Responsible Citizens

On June 10, 2014, the Responsible Citizens team gathered for the first time in Donetsk to define the directions of their volunteer activities, principles, and responsibilities. At the initial stage, it was a volunteer movement that united people from different backgrounds and professions who were driven by a shared purpose to help those in their native towns across Donetsk oblast. In the first months of activity, our dedication was duly recognized by international humanitarian institutions and major Ukrainian foundations, with whom we jointly deployed an unprecedentedly large-scale support system for Ukrainians in the country’s east.

The Responsible Citizens officially registered as an NGO. This decision marked our commitment to making helping people our profession and primary activity. We firmly believe that volunteerism is a temporary response to challenges that brings together many sincere and compassionate individuals. However, systematic humanitarian work must be based on social responsibility to the team of involved specialists and ensure transparent provision of social guarantees for all employees of the humanitarian organization. This year, our team grew to 25 members and 7 crews who worked daily in hazardous areas, delivering critical assistance.

The organization is scaling up, forging new partnerships, and solidifying its status among international organizations such as the International Organization for Migration, Mercy Corps, Danish Demining Group, Triangle Génération Humanitaire, and others. We continue to implement humanitarian projects with a focus on psychosocial support as well as on youth development through educational and cultural activities in the communities of Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts.

In 2020, NGO Responsible Citizens continued to provide psychosocial support to children from frontline communities in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. During this time, the organization also joined the public union Ukrainian Network for Children’s Rights to collaborate on advocacy for children’s rights in Ukraine. The onset of the pandemic led the organization to focus on educational online projects. Over 2,000 teenagers and young people from Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts participated in online courses on informal education. Additionally, the organization joined efforts to support medical institutions and healthcare workers in combating COVID-19.  

Our activities expanded both geographically and contextually in response to the full-scale war that engulfed the entire country. First and foremost, we leveraged our 2014 experience in rapidly deploying humanitarian aid across different regions. The initial months of the war were focused on addressing acute humanitarian needs and organizing evacuations. Simultaneously, we began developing projects to support communities facing an unprecedented influx of displaced persons. In 2022, we expanded our activities to three additional regions: Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv.

In 2023–2024, the organization focused its efforts on supporting communities hosting internally displaced persons (IDPs) and developing sustainable solutions in the field of social support. We expanded the geographical scope of the communities we work with in the Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions, increased the network of mobile brigades, Child-Friendly Spaces, and programs to support families. A significant milestone was the expansion of cooperation with UNICEF and local authorities. In partnership with World Vision, we implemented the largest educational project during the full-scale war, reaching over 25,000 people in eastern Ukraine. We also introduced programs for development, youth career guidance, and professional development for social sector specialists. Special attention was given to advocacy work, mine safety, and enhancing community resilience in the face of war-related challenges.