The Right of the Child to Development and Protection: Stories of Support from Kamianske and Zaporizhzhia
During the war, every childhood story is a separate path toward safety, development, and recovery.
But there is something that unites all the families who turn to our specialists: the need for support that protects the child’s rights every day.
Kamianske. Matvii’s family changed their place of residence many times after his father was injured during shelling in Sievierodonetsk. Due to constant relocations, the boy did not attend kindergarten, had almost no communication with peers, and faced difficulties at school.
Specialists from NGO “Responsible Citizens” assessed the child’s psycho-emotional state, helped Matvii learn to recognize and regulate his emotions, and master self-stabilization techniques. A psychologist also worked with his mother to reduce her anxiety and provide practical tools to support her son.
The teacher received recommendations on how to interact with the boy and organize a safe educational environment.
The results came quickly: Matvii became more attentive and calm, better controlled his emotions, and relationships in the classroom noticeably improved. The family also received financial assistance, a clothing voucher, and a hygiene kit.
Zaporizhzhia.
When Khrystyna Tkachenko and her three-year-old daughter Alina left Velyka Bilozerka, they found themselves in a new city without support. Alina had difficulties with speech sounds, and her mother felt severe emotional exhaustion — something many single parents experience during forced internal displacement.
In Zaporizhzhia, the family turned to the Child-Friendly Space operating within a UNICEF Ukraine project implemented by NGO “Responsible Citizens.” Here, Alina began sessions with a speech therapist, Khrystyna received psychological support, and joint art-therapy sessions helped them both regain a sense of safety. Thanks to the specialists’ comprehensive work, Alina became more confident, improved her pronunciation, and Khrystyna became calmer and less anxious. After another shelling, when the girl’s fears returned and stuttering appeared, the Child-Friendly Space team quickly provided additional support and helped stabilize her condition.
“Here we found the belief that everything will be alright,” the mother says.
Both of these stories are about different families, different challenges, and different paths to safety. But they share one thing: the protection of a child’s rights does not stop even during war. When specialists are nearby and ready to support a family, a child’s right to development, emotional resilience, education, and care becomes real — not merely declarative.
Більше новин
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Delivering humanitarian aid to Kryvyi Rih and ZaporizhzhiaToday, it’s not only about covering basic needs. It’s about creating spaces of care — where resilience, trust, and hope can grow.
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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.
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A family from the Kramatorsk community is restoring their house after shelling thanks to cash assistanceRapid response to the consequences of shelling is one of the key areas of work of the project implemented by the NGO “Responsible Citizens” in partnership with Mercy Corps Ukraine with funding from the Government of the United Kingdom.
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Expanding competencies for effective child protectionRegional coordinator Oksana Ivatina completed training under the certified program Creating a Safe Environment for Children: Safety Policy in Organizations, organized by the Ukrainian Child Rights Network and the Center for Human Dignity at the Ukrainian Catholic University.
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“There Are More Kind People”: The Story of a Family Starting Life AnewThe NGO “Responsible Citizens,” in partnership with Mercy Corps Ukraine and with the financial support of the Government of the United Kingdom, continues its work in transit centers for internally displaced people.
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Reflection session for the team implementing cash assistance project in eastern Ukraine held in KyivA reflection session was recently held in Kyiv for the team working on the implementation of the cash assistance project in Eastern Ukraine. This event brought together specialists from Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions. The meeting was essential to analyze the results of the past year's work, discuss challenges, and achievements.
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April 4 — International day for mine awareness and assistance in mine actionResponsible Citizens NGO works systematically to ensure that mine risk education is accessible to everyone — especially to children and families living in frontline areas. We firmly believe: knowledge saves lives. And although awareness is growing, the risks remain high. That’s why we go beyond Mine Risk Awareness Week — our activities take place year-round.
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Over 60 kg of support for families with childrenWe are grateful to our partners at Humanitarian Nova Poshta, who help ensure the continuity of assistance and support communities living close to the war zone.