The DAPHNE-CHILD Grantee Spotlight Podcast
This is a bi-weekly podcast showcasing the vital and innovative work of grantees of the Daphne-CHILD programme in 9 European countries, as they combat violence against children across Europe.
Through these conversations, we 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.
The Daphne-CHILD programme is a collaborative initiative led by Eurochild and Terre des hommes, empowering grassroots civil society organisations across 9 European countries through a comprehensive 3-year subgranting and capacity-building programme.
The Daphne-CHILD programme is funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Content may include sensitive topics related to violence against children and trauma. Listener discretion is advised.
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Episodes
Monday Feb 02, 2026
Monday Feb 02, 2026
In the eleventh episode of the Daphne-CHILD Grantee Spotlight Series, Oana Paraschiv from Asociatia Curcubeul Cunoasterii (Rainbow of Knowledge Association) discusses their Passport to Safety project – providing therapeutic support for children affected by violence in Medgidia, Romania.
The project confronts deeply entrenched beliefs in southeastern Romania, where corporal punishment remains normalised, and children witness bullying in schools. Working with younger children and teenagers – all of whom have either experienced or perpetrated violence – Rainbow of Knowledge delivers 14 months of intensive therapy through drawings, games, and intergenerational mentoring. The work extends to resistant parents and teachers, embracing Oana's guiding philosophy: change is incremental, "nothing that you say to a child goes by him," and by transforming small groups intensively over time, they create ripples that influence broader community attitudes.
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.
Monday Feb 16, 2026
Monday Feb 16, 2026
In this episode of the Daphne-CHILD Grantee Spotlight Series, Paula Paçó and Anabela Reis from Instituto de Apoio à Criança (IAC) discuss their Listen2Act project – training young people to become peer educators in preventing violence against children in Portugal.
The project responds to alarming trends in Portugal, where two in three adults who work with children accept corporal punishment, and post-pandemic increases in violence have strained mental health across generations. Working through IAC's youth network, the project empowers 30 young people from Lisbon, Coimbra, and Évora to co-create toolkits and lead training for over 300 peers, families, and professionals. The young people drive every aspect: designing videos, leading focus groups, and crafting messages that resonate across audiences while remaining sensitive to the reality that some participants love the parents who harm them. IAC's approach balances this complexity with educational rather than punitive messaging, guided by Paula's advice to adults: "Stop and listen to your children," and Anabela's recognition that changing deeply entrenched cultural attitudes requires resilience – the willingness to "start over, and keep going."
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.
Monday Mar 02, 2026
Monday Mar 02, 2026
In this episode of the Daphne-CHILD Grantee Spotlight Series, Anna Vashchuk from UA Mental Help discusses their project bringing psychological education to children and parents in the Bucha district of Ukraine, a community rebuilding after occupation while facing ongoing bombing, electricity cuts, and freezing temperatures.
With 76% of surveyed families having experienced traumatic events, the team learned they had to start not with the children but with the parents, offering practical self-care tools and the simple reassurance that what they feel is normal. For children, traditional lecture formats proved insufficient in a context of shelling alerts and blackouts, so the team developed an interactive quest built around real-life scenarios. When a family masterclass filled up within hours, it confirmed what the team had sensed: what families need most right now is time to gather and feel supported as a community. As Anna puts it: "Every day, they're living their childhood, and we won't have the chance to give them a different one."
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.
Monday Mar 16, 2026
Monday Mar 16, 2026
In the 14th episode of the Daphne-CHILD Grantee Spotlight Series, Aliki Tzatha from ELIX Conservation Volunteers Greece discusses their SafeIng project – transforming entire school ecosystems into safe and inclusive communities for children with refugee, migrant, Roma, and special education needs in Athens.
The project confronts a Greek school culture shaped by frontal teaching and the absence of participatory practices, where violence along lines of race, class, gender, and appearance goes largely unchallenged. Working with 9 to 12-year-olds across three primary schools, ELIX delivers structured workshop cycles grounded in human rights education, democratic deliberation, multilingualism, and social-emotional learning – training teachers in tandem and gradually co-creating a classroom code of conduct with the children themselves. The work extends to parents and local communities, as illustrated by a schoolyard wall painted with "good morning" in over 15 languages: a simple act that turns children's hidden home identities into something to celebrate.
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.
Monday Mar 30, 2026
Monday Mar 30, 2026
In the 15th episode of the Daphne-CHILD Grantee Spotlight Series, Zsofia Karetka is joined by Anna Boukydis from Hintalovon Child Rights Foundation's Child Participation Programme, and two members of their Kids Colleague team, Lili and Nilla – the young people who actually led the creation of the courses, rather than simply featuring in them.
Hintalovon's Kids Colleagues is a group of 16 children aged 13 to 17 embedded as genuine partners across the foundation's work in Hungary. For the Daphne-CHILD programme, they designed two courses from scratch: an online course on child rights for 14 to 18-year-olds, and an in-person workshop guide for teachers working with children from 10 to 18. Lili and Nilla speak about the debates, the compromises, and what it really takes to make educational material that speaks to children – in their language, about things that directly affect their lives.
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.