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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How to overcome educational challenges: actions of the expert groupThe NGO "Responsible Citizens" has taken another decisive step in supporting Ukrainian education. The second meeting of the expert working group of educators, organized by our organization, launched the development of innovative methodological recommendations to address educational losses accumulated over three years of war.
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Completed the educational project ‘Building resilience through development’ in partnership with World Vision InternationalThe NGO “Responsible Citizens” team successfully implemented this project across four regions in Eastern Ukraine
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Strengthening Communities and Supporting Children in Zaporizhzhia RegionNGO Responsible Citizens, in partnership with UNICEF and with the support of the U.S. Government, is implementing the project “Strengthening Community Capacity to Provide Core Protection and Resilience Services in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia Regions”.
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Play, Support, Care: How Child-Friendly Spaces Strengthen the Mental Health of Children and ParentsPsychosocial support is provided as part of UNICEF’s project “Strengthening Community Capacity to Provide Core Protection and Resilience Services in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia Regions,” implemented by Responsible Citizens NGO with support from the Government of the United States of America.
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NGO “Responsible Citizens” continues to implement a UNICEF Ukraine project in Zaporizhzhia region aimed at supporting family-based careIn October, the fifth training group for candidates from Zaporizhzhia region started at the Training and Education Center for Social Work.
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Strengthening Support for Family-Based CareOlena Bieloliptseva, Education Projects Coordinator at the NGO Responsible Citizens, took part in the inaugural meeting of the Coordination Center for the Development of Family-Based Upbringing and Child Care.
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Resilience Center in Zaporizhzhia: over 1,600 requests in six months of operationThe 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.”
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NGO Responsible Citizens conducted an evacuation survey in Donetsk regionNGO Responsible Citizens surveyed 1,004 people in Donetsk region to better understand the scale of displacement and current humanitarian needs. Such studies help to plan actions that address the challenges families face every day.