Mobile Brigade of the NGO: The story of Nataliya Ovcharenko, changing lives amid war

At the NGO “Responsible Citizens,” we are convinced that we will never grow indifferent to the remarkable resilience of people—their actions, strength, and integrity. A prolonged war is, first and foremost, a test of endurance for each of us. It challenges us to remain compassionate and continue seeing those who help others not to lose hope.

In these photos is Nataliya. She lives and works in her hometown of Kryvyi Rih. Before 2014, she was a psychologist and a kindergarten teacher. After the war began, she became a volunteer, greeting the first internally displaced persons (IDPs) from eastern Ukraine and offering them initial assistance.

“We did what we could in that situation—ensuring everyone had food, clothing, and shelter. Later, various humanitarian programs got involved. We united with other volunteers and raised funds. The entire path of humanitarian work was learned through tough, hands-on experience,” says Nataliya.

For more than a year now, Nataliya has been using her accumulated experience as part of the mobile brigade of the NGO “Responsible Citizens.” Her team’s mission is to visit families facing challenging circumstances. As Nataliya explains, some cases are incredibly difficult. These include families with over 10 children with special needs or those living in partially destroyed homes who have lost hope. Even more heartbreaking are situations where children have lost both parents and are being raised by distant relatives or godparents.

“Our country is overwhelmed by such human tragedies, and unfortunately, the number of these people grows daily. But we try to focus on the changes we witness in families over time—on the bright eyes of children lighting up when we arrive, on the gratitude of parents who sometimes only need a bit of sincere human support to keep going,” Nataliya shares.

She is also a mother of three children. Her youngest son, born the same year the war began, is now 11 years old. Her middle daughter is finishing 11th grade and has never experienced peaceful school years. Instead, she faces online classes, bomb shelters, and blackouts. Nataliya’s eldest daughter, 26 years old, works alongside her mother in the mobile brigade of “Responsible Citizens.” She holds a master’s degree in social work. Her mother’s dedicated example became her guiding star in choosing her life’s work.

Both Nataliya and her eldest daughter are military wives. Every man in their family has been defending the country since 2014.
“When this war is over, I really want to gather our entire family together and see the sea,” says Nataliya.

Psychologist Nataliya Ovcharenko works as part of the mobile brigade of the NGO “Responsible Citizens” in a project implemented in partnership with the UNICEF Office in Ukraine.