When war takes away stability, the community provides support: stories from Donetsk region
Every child has the right to safety, development, and support. During war, these rights become even more vulnerable — that is why we work alongside families every day to ensure that assistance is available where it is needed most.
Today we are sharing two stories from the Donetsk region. They are different, but they have something in common: a child who needs care, and adults who do everything they can to protect that child’s rights.
In the first photo is Alisa. She is sitting next to an art therapist: smiling, focused, a little anxious — but no longer as quiet as she was a few months ago.
She is five. Relocation, a new city, and the invisible burden of war have left their mark.
The family turned to our Child-Friendly Space because Alisa barely spoke and needed support from a speech therapist.
Gradually, through art-therapy games, individual sessions, and the work of a psychologist, she began to open up.
Today Alisa laughs with other children, tries new sounds, and feels more confident.
Her mother also received psychological support — to have the strength to be a source of stability.
The family received clothing vouchers and winter assistance — all part of our daily work to ensure that a child’s right to development and health remains protected.
“We saw her blossom. A bit of attention and care — and the child believes in herself again,” says Alisa’s mother.
The next photo shows a different story. Two sisters, Larysa and Nadiia, and four children. Their peaceful daily life ended in 2022, when they left Novoukrainka. In 2024 they had to set out on the road again.
The children are growing up in a reality where home changes more often than the toys in their backpacks. And each time, the adults try to create at least a little stability.
In the new community, the family received comprehensive support: psychological consultations, guidance on the children’s mental health, information about programs for internally displaced persons, and help with registering for financial assistance.
Thanks to this, the family received winter assistance from UNICEF Ukraine and clothing vouchers for the children.
This support helps ensure the child’s right to adequate living conditions and protection — even during war.
“The main thing is not to give up and to support each other,” says Nadiia.
We share these stories because behind each one are real children, real families, and daily steps toward recovery.
Більше новин
-
Announcing the Start of the Mini-Grants Program for the Communities of Kharkiv RegionAttention! The mini-grants program is only for residents of the Zolochivska, Shevchenkivska, Vilkhuvatska, and Velykoburlutska communities.
-
Teachers’ training in Kyiv: Addressing educational gaps caused by the warA specialized training session for teachers took place in Kyiv, focusing on overcoming significant learning gaps among students caused by the war. Over the past yea...
-
Stage two: Forming a team of educators to transform Ukraine’s educationThe first stage of application submission is complete, and we sincerely thank everyone who showed interest in our initiative. The number and quality of applications have truly impressed us — so many scholars, teachers, and professionals in the field are ready to join efforts to improve Ukraine’s education system.
-
“People Must Be at the Center of Recovery”: Enrique Menendez on New Approaches to Supporting CommunitiesThe Director of Projects and Programs of the NGO Responsible Citizens took part in the event “United for Recovery: A Resilient Civil Society — a Strong Ukraine” held in Lviv and organized by our partners from Mercy Corps.
-
A cash assistance programme for war-affected families has been launched in three regions of UkraineIn February 2026, Responsible Citizens NGO, in partnership with Acted and with the support of the US Government, launched a humanitarian cash assistance programme for families affected by the war in Kharkiv, Sumy, and Donetsk regions.
-
A training for social workers took place in Kharkiv: new knowledge for supporting peopleIn Kharkiv, social workers from various parts of the Kharkiv region—Sakhnovshchyna, Zachepylivka, and Pivdenne—participated in a two-day training to enhance their skills and address the challenges posed by the war.
-
“This support helps us hold on and brings back hope”Payments are coming to an end for residents of Sumy Oblast who registered for multi-purpose cash assistance in the autumn. This support was organized by the NGO Responsible Citizens in partnership with JERU (a joint initiative of the international organizations Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide) and funded by the Federal Foreign Office of Germany (AA).
-
“At the very moment when we needed it most, help came to us,” — Maryna from NovodonetskeThe work is 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