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    “At the very moment when we needed it most, help came to us,” — Maryna from Novodonetske

    The mobile psychosocial support team of the NGO “Responsible Citizens” first visited Maryna’s family in the autumn. Such teams continue to support families with children in remote and frontline settlements, where there is often no access to essential services. During another visit to Novodonetske, our team met Maryna’s warm and friendly family.

    “My older son Nikita is already 17, and the younger one, Artem, is 9. He is in the fourth grade and has been studying online for all four years. That means he has never once sat at a school desk or had the opportunity to attend classes together with his peers,” Maryna says. Until 2023, she worked at the local cultural center, but due to the security situation all institutions stopped operating. The last few months in Novodonetske have been especially tense.

    “It became really hard, to be honest. Shelling became more frequent. I saw that it was getting harder and harder for the children. Friends began to leave, and earlier the younger one used to attend a football club, but now even that is gone. So he communicates with his peers only through a laptop. It worried me a lot! That is why help was truly necessary for us, and we are very glad that we met your team’s specialists. They immediately found an approach to the children, established contact, and selected activities. What can I say — now the younger son constantly asks when the girls will come again,” Maryna shares.

    From the mobile team, the family from Novodonetske received comprehensive support. A psychologist conducted an assessment of the children’s condition in a play-based format, organized special stress-relief sessions to reduce psychological strain, and provided the parents with practical tools to improve their own well-being and support their children. In addition, Maryna’s family received the necessary assistance to prepare for winter. They have already used two vouchers for new children’s clothing.

    “Honestly, for us it is like a breath of fresh air in this whole situation. We are very grateful for such support, because we truly felt how professionally the specialists approached our story and helped us exactly when it was most needed,” Maryna says.

    The work is carried out within the framework of the UNICEF Ukraine project “Strengthening Community Capacity to Deliver Essential Protection and Resilience Services in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions,” implemented by the NGO “Responsible Citizens” with the support of the Government of the United States of America.

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