UNICEF and the NGO “Responsible Citizens” helped a family from Kharkiv start a new life

“We named our son Myroslav because we believed that by the time he was born, peace would have returned. He is now 1.4 years old, and my eldest daughter, Oleksandra, is already 5. My husband and I decided not to stay in Kharkiv so that our children wouldn’t have to live under constant shelling,” says Kateryna Leptsova.

They left Kharkiv in a hurry in February 2022, taking only documents, computer equipment, and children’s belongings. The family spent the first two months in Svitlovodsk, Kirovohrad region, before deciding to move to Krasnohrad to stay with Kateryna’s husband Dmytro’s parents.

The first few months in the new place were extremely challenging and exhausting. After the birth of her son, Kateryna continued working, but now she had to leave her job as the youngest child required all her attention. It was also difficult for her eldest daughter to adapt to the new environment and find new friends. At the end of 2023, Kateryna’s husband, Dmytro, lost his job; he had been working at a strategic facility that was completely destroyed by a missile strike.

“Frankly, I had no strength left. I felt completely defeated. It was hard to recover after giving birth, living with my in-laws, and just dealing with the entire situation,” Kateryna shares.

Things started to change when Kateryna accidentally met a psychologist from the NGO “Responsible Citizens,” Aliona, at a playground. Aliona informed her that there was a child-friendly space in the city where they could seek help.

“I was so happy to hear this! For children, it’s a great opportunity because everything else around is either closed or requires money. At the Space, there are professional educators who provide age-appropriate development programs for children, new toys, and, most importantly, communication. They also offered me sessions with a psychologist to help ease my condition. I really needed someone to talk to. Step by step, we began to emerge from this difficult period,” Kateryna recalls.

Through the Space, the family also received special vouchers for children’s clothing, which are part of the assistance provided by international partners to help affected families purchase warm clothes for their children. Kateryna’s eldest daughter, Oleksandra, fell in love with drawing and spent the summer mastering rollerblading with her new friends. Positive changes also came for Kateryna’s husband, Dmytro, who is now learning English so that he can take on freelance orders.

The project by the NGO “Responsible Citizens” and the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) continues. Our child-friendly spaces operate in four regions in eastern Ukraine.