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.
Більше новин
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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.
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Support in the frontline zone: Psychologists and specialists help families persevereIn the frontline Malynivka community, war impacts every aspect of life, but the strength of unity and support helps children and families overcome challenges. The Child-Friendly Space, created with UNICEF Ukraine’s support, becomes a hub of hope and development.
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How the mobile team helped a family from Sloviansk overcome the crisis and find supportThe year 2022 became a year of trials for a family from Sloviansk. The decision to move to the Odesa region to protect their children from danger was not an easy one, but it was necessary. Later, when it became relatively safe in their hometown, the family returned home, despite all the challenges of living in a frontline region.
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BRIDGE 2.0: Strengthening Partnerships for SafetyAll projects of Responsible Citizens NGO focus on supporting people living near the front line, and participation in such events helps strengthen our work and ensure more systematic and coordinated assistance to communities.
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Developing partnerships to support families with children“Responsible Citizens” NGO is launching cooperation with the Zmiiv community in Kharkiv region to strengthen assistance for families facing difficult life circumstances — both local residents and internally displaced families.
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“Responsible Citizens” NGO has implemented the creation of a Resilience Centre in Zaporizhzhia in cooperation with UNICEF, local authorities, and social servicesThe project was implemented with financial support from the Government of Germany through the KfW Development Bank and the UNICEF Office in Ukraine. In partnership with local authorities, social services, and the civic sector, a modern space was created that follows the principles of integrated social services recommended by the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine.
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A working meeting between the UNICEF team and the NGO “Responsible Citizens” took place in KramatorskDuring the visit, the Head of the UNICEF Ukraine Office, Munir Mammadzade, together with colleagues, visited a Child-Friendly Space implemented within the framework of a joint project with UNICEF, where they met with specialists of mobile teams.
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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.