Kharkiv Region: Systematic Psychosocial Support for Children, Families, and Communities
In 2025, Kharkiv Region remained one of the most challenging regions due to a combination of factors: the constant threat of shelling, internal displacement, the hosting of internally displaced persons, and the exhaustion of communities living under prolonged stress.
In partnership with UNICEF Ukraine, the NGO “Responsible Citizens” worked simultaneously with several groups: children who had experienced traumatic events, parents who had lost their support resources, and community professionals who themselves were living under constant stress.
“Child-Friendly Spaces and mobile teams became key instruments for accessing assistance. The focus was placed on stabilizing the psycho-emotional state, ensuring continuity of support, and creating safe environments even under unstable conditions. For many families, this work became an important element of survival and recovery,” comments Olena Khvatynets, Project Coordinator in Kharkiv Region.
The activities were carried out within the framework of the UNICEF Ukraine project “Strengthening Community Capacity to Deliver Essential Protection and Resilience Services in Kharkiv, Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, and Zaporizhzhia Regions,” implemented by the NGO “Responsible Citizens” with the support of the Government of the United States of America.
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“In the first few minutes after a strike, people forget even the phone numbers of their loved ones. Our job is to help them regain a sense of stability.”When a missile or drone hits a residential building, it may seem that the worst is already over. In reality, however, the hardest part often begins after the explosion—shock, disorientation, and the loss of a sense of safety. It is at this moment that the mobile teams of the NGO Responsible Citizens deploy to support people in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk, and Zaporizhzhia regions.
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Humanitarian System 2026: Fewer Resources, Greater Responsibility for Local OrganisationsOlga Kosse, Chair of the Board of the NGO “Responsible Citizens”, took part in a series of advocacy meetings in London together with partners and colleagues from Ukrainian organisations.
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Child-Friendly Spaces foster stability for families amid conflictIn the Kharkiv region, there are currently seven Child-Friendly Spaces created within a UNICEF project with financial support from USAID.
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New wave of rapid cash assistance in the frontline areaThe NGO “Responsible Citizens” team, in partnership with World Vision, has successfully launched a new direction of Rapid Cash financial aid in Druzhkiv...
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Art as a lifeline: How mobile teams empower children in remote Ukrainian communities10-year-old Daria lives with her mother, Hanna, in the village of Havrylivka, Kharkiv region. In this remote settlement of the Barvinkivska community, home to fewer than two thousand people, a mobile team from UNICEF and the NGO "Responsible Citizens" regularly visits. The team includes a social worker, a psychologist, and an art therapist.
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Taking part in strategic dialogue: How to improve support for those affectedThe team of NGO “Responsible Citizens” participated in an event organized by Mercy Corps within the LIVES 3.0 program, supported by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO).
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Aid Continues to Reach Frontline RegionsThanks to our partners — Humanitarian Nova Poshta — we have delivered another batch of support to psychosocial support centres in Dnipropetrovsk, Kharkiv, and Donetsk regions.
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Join our specialized training sessions in KyivThe public organization "Responsible Citizens," in partnership with the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Representation in Ukraine, is implementing the project "Enhancing Community Capacity in Providing Core Protection and Resilience Services."