How to build a safe environment

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5/18/20263 min read

How to build a safe environment — HOVORY's Experience Presented in Kyiv

What does respect for a child's dignity mean in practice? How do you create an environment where a child feels safe — at school, in a hospital, in the family, and in the community? These questions were discussed during the panel discussion "Being an Adult Nearby: Responsibility for a Child's Dignity," held on May 18 at the "Sense on Khreshchatyk" space in Kyiv.

The event was initiated by the UCU Innovations Office and UCU Alumni, together with the UCU Centre in Kyiv, as part of the strategic project "UCU Network of Influence."

Participants discussed the challenges of bullying, the role of adults in creating a safe environment, respect for a child's dignity during medical treatment, and the systemic changes needed to protect children in educational settings.

Nataliia Tarnovska, head of projects and programs in the Education direction at UCU's Centre for Child Dignity, presented the results of the "Child-Safe School" study and the HOVORY project, which has already been implemented in 131 schools in the Lviv community and has reached around 80,000 students with personal safety lessons. This is a real example of how to change the culture of safety in education: creating a space where a child isn't afraid to ask for help, and where adults clearly know how to act. Because a culture of safety begins with trust.

"For me, this was a very valuable and moving experience — it was my first time speaking in this kind of format alongside incredible fellow panelists who create meaningful change for children in their fields every day. We talked about building a safe environment not through words but through daily actions, and about the importance of having adults nearby with whom a child isn't afraid to be themselves and talk about any topic. Because a child doesn't need to earn love through good grades or 'well-behaved' conduct — they have dignity and worth from birth, unconditionally," Nataliia Tarnovska shared.

Summing up the discussion, the participants emphasized: Ukraine's reconstruction begins with respect for human dignity and the creation of an environment in which every child feels protected, heard, and valued.

The discussion also touched on other important dimensions of children's dignity. Lidiia Bilas, founder of the MRIYDIY network of educational projects, spoke about bullying and the teacher's role as the first point of contact, emphasizing that respect for a child is a long-term investment that pays off in self-respect, the capacity to make choices, and healthy relationships.

Nataliia Onipko, founder of the "Zaporuka" charitable foundation, used the example of the "Dacha" project, which supports families of children with cancer and other severe illnesses, to emphasize that dignity during illness means explaining to the child what's happening to them, respecting their emotions, and leaving them room to simply be a child — not just a patient.