Help on the frontlines: what has been done to support those most affected

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.

Iryna from Kryvyi Rih has been connected to art her entire life. Teaching painting and helping people through creativity is her true calling. For over 30 years, she has been teaching others to see the world through colors, lines, and images. Today, she works at a music school in her hometown, but more and more often, she feels the need to grow, move forward, and discover new opportunities.

In January, new Child-Friendly Spaces began operating in Malynivska, Solonytsivska, Pivdenna, Zachepylivska, and Sakhnovshchynska communities. This marks an important milestone in the implementation of a joint project between the NGO "Responsible Citizens" and UNICEF Ukraine, funded by USAID - US Agency for International Development.

The training was the first in a series of sessions organized within the framework of the “PORUCH” project in cooperation with UNICEF Ukraine and the All-Ukrainian Public Center “Volunteer.” Such inter-organizational collaboration strengthens the system of quality psychosocial support at the community level.

A total of 319 families with children received comprehensive social case management support in seven communities in Kharkiv region. From October 2025 to July 2026, mobile teams of the NGO “Responsible Citizens” helped families overcome crisis situations and access the social, legal and psychological services they needed.

To assist those who have lost their jobs due to military actions, the NGO “Responsible Citizens,” in partnership with Mercy Corps and with financial sup...

Throughout 2025, the cooperation between the NGO “Responsible Citizens” and Nova Poshta Humanitarian became an important component in delivering aid to frontline communities.

For our organisation, such platforms are a continuation of our daily work in communities living in the context of war, displacement and protracted crises. It is there that the understanding of the key shift we are discussing at URC is formed: young people can no longer be seen only as recipients of support — they are already part of the solutions that shape community recovery.