“The most important thing is to be with your child and to be safe.”
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.
When the full-scale invasion began, her son was only three months old. Maryna recalls that at the time, she feared not for herself but for her child. She is grateful she managed to give birth before the war started, having heard stories of women forced to deliver under shelling, in basements.
Over time, the situation in the community worsened: drones flew overhead, and attacks targeted infrastructure and factories. When the frontline came within several dozen kilometers, Maryna decided to evacuate. The hardest part for her was leaving home and family — but the thought of her child’s safety gave her strength.
In September 2025, she and her son left for Pavlohrad. There, at a transit center, specialists from the NGO Responsible Citizens registered her to receive multipurpose cash assistance.
Maryna recalls: “Everything went very smoothly. The specialists took care not only of me but also of my son — they took him to the playroom so I could calmly fill in the forms. It may seem like a small thing, but for a mother with a small child, it means a lot.”
Maryna used the received assistance for essential needs — food and warm clothing. After all she had been through, it helped her feel at least a bit of stability.
Now Maryna and her son live with relatives in Dnipro. The city is familiar to her, so adapting was easier. She hopes the frontline will not advance further — and that she will not have to flee again. Her biggest dream is peace and returning home.
The NGO Responsible Citizens continues registering people for multipurpose cash assistance at the transit centers in Pavlohrad and Lozova, within the project “Local, Inclusive and Multi-sectoral Emergency Assistance to People Affected by the War in Ukraine”, implemented in partnership with Mercy Corps Ukraine and financially supported by the Government of the United Kingdom.
Більше новин
-
Registration for Multi-Purpose Cash Assistance Completed in Sumy RegionThe project is implemented by Responsible Citizens NGO within the framework of a new partnership with JERU — Joint Emergency Response in Ukraine, a joint initiative of the international organizations Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide, with financial support from the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.
-
Advocacy for Family-Based Care: Experience for Communities in Eastern UkraineNGO Responsible Citizens systematically works to ensure that children in the communities of Eastern Ukraine have a safe environment and favorable conditions.
-
Responsible Citizens became partners in the charity fair “On the Road of Childhood” in ZaporizhzhiaThis event is a series of celebrations for children from occupied and frontline territories who live in the Zaporizhzhia region.
-
Reflection session for the team implementing cash assistance project in eastern Ukraine held in KyivA reflection session was recently held in Kyiv for the team working on the implementation of the cash assistance project in Eastern Ukraine. This event brought together specialists from Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, and Donetsk regions. The meeting was essential to analyze the results of the past year's work, discuss challenges, and achievements.
-
On Youth Day, “Responsible Citizens” participated in the All-Ukrainian Youth ForumYouth leaders and activists from civil society organizations across Ukraine gathered in Kyiv for three days to unite their efforts and articulate their vision for t...
-
April 4 — International day for mine awareness and assistance in mine actionResponsible Citizens NGO works systematically to ensure that mine risk education is accessible to everyone — especially to children and families living in frontline areas. We firmly believe: knowledge saves lives. And although awareness is growing, the risks remain high. That’s why we go beyond Mine Risk Awareness Week — our activities take place year-round.
-
How training becomes the start of change: the story of Iryna from Dnipropetrovsk regionIryna 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.
-
“I will gain experience and open a family-type children’s home. This is my dream,” says Ivan, a social worker from Kryvyi Rih.Ivan's story is about how small actions grow into big dreams. As a schoolboy, he helped displaced people from Donetsk and Luhansk regions—collecting sweet gifts for children, writing motivational notes, and joining volunteer initiatives. Back then, he had no idea that this help would be the beginning of a long journey.