Evacuation, Care, New Beginnings: A Donetsk Family Builds a Future with NGO Support

The Resilience Center was opened with the support of UNICEF and funding from the Government of Germany through the development bank KfW. The Center was established in cooperation with local authorities and social services of the Department of Social Protection of the Zaporizhzhia City Council, and implemented by the NGO “Responsible Citizens.”

Despite constant shelling threats and a volatile security situation, eight mobile psychosocial support teams in Donetsk region provide daily assistance to children and their families. Specialists in psychology, speech therapy, and social work operate in communities where access to basic services is limited or entirely absent.

In Zaporizhzhia region, the team of the NGO “Responsible Citizens” is implementing a component of the “Better Care” project, supported by UNICEF, in partnership with the Regional Child Services and Regional Social Services Center. Together, we work to ensure every child has a loving family and a safe environment to grow up in.

This is a day dedicated to people who help children find their voice — in the most literal sense. Our speech therapists do more than teach children how to articulate sounds. They help them gain confidence, build communication skills, and freely express their thoughts and emotions.

In February 2026, Responsible Citizens NGO, in partnership with Acted and with the support of the US Government, launched a humanitarian cash assistance programme for families affected by the war in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Donetsk regions.

Speech therapy sessions, psychological consultations, and social worker support continue to be provided in the frontline communities of the Donetsk region. Since th...

Ivan's story is about how small actions grow into big dreams. As a schoolboy, he helped displaced people from Donetsk and Luhansk regions—collecting sweet gifts for children, writing motivational notes, and joining volunteer initiatives. Back then, he had no idea that this help would be the beginning of a long journey.

A specialized training session for teachers took place in Kyiv, focusing on overcoming significant learning gaps among students caused by the war. Over the past yea...