“People Must Be at the Center of Recovery”: Enrique Menendez on New Approaches to Supporting Communities
The Director of Projects and Programs of the NGO Responsible Citizens, Enrique Menendez, took part in the event “United for Recovery: A Resilient Civil Society — a Strong Ukraine” held in Lviv and organized by our partners from Mercy Corps.
The event brought together representatives of civil society, responsible businesses, government institutions, and international partners. This meeting became a powerful incentive to seek joint solutions for further coordinated actions.
The Responsible Citizens team has been building a strong partnership with Mercy Corps for several years. Together, we have implemented comprehensive projects that helped support people during the most difficult months — when families had to leave their completely destroyed cities in the Donetsk region.
As a result of our cooperation with Mercy Corps, 22,000 households in eastern Ukraine received assistance, and more than 6,300 people obtained targeted cash support to cover their urgent needs. Currently, our teams are working in transit centers in the Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv regions, where they meet people forced to leave their homes and provide them with essential support.
“Today’s situation demands that we act swiftly, as thousands of people fleeing the war find themselves in extremely vulnerable conditions. At the same time, our duty is to build a multi-level system of assistance that takes into account future community recovery, a return to peaceful life, and new opportunities to overcome emerging challenges. People must be at the center of this process. Because it is through caring for people that we rebuild not only communities but also trust — the foundation for lasting peace,”
— emphasized Enrique Menendez, Director of Projects and Programs of Responsible Citizens.
The meeting organized by Mercy Corps became an important step toward a substantive dialogue on developing such comprehensive approaches to community recovery. A resilient civil society, which has been growing throughout the years of war, will be the driving force behind the rebuilding of the country.
Більше новин
-
A Meeting of UNICEF Partner Organizations Held in KharkivThe NGO “Responsible Citizens,” as a partner of the UNICEF Representation in Ukraine, was invited to participate in a special event at the Yermilov Cent...
-
How support helps Yulia and her children start a new lifeYulia and her four children were evacuated from the occupied city of Dniprorudne. The forced relocation changed everything— a new city, no job, and an uncertain future. "I mostly try to manage on my own," Yulia shares. She cannot leave her youngest child unattended, and kindergartens are not operating, making it impossible to return to work for now.
-
Training on the development of family-based care held in ZaporizhzhiaThe NGO Responsible Citizens, in partnership with the Zaporizhzhia Regional Center for Social Services, within the UNICEF Ukraine project, conducted training for representatives of social services from communities in the Zaporizhzhia region on the topic of creating and developing family-based care.
-
How Residents of Frontline Communities Assess their Readiness for a Possible EscalationOur team conducted anonymous surveys on social media to better understand how prepared people from communities near the front line are for a potential escalation. More than 720 people took part. According to the survey results, 67% of respondents said they do not have the financial means to rent housing in case of evacuation.
-
“Responsible Citizens” NGO has implemented the creation of a Resilience Centre in Zaporizhzhia in cooperation with UNICEF, local authorities, and social servicesThe project was implemented with financial support from the Government of Germany through the KfW Development Bank and the UNICEF Office in Ukraine. In partnership with local authorities, social services, and the civic sector, a modern space was created that follows the principles of integrated social services recommended by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.
-
Strengthening expertise in the field of protection from sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA)Oksana Ivatina, Project Coordinator of the NGO “Responsible Citizens,” completed a Training of Trainers on the prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse (PSEA).
-
Training as a Tool for Change: Implementing the Strategy to Support Children in CommunitiesRegional Coordinator of the NGO “Responsible Citizens” Alla Maslakhova joined a training dedicated to the implementation of the Strategy to Ensure Every Child’s Right in Ukraine to Grow Up in a Family Environment.
-
“The most important thing is to be with your child and to be safe.”Maryna from the village of Volodymyrivka in Donetsk region is raising her four-year-old son. Before the war, she had a peaceful life — her own home, a small household, and a job as a shop assistant. It seemed that hostilities would not reach their village, but the explosions gradually came closer.