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
-
“I was born during a war and lived to see another one”Nina Pavlovna lives in a settlement in the Pokrovsk district of Donetsk region, a few kilometers from the front line. She lives alone, without family. Her only support is a former student who told her about a multi-purpose cash assistance program implemented by the NGO "Responsible Citizens" with support from Mercy Corps and funding from the UK government.
-
Responsible Citizens NGO Launches a New Project in Partnership with Medico InternationalA project aimed at supporting recently displaced and particularly vulnerable internally displaced persons in communities across Dnipropetrovsk Oblast.
-
Adoption Day in Ukraine: Care, Love, and Safety for Every ChildIn 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.
-
Employees of the NGO “Responsible Citizens” completed a HEAT training course—a program on survival and response in high-risk areasThe staff of the NGO “Responsible Citizens” have completed a four-day intensive HEAT (Hostile Environment Awareness Training) course, designed to prepar...
-
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.
-
Project Coordinator of “Responsible Citizens” NGO Receives Certificate from National Social Service and Becomes National Trainer in Social WorkThe trainer preparation program was implemented by the NSSU in partnership with UNICEF and the League of Social Workers of Ukraine, with financial support from the Swedish government.
-
Psychosocial Support for Children Affected by the War in Zaporizhzhia OblastThe activities were carried out within the framework of the UNICEF project in Ukraine “Strengthening Community Capacity to Deliver Essential Protection and Resilience Services in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts,” implemented by the NGO “Responsible Citizens” with the support of the Government of the United States of America.
-
Support for Families and Children Displaced in Kharkiv RegionIn the Kharkiv region, our team supports people daily who have been forced to leave their homes due to the war. Most of them are families with children arriving from Vovchansk, Druzhkivka, Derhachi community, and other affected areas.