This year Good Neighbors Romania, with support from Good Neighbors Japan, carried out a humanitarian response in Dnipropetrovsk Oblast, eastern Ukraine. This region now hosts more than 440,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs). Families fleeing conflict have found safety there, but daily life is very difficult. Protection concerns remain high, and one in ten people now suffer from moderate to severe psychological distress.
To meet these urgent needs, GNRO focused on three areas of support: Cash for Protection, Case Management, and Psychosocial Support (PSS). A total of 3,839 vulnerable people, including IDPs and host community members, received life-enhancing assistance. Among them was Veronika.
Veronika is a quietly thoughtful girl from Nikopol. She is on the autism spectrum and, while mostly independent, often finds it difficult to navigate social interactions. Displacement added more layers of worry and uncertainty. Her father, a serviceman, was often in her thoughts, even if she rarely spoke of him.
At first, Veronika was cautious in the PSS sessions. She preferred to observe and stay at the edges of activities. Yet her quiet curiosity was clear. One day, during a clay modeling activity, she asked with striking honesty how to make friends “in today’s world.” Her openness started a moving conversation. Other children shared their own feelings of loneliness and displacement, and in that moment, Veronika found connection.
As the sessions continued, she slowly began to trust. Through drawing, storytelling, and modeling, Veronika shared her unique way of experiencing the world. In one drawing, she painted mountains, a river, and a small girl with a backpack. According to Veronika, it was her way of remembering journeys with her mother, expressed through colors, sounds, and feelings.
Veronika’s progress reflects the wider impact of GNRO’s PSS program, which reached 667 children. Led by local facilitators trained by GNJP staff, these activities helped children process their trauma, rebuild self-esteem, and regain a sense of belonging.
The program measured outcomes using the 12-Item General Health Questionnaire before and after participation. Results showed clear improvements in psychological well-being. Beyond PSS, 843 people received Cash for Protection and 729 accessed case management services. In total, 2,267 individuals received psychosocial support.
Through this integrated approach, Good Neighbors helped families in Ukraine find not only immediate assistance but also dignity, healing, and hope.
Even in the hardest circumstances, children like Veronika remind us that with the right support, resilience and connection are always possible.
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Good Neighbors is an international humanitarian and development organization founded in 1991, working in over 50 countries to make the world a place without hunger and where people live in harmony. Engaging with over 200 communities globally, we empower people and transform communities through social and economic development initiatives. Good Neighbors has General Consultative Status with the United Nations Economic and Social Council (UN ECOSOC) since 1996.
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Good Neighbors is a global NGO dedicated to improving the lives of children and communities in over 50 countries.
Good Neighbors has held a General Consultative Status to the United Nations Economic and Social Council (ECOSOC) since 1996.
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