About Center TUTU

Center for Psychophysical Development TUTU, also known as Center TUTU, was launched on 23 May, 2022. It is located in an accessible part of Rzeszow, a Polish city some 80 km from the Ukrainian border. TUTU is a safe space in which variety of psychosocial and therepeutic services are provided for free. Most visitors are Ukrainian refugees, and there are also many integrative activities for mixed, Polish-Ukrainian groups.

The staff speek Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish, and they are able to rpovide support to around 400 persons per month, onm average.

What We Do

Our main objective is to improve the social, professional, and personal lives of as many refugees and local residents as possible. We want to help families get the support they need in order to function independently in society and have a healthy and positive outlook on their future. 

We offer a range of free activities and therapeutic interventionms tailored to fit the needs of the people that come to Center TUTU. Dealing with emotions can be difficult for children, teens, and adults alike. Many have trouble understanding where their emotions stem from and how to control them better. At the Center we employ Ukrainian, Russian, and Polish speaking specialists who can provide guidance and therapy to those in need. A variety of techniques are offered; group and individual therapy, art and music therapy, relaxation classes, developmental workshops etc. They all help individuals deal with stress and trauma, build mental resilience, improve well-being, gain social and personal competences.

When working with children, we employ a model based o observation, identification of signals of distress and vulnerability, and internal and external referrals for more in-depth support. We also have a systematic and holistic approach. We can provide several types of services to the same person, work with them for an extended period of time, and also try to engage their closed ones, e.g. parents or siblings, so as to build broader, fuller support mechanisms.

We work with persons who come to TUTU individually, and we also have working relationships with schoolls in the area, so we can host mixed Polsih-Ukrainian groups, and support their integration, on top of other services described above.

Funding Center TUTU

Center TUTU was created and run for 18 months thanks to financial support and collaboration with Project HOPE, a USA-based international NGO. After Project HOPE limited their operations in Poland, in November-December 2023, TUTU was supported by UNHCR, as part of the grant program with the Foundation “We Give Children Strength” (FDDS). In 2024 TUTU is funded by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Collaboration with those organizations and UN agencies has been providing funds, but also capacity-building, training, and standard development opportunities for PSAR.