Ukraine

Under this project, four Social Centres for Psychological Services were established to facilitate access to and provision of psycho-social aid to those who need it the most: children, adolescents, families with many children, and single parents. Many professional groups also took advantage of this: activists had the chance to meet with representatives of the authorities to identify and discuss issues that affect the communities and develop solutions; social workers gained new skills and knowledge which enabled to them to provide first psychological aid or cope with stress effectively. All these activities are extremely important and key for the functioning of people who live in areas affected by the armed conflict. Due to the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, group sessions were suspended and continued remotely to protect the health of workers and participants.

The goal of this project was to improve social services and the capacity to run a business by the locals in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts. As part of this project we financed the jobs of social workers at local social aid centres, trainings for current social aid workers, and also for local public benefit organisations.

As part of this project we also distributed hygiene kits for the elderly infected with COVID-19.

The most vulnerable people who live in the area of the contact line were provided with individual and group therapy sessions, as well as individual care at home; we also organised self-help groups, cultural events, and we distributed simple rehabilitation equipment. These activities were additionally supported by comprehensive financial aid, repairs of water supply and sewage infrastructure, as well as distribution of food and hygiene parcels among the elderly to cover their needs for at least three months.

The goal of this project, which was implemented in co-operation with UNICEF, was to bring aid and protection to the victims of landmines, especially children and their guardians. We provided comprehensive aid and care to 45 families in which a children or a parent had been injured in a landmine explosion. These families were included the individual case care programme and depending on their needs they received psychological, psycho-social, legal, and financial aid to facilitate rehabilitation or adaptation of their home to the needs of persons with disabilities.

Furthermore, 400 guardians and 200 social workers were trained in positive parenting techniques, and 500 children and teenagers took advantage of remote psycho-social support through, among other things, live streams with social workers and PAH educators, online sessions with a psychologist, and help line.

The last element of this project was the creation of 5 teams comprising the most proactive individuals from local youth groups. These teams, headed by coaches, were tasked with drafting and implementing social initiatives that reduced barriers in the local community for individuals injured by mines.

As part of the project carried out with DG ECHO in Donetsk and Luhansk oblasts in eastern Ukraine we provided cash aid to the most vulnerable elderly people in order to cover their needs for three months.