmer, he knows how important it is for people to work and meet their obligations, but right now, everyone is just waiting.”
MAG has extended its risk education efforts through social media, reaching over 25 million people with critical safety information in 2024 alone. Traditional media channels, including radio, television, and billboards, are also being used to ensure widespread outreach. Child-friendly animations like Rocky the Raccoon and other characters have been created to engage audiences of all ages.
This life-saving information remains crucial to communities, and MAG remains committed to continuing its vital work in Ukraine in 2025.
Learn more about our work in Ukraine here.
