Growing up as an only child, Olha Gez always dreamed of having a big family of her own one day. Now, she runs a family-type orphanage in Dnipropetrovsk oblast — providing a safe haven for some of the most vulnerable children experiencing the war in Ukraine.

“My childhood dream came true when I brought these children home,” the foster mother says. “… They slept and snored so sweetly.”

Currently, Olha and her husband foster 11 children, ranging in age from 5 to 16 years old. To support the family, Olha’s husband had to take a job as a construction worker in another region of Ukraine. Although the state’s social assistance funds are sufficient to cover food expenses, Olha mentions that meeting the rest of their needs has been difficult, especially during the ongoing war.

“We live in a remote place where almost no one comes to visit us,” she says. “That is why we are very happy and grateful for any help.”

Supporting foster families during the war is a crucial but often overlooked aspect of humanitarian work. These families are responsible not only for the welfare, upbringing and development of many children from vulnerable backgrounds but also for ensuring that the children feel safe, even when fighting is happening right next door. In recent weeks, Dnipropetrovsk oblast has had more than 10 air raids a day with the frontline just 3 miles from the Russian border.

Recognizing this challenge, Global Communities partnered with Maximum Charitable Foundation, a civil society organization that supports children in difficult life circumstances, including those in orphanages and foster families. Under the Community-Led Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR) program, Maximum received funding from the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) to set up a mobile team that travels to remote and hard-to-reach locations.

“Some foster families live more than 30 kilometers from each other, and the roads are often broken, so it is not easy for the state services to get to these families,” says Olga Glushkova, a Maximum case manager. “Our team reaches the most inaccessible places or families who do not have access to social institutions and provides case management services — social and psychological support to children and their families.”

Since partnering with the CLEAR program, Maximum has been able to provide a range of support to 77 families in Dnipropetrovsk oblast, including the Gez family. In addition to hygiene kits, the foundation supplies children in frontline territories with emergency backpacks that contain items they might need while staying in a bomb shelter during an air raid: a thermos, blanket, flashlight, whistle and anti-stress toy. The mobile team also conducts home visits to provide psychosocial support sessions. A social worker and psychologist organize joint activities to benefit both the caregivers and children.

According to Anna Sulima, a psychologist at Maximum, these visits are essential for families adapting to difficult life circumstances or in unique arrangements such as family-type orphanages. Mothers and other caregivers are given an opportunity to share their experiences and discuss any issues they might be having, while children participate in art therapy. Activities with modeling clay and other forms of play help them become more open, overcome their fears and anxiety, and share their innermost feelings in creative ways.

After a recent session, Solomon, one of Olha’s sons, expressed his hopes for the future as conflict continues close to the family’s home: “I dream that the war ends, that a peaceful, calm, free life finally comes to our family, and we live in peace together.”

While the CLEAR program received an extension that will allow Maximum to support families for another two months, Global Communities is committed to introducing the foundation’s impactful initiatives to other non-governmental organizations that might be interested in providing additional support. Maximum also plans to seek out additional funding, so its vital work can continue for vulnerable families throughout the region.

The post Supporting Foster Families Amid Ongoing War in Ukraine appeared first on Global Communities.

Global Communities has a rich history of implementing Child Protection in Emergencies programs. Our interventions are multifaced, ranging from psychosocial counselling and art therapy classes to life skills, literacy and parenting sessions. In countries where institutional services are weak, Global Communities delivers these services directly, including through child-friendly spaces and mobile teams. In other countries, such as Ukraine, these services are delivered by local actors, with technical assistance from Global Communities’ national staff and the Global Support Team.

In this interview, Emily Galloway, our Sr. Technical Advisor for Protection, shares how Global Communities is applying localization principles to child protection interventions within our Community-led Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR) program in Ukraine. CLEAR works in the Chernihiv, Chernivtsi, Dnipropetrovsk and Kharkiv oblasts to address urgent protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene needs among conflict-affected populations.

The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

Paula: CLEAR is grounded in the principles of localization. How has Global Communities applied these principles to the program design and implementation?

Emily: Global Communities has been implementing a development program focused on local governance in Ukraine since 2016. When Russia’s full-scale invasion began in 2022, we were able to quickly leverage our existing relationships with local communities to craft a locally led response to the humanitarian crisis. Thankfully, our donor—the United States Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA)—was receptive to a program that was much different from our typical approach.  

First, our proposal was much less detailed than usual. Instead of listing exact activities, locations and partners, we provided a scope of what we might do depending on our partners’ interest. Of course, we included standard child protection activities, such as awareness raising and case management, but we built in flexibility that would allow us to co-create specific interventions with local partners.

Second, our partner selection process was different. Instead of focusing solely on partners with the greatest capacity and experience, we selected organizations that were motivated to enter the humanitarian sphere or eager to gain child protection expertise. This tiered partnership model allowed us to work both with larger organizations that could launch a rapid emergency response with minimal support and smaller organizations that were missing from the crisis response. For example, we included women-led groups and community-based organizations operating in rural, less populated areas, where government services are not available. This way we could address niche needs in hard-to-reach communities.

Third, we invested time and resources in the co-creation process. We provided our partners with activity options, and they shared with us community needs. Together, we agreed on their scope of work in child protection.

And finally, we worked with each partner on a tailored capacity strengthening plan. Certain things were not negotiable. For example, all of our partners had to be familiar with humanitarian principles, minimum standards on child protection, child safeguarding and donor’s rules and regulations. Otherwise, the partners could choose their own growth objectives. 

Paula: What are the enabling factors for applying the localization approach in Ukraine’s humanitarian context?        

Emily: Ukraine has a very strong civil society and a decentralized governance system, which we have worked with for years. This has allowed us to capitalize on community strengths and often work within existing structures. For example, our partners could relatively easily establish child-friendly spaces in local schools, libraries or other community centers. In addition, Ukraine has an excellent cadre of psychologists, who were already providing services to children prior to the conflict. What they needed was upskilling. We trained them on how to respond to the needs of children in conflict settings and offered them tools to expand their services. Now, many of them use art therapy, which is a very effective therapeutic modality in times of crisis.

In addition, we have heavily relied on our amazing national staff. They are highly dedicated, motivated and invested in their communities, and they have played a leading role in designing and implementing the program. 

Paula: What are the challenges of localizing humanitarian assistance interventions? 

Emily: The greatest challenge is competing priorities, specifically the need to balance life-saving emergency assistance with capacity strengthening activities, such as training, mentorship and lots of meetings and discussions. On the one hand, we have children who urgently need protection services. On the other hand, we have minimum standards and donor compliance requirements which our partners are
obligated to follow. It takes a lot of time and effort to do both in parallel, especially with more than a dozen organizations.

A short timeframe of humanitarian projects complicates things further. We typically have 12, maybe 18 months to do start up, implementation and close down. Furthermore, child protection is usually one of many components of a humanitarian project, so there is a lot to juggle.

Paula: Balancing the need for rapid response with the need to strengthen local capacities is complicated. How do you address this challenge?  

Emily: The key is to select highly motivated partners, prioritize activities that can be implemented early on, and then layer additional activities when possible. When it comes to capacity strengthening, it is crucial to distinguish strict requirements (e.g., child safeguarding or financial compliance) from good practices (e.g., recommended child protection tools), and focus on what is necessary and most important at a given time. It is also imperative to focus on the practical side of capacity development so that local partners can easily apply the knowledge they have gained in their daily operations. This includes ongoing technical assistance, collaborative decision-making and real-time support. Finally, it is important to leverage existing resources and coordination mechanisms, such as protection clusters.

All of this requires frequent tweaks and adaptations, which can be quite overwhelming for us and our partners. But ultimately, we have better programming, which is more sustainable and responsive to the niche needs of the communities we work with.

Paula: How have you adapted your standard approaches to operationalize localization principles under CLEAR?

Emily: First, we had to acknowledge the uncertainty that comes with a flexible program design. We could not simply implement a one-size-fits-all approach to child protection. Instead, we had to leave room for trial and error and simplify our processes so that we could more easily adapt the program to the ever-changing community needs.

Second, we had to become more comfortable with power- and resource-shifting. This required a critical reflection about our role in the program. Ultimately, we have received funding for the project, and we are accountable for its technical quality. Yet we are putting our partners in the driver’s seat. Building trust with our partners has been incredibly important. We are now in the second phase of the program, and we have made a lot of progress.

And third, we have been very intentional about addressing burnout among our staff and partners. They are the ones who work on the frontlines of an international conflict. They experience both direct and vicarious trauma. And on top of that, they absorb so many burdens of working on a humanitarian assistance project. Their health and well-being is our top priority and we have included funding for staff care into our budget. We have also encouraged our partners to incorporate it in their budgets.

Paula: What are some of the most significant localization achievements of the CLEAR program? What are you most proud of?

Emily: One of our objectives is to strengthen our partners’ capacity so that they can receive direct funding from other donors. One of such organizations is Lampa: a young, small and very motivated organization working on the frontlines of the conflict in the east of Ukraine. Lampa is an amazing partner. They provide comprehensive child protection services and really understand children’s layered needs. Thanks to CLEAR, Lampa now receives independent funding from the United Nations and other donors.

Another objective is to reach communities and vulnerable groups that would be otherwise overlooked by donors and international organizations. We have had many successes in this regard. For example, we have partnered with Civic Initiatives, which works in small, rural areas to train local art therapists who can then remain in their communities and serve the needs of children in the long run. I am also excited about the work of larger organizations, such as Chernihiv European and Search for Innovation, which engage local grassroots groups to provide services to children with disabilities.

The key takeaway is that localization is possible from the beginning of a crisis. It is not easy, and it requires adaptation, but it ensures greater sustainability and responsiveness to community needs.    

Paula: What changes would you recommend at the policy level to better support localization efforts in humanitarian interventions?

Emily: I have several recommendations for humanitarian donors:

1. Require adequate budgeting for capacity strengthening. Both international and local partners need solid funding for capacity strengthening activities, including training, mentoring and ongoing support. We cannot expect local partners to comply with the requirements and minimum technical standards they are not familiar with.

2. Encourage flexibility in program design and co-creation with local partners. In a rapidly changing context, interventions included in a proposal may no longer be the priority once the program rolls out. For example, no one anticipated local markets in liberated areas of Ukraine to resume so quickly. As a result, many actors distributed large amounts of non-food items (NFIs) when they could have balanced the NFIs with vouchers or cash assistance to support local businesses. The co-creation process allows us to address the most pressing needs and gaps as they emerge.

3. Fund longer projects. The standard 12- or 18-month timeframe is insufficient to build rapport and trust with local partners and to implement parallel humanitarian assistance and capacity strengthening interventions.

4. Simplify compliance requirements and decentralize decision-making. We can streamline and speed up program implementation if our in-country staff can approve partnerships under a certain financial threshold, and if our partners are less bogged down in bureaucracy.

Paula: Thank you for your insights. How can our audiences learn more about CLEAR and our child protection activities?

Emily: I encourage you to watch the recording of my presentation about this topic, which I delivered at the 2024 Annual Meeting for Child Protection in Humanitarian Action. To learn more about our protection programming, please read my recent blog Protecting Children in Emergencies: Perspectives from Syria and Ukraine and review our technical factsheet, Protection in Emergencies. You can also find me on LinkedIn.

Emily Galloway

Sr. Technical Advisor, Protection

Emily has more than ten years of experience working domestically and internationally with displaced and crisis-affected populations. With Global Communities, she is responsible for providing technical support and guidance to humanitarian protection programs, including Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence, and leading protection mainstreaming efforts within the Humanitarian Assistance portfolio. Emily also has experience in Safeguarding and PSEA in emergency response and is dedicated to ensuring we provide support to communities safely and with dignity. Prior to Global Communities, Emily worked for the International Labour Organization, primarily implementing child labor programming in Somalia. She also supported refugees newly resettled in the U.S. in many capacities.

Emily holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in International Relations and Political Science from Washington University in St. Louis and a Master’s Degree in Peace & Conflict Studies from the University of St. Andrews.

Global Communities is home to a diverse team of professionals with a broad range of expertise and perspectives that help us build the world we envision: one of expanded opportunity, where crises give way to resilience and all people thrive. In our new “Pass the Mic” series, our global staff share innovative ideas and in-depth insights on timely topics spanning the development, humanitarian and peace nexus. Learn how our colleagues are co-creating a more just, prosperous and equitable global community.

The post Pass the Mic: Localizing Child Protection Interventions in Ukraine’s Humanitarian Context appeared first on Global Communities.

Perched on a hill 13 kilometers away from Deniyaya town in Sri Lanka, MR/Ensalwatta Tamil Vidyalaya is a school where the challenges of accessing education are palpable. The narrow, rough pathway leading to the school barely accommodates vehicles, making the journey difficult. Students travel from distant areas to attend classes, many of them walking up to 6 kilometers, while others depend on a single bus or lorry that only operates in the morning and afternoon. Some students even start their journey around 5 a.m., using torch lights to guide their way through challenging terrain.

The high cost of travel is a significant burden for parents, who are predominantly daily wage earners and plantation workers. As a result, many families can only afford to send one child to school at a time, leading to low attendance rates. The barriers to education for these children extend to lack of essential resources such as skilled teachers and proper school facilities. The inaccessibility of adequate learning tools and educational opportunities has long been a challenge, leaving students without the means to fully engage in their studies or realize their potential. Despite these difficulties, both the students and their parents show remarkable persistence and determination in pursuing education, understanding the value it holds for their future.

Recognizing these challenges, the Social Cohesion and Reconciliation (SCORE) Activity, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and implemented by Global Communities, has focused on empowering youth across Sri Lanka, particularly in marginalized communities, with practical resources and skills to enhance their participation in civic activities and improve their economic opportunities. To date, this has included vocational training, leadership development and digital literacy programs.

On August 28, the opening of an Information Technology (IT) Center at MR/Ensalwatta Tamil Vidyalaya marked a significant step in bridging the digital divide that has deprived these students of access to essential technology and skills. Established in collaboration with the Organization for Sustainable Community Development (OSCOD), the IT Center is now equipped with computers, tables and chairs, transforming a once-basic classroom into an IT learning environment where students and other youths in the area can develop vital digital skills.

With SCORE support, 90 students from grades 8 to 11 are currently enrolled in a three-month IT course, learning both the theory and practice of information technology. For many students, this marks their first experience with computers, a significant milestone in their educational journey. Additionally, the IT Center offers free opportunities for local youth who have completed school but lack the skills needed for employment, helping them bridge the gap to the workforce.

In addition to the IT Center, SCORE has also addressed the need for physical education by providing much-needed sports equipment to the school. This support is intended to enhance the students’ physical well-being, teamwork and leadership skills, contributing to their overall development.

At the opening ceremony, Ms. Subashini Weerasinghe, District Career Guidance Officer at the National Youth Services Council, spoke about the significance of this project in addressing the disparity between urban and rural schools in Sri Lanka.

“This is a powerful initiative that understands the needs of the population and fulfills them,” she said.

Mr. Udaya Kumar, the principal of MR/Ensalwatta Tamil Vidyalaya, also expressed deep gratitude, noting the transformative impact these resources will have on the students, many of whom come from the estate community and face significant challenges in accessing quality education. The estate community, or plantation community, has historically been marginalized, facing significant gaps in service delivery, such as limited access to quality education, health care and infrastructure. Due to residents’ isolation, they often lack opportunities for socio-economic advancement, which makes them particularly vulnerable to poverty and exclusion.

This IT initiative offers [our students] new opportunities to develop crucial skills in their own language.

Mr. Udaya Kumar, Principal, MR/Ensalwatta Tamil Vidyalaya

“Our students have made progress in their education despite the challenges they face,” he said. “This IT initiative offers them new opportunities to develop crucial skills in their own language. We are truly grateful to SCORE for making this possible.”

The opening of the IT center aligns with themes highlighted during International Youth Day 2024, which emphasized the role of digitalization in accelerating progress toward global goals, and International Literacy Day, which focused on “Promoting multilingual education: Literacy for mutual understanding and peace.” By equipping students with digital tools and resources, the center goes beyond technological literacy, creating opportunities for students to access diverse educational content in multiple languages. This fosters an environment of mutual understanding and inclusivity, key elements in building a peaceful society.

As SCORE continues its work across Sri Lanka, initiatives like this one in Deniyaya will play a crucial role in empowering and equipping the next generation of leaders, ensuring no student is left behind, regardless of their background or circumstances.

This success story is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Global Communities and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

The post Bridging the Digital Divide for Rural Youth in Sri Lanka with New IT Center appeared first on Global Communities.

Localization is one of the most significant movements shaping our industry today. Major donors are beginning to focus their philanthropy on those who are closest to the knowledge, action and impact. The shift towards localization is reshaping the role of international nongovernmental organizations in the development and humanitarian assistance sector. Instead of traditional top-down approaches, international organizations are called upon to decentralize their decision-making, embrace local leadership and advance locally-led solutions.

I recently sat down with our President and CEO Carrie Hessler-Radelet to discuss why investing in locally-led solutions is the most effective approach to foreign assistance. We also talked about how Global Communities is turning its localization commitments into action while remaining engaged and invested in shaping a more just, prosperous and equitable global community.

The conversation was edited for length and clarity.

Paula: Your Strategic Vision 2030 demonstrates a strong commitment to locally led development. Why is localization the most effective approach to development assistance?

Carrie: I have worked in the development sector for over 40 years, and I have learned an important truth: talent, intellect and motivation are equally distributed around the world, but opportunity is not. International organizations like ours have the responsibility to invest in the power and potential of individuals and communities we work with so that they can thrive.

Locally-led development is the most effective approach because our communities have the best understanding of what they need. They also know what works and what doesn’t. They often have the solutions but lack the opportunity or the resources to attain the vision they have for themselves. Localization puts those who are closest to the problem and the solution in the driver’s seat. It strengthens citizen engagement and mobilizes local talent, leading to enhanced aid effectiveness and greater sustainability.

Paula: What steps does our sector have to take to embrace locally led development?

Carrie: First, we need to critically examine the ways in which our current business models and our own actions may unintentionally perpetuate power imbalances between the Global North and our partner communities. This takes serious reflection. Second, we need to adapt our operational environment and decentralize decision-making. Third, we need to empower our own global staff, particularly in our country offices, to lead our organization into the future defined by localization. And fourth, we must invest in our local partners and shape more equitable relationships with them, grounded in the idea of capacity sharing.

We all have something to share. We all have something to give. We all have something to learn. Together, we are stronger. This is the core of how we must work together in the future.

Paula: What is your vision for Global Communities’ role in the localization movement?

Carrie: Our commitment to locally-led development is decades-old, and it is rooted in our cooperative development history. Localization is also ingrained in our mission, which is to connect local ingenuity and global insights to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. Our philosophy moving forward is to be as local as possible and as international as necessary. Our role is to support our local partners, bring knowledge from other settings and invest in the power and potential of the communities we work with.

We have created a localization working group and a localization strategy, which will guide our work in this area. We are at the beginning stages of operationalizing it, but we have already made significant progress. For example, the vast majority of our staff are host country nationals, and we are beginning to decentralize our decision-making so that it is as close to the action, impact and local knowledge as possible. The content of our work in many of our country programs is deeply focused on locally-led development, too.

In addition, we are incredibly proud to have successfully localized several country programs. For example, Project Concern International (PCI) India and Project Concern Zambia (PCZ) are now entirely independent organizations, working with Global Communities as equal partners. They have their own boards of directors and management structures. We work together through service management agreements, and we are committed to each other’s success. But Global Communities is not their parent organization. The localization working group will help us figure out a way to work more effectively with these local entities.

My long-term vision is to create a global partners network, i.e., an ecosystem of country offices and local entities that are committed to the same ideals and to each other. Their missions will be strategically aligned, and they will share capacity with one another.

Ultimately, Global Communities will no longer be an American organization led from the Global North. Rather, we will be a global organization that shares capacity, power and knowledge with the network. This is what really excites me about the future.

This is a long-term effort, which requires a significant mind shift across the organization. We need to keep releasing our own power and privilege. This is what we are doing right now. We are embarking on a journey to build a new culture, which in some ways is the hardest. But it is also at the very heart of the vision we have set for ourselves.

Paula: How can our audience learn more about locally-led development?

Carrie: Thankfully, we are not alone in this effort. We are a part of a larger group called the Movement for Community-led Development (MCLD). Their hashtag is #ShiftThePower. They are a wonderful partner. I am a Board Member, and we are actively involved in their forums and discussions. We are absolutely committed to advancing their mission, and we gain a great deal of insights from the community they have created.

Paula: Thank you for your insights, Carrie!

Stay tuned to learn more about how Global Communities is applying localization principles in our sustainable development and humanitarian assistance programs.

The post Adapting for the Future Defined by Locally-Led Development: A Q&A with Our President Carrie Hessler-Radelet appeared first on Global Communities.

The concepts of localization and locally-led development are deeply woven into the current discourse about the state and the future of global development. Rooted in social movements that fought to end colonization, the localization agenda gained global traction in 2016 at the World Humanitarian Summit. Its two outcome documents – the Agenda for Humanity and the Great Bargain – called for investing in local capacities and channeling 25% of humanitarian funding to local and national actors. These commitments were based on the premise that local actors are “in the ideal position to provide humanitarian assistance,” but need sustained resources and support to “develop their capacity to prevent, respond and recover from crises.”

In theory, the localization principles have been embraced by major humanitarian and development actors, but many questions remain about their practical application. In reality, our sector is far from reaching the 25% target. After all, localization requires a radical mind shift since our sector has been led by the Global North for many generations. Change and release are never easy, and most international donors and implementers continue to grapple with how to shift the power and resources to local partners while remaining relevant and responsive to the rapidly changing world.

Our commitment to locally-led development is decades-old, and it is rooted in our cooperative development history. Localization is also ingrained in our mission, which is to connect local ingenuity and global insights to save lives, advance equity and secure strong futures. Our philosophy moving forward is to be as local as possible and as international as necessary.

Carrie Hessler-Radelet, President & CEO, Global Communities

Global Communities is making concerted efforts to define and operationalize our localization approach. Our Strategic Vision 2030 affirms our commitment to locally-led development and lays the foundation for the future shaped by localization.

We have formed a Localization Working Group, issued an internal position statement and held critical reflection sessions with our global staff and partners. We have embedded the principles of localization into our development and humanitarian programs, and we are a trusted local capacity strengthening partner across the globe. We have also become a member of The Movement for Community-led Development and we have invested in important an research series, “Metrics Matter,” which examines localization progress made by one of our key donors, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).

And finally, we have recently joined forces with IntraHealth International, which is renowned for its local capacity strengthening work in global health.

We still have a lot to learn and do, but we also have a lot to share about our approaches. Stay tuned for more engaging content about Global Communities’ localization journey.

The post Shifting Tides: Advancing Locally-Led Development & Humanitarian Action appeared first on Global Communities.

Global Communities has a rich history of providing emergency aid and protection services to refugees and internally displaced people in many crisis settings, from Ukraine and Gaza to Syria and Guatemala. This includes our Child Protection in Emergencies (CPiE) programming, which supports the well-being of children and addresses risks created or exacerbated by crises. In emergencies, children are often the most vulnerable and at-risk population group. They face a range of threats, including violence, exploitation, family separation and a loss of education.

Global Communities employs community-based and multisectoral approaches to CPiE. We work to strengthen children’s resilience, prevent further harm and foster protective environments by engaging with children’s families and communities. We partner with caregivers, community leaders, local authorities, schools, nutrition specialists and health workers. Our CPiE interventions are usually implemented through Child-Friendly Spaces (CFS), community-based organizations (CBOs) and mobile teams trained to provide a variety of services to children. They encompass both prevention and response services, ranging from awareness raising and recreational activities to psychosocial counselling and case management. They are designed to meet children’s most immediate needs and support their long-term recovery. CFS allow children and caregivers to receive assistance in physically and emotionally safe environments. Mobile teams bring services to children and parents where they are: in their homes, schools or healthcare facilities. This increases access and outreach to the most vulnerable.

Children enrolled in our CPiE programs also participate in life skills sessions and basic literacy and numeracy training, which helps them return to school when they are able to. Moreover, we facilitate parenting sessions which offer information about early childhood development, help caregivers manage their own stress, and provide parents with tools to help their children cope with the crisis. Our crisis response also includes cash assistance, for instance to ensure that children have stable housing, and other specialized services, for example removing children from harmful work.

Global Communities implements large CPiE projects in Syria and Ukraine. These are very distinct contexts, requiring different approaches.

• In Syria, we have been providing direct services in displacement camps since 2016. We are the primary service provider in our communities because of the lack of local authorities and institutional services.
• Our Ukraine CPiE programming began in 2022 in response to the full-scale Russian invasion. Here, we employ a localization approach and provide services primarily through our local partners, typically CBOs. The goal is to fill gaps in state services and strengthen the capacity of local actors to deliver humanitarian assistance.

Caring for War-Affected Children in Ukraine

For over two years, Ukraine has been engulfed in a full-scale war, with devastating consequences for its children. As of March 2024, 600 children have been killed, 1,357 children have been injured and 3.2 million children need protection services.

The impact of the war on children cannot be overstated. Physical and psychological violence, displacement, loss of homes and loved ones, and restricted access to education and services prevail in their lives, negatively impacting their well-being. Furthermore, since the war started, the risks of child exploitation, neglect, abuse and gender-based violence have increased. Children affected by the armed conflict have lost not only their usual living conditions but also their social connections. They have been forced to part with their friends, classmates, teachers and sometimes family members. These changes have caused severe stress, anxiety and trauma.

Since 2022, Global Communities has been implementing the Community-Led Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR) program, financed by the Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA) of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Child protection is one of the key pillars of CLEAR. Most CPiE interventions are led by small organizations whose employees have experienced the consequences of the war themselves. They apply the best practices of child protection in their communities with the program’s technical support grounded in global insights. These interventions include recreational activities, psychosocial services (such as art therapy classes) and life skills education for children, and psychosocial support for parents. Our partners not only help improve the psychological well-being of children and their parents, but they also support the integration of internally displaced people into host communities, which fosters social cohesion. Our program participants establish new social connections and make new friends, which helps reduce feelings of alienation. This is very important for children’s further development and well-being.

Healing through Art in the Sokyriany Community

One of CLEAR’s partner CBOs, Poshuk Innovatsi (Search for Innovations), works in Sokyriany—the most remote hromada (territorial community) of the Chernivtsi oblast (region). Global Communities is the only international organization providing humanitarian assistance to internally displaced people in this community.

Chernivtsi is located in the western part of Ukraine, which has been relatively unaffected by direct hostilities, but has received tens of thousands of displaced people fleeing the fighting in the east. Children who arrive at Chernivtsi from the occupied territories demonstrate signs of severe stress, anxiety and trauma. They are scared to be separated from their parents, do not want to leave their temporary homes and have problems with sleeping at night. Their parents are stressed, too. Busy addressing their families’ urgent needs, like housing and livelihoods, they often lack time to focus on their children’s emotional needs.

Poshuk Innovatsi began its CLEAR programming by meeting individually with displaced families to show them that they were not alone and to inform them about psychosocial support available to them through CLEAR.  After that, the CBO involved staff of local schools to support the integration of displaced people. Then, they organized a series of creative lab classes for displaced and local children, where they could express their feelings through different activities, such as drawing, painting and sculpting.

At first, displaced children used dark colors and drew tanks, explosions and soldiers. During the clay therapy sessions, they ruined their own crafts, bursting with anger. Later, psychologists who facilitated these activities explained to the children how to express and process their feelings more flexibly. For example, the kids learned how to tear fabric and use it make Motanka dolls, which are traditional Ukrainian talismans representing prosperity, goodness and hope. When displaced children showed signs of improvement, they started working in pairs with local children and making friends.

Children are the most vulnerable category among internally displaced people. Often, they cannot express their worries with words, and we can see them only through their drawings, crafts, games, movements and behavior. Our task was to help them cope with the emotions caused by the horrors of the war and the challenges in a new place of living. We wanted them to relax and start living full lives.

Inna Yatsyshyna, Director of Poshuk Innovatsi

Poshuk Innovatsi’s social integration efforts culminated in a heartwarming family eco-picnic. There, children and their parents could relax in nature, connect with each other and participate in fun activities. Alongside new local friends, they planted trees, contributing to the emotional and physical well-being of their community.

Supporting Displaced Children and Caregivers in Syria

There are 5.5 million internally displaced people across Syria, including more than 2 million in camps and informal settlements. Idleb and Aleppo governorates in the northwest host the most displaced families, many of whom had to flee multiple times over the course of the 13-year conflict. The majority of displaced people living in camps have exhausted nearly all their economic, financial, physical and social assets, and they are dependent on humanitarian aid, particularly for life-saving services such as water and food.

Protection of children remains a serious and widespread challenge in Syria. Specific issues include porous child protection referral mechanisms, weak case management, dysfunctional formal justice systems and a very limited access to specialized services, such as psychosocial support or care for survivors of gender-based violence. There is a dire need for comprehensive prevention and response interventions to reduce and mitigate risks to children caused by the conflict and displacement. Other needs include community sensitization and mobilization, and strengthening of local institutions, including traditional and religious bodies, so that they can provide better services to at-risk children.

Global Communities began protection programming in Syria in 2016, working both inside and outside of camp settings in northern Syria. To mitigate risks to children, we work through stationary CFS and mobile outreach teams. We implement most extensive CPiE programming in the Atmeh Camp, which is located in the Idleb governorate and hosts an estimated 170,000 people. Our teams provide a wide range of services to children and caregivers, including awareness raising on child rights, play and learn activities, life skills, parenting skills, peer support groups, counselling and referrals to essential services. We reach approximately 30,000 children and caregivers every year.

Promoting Girls’ Empowerment in the Atmeh Camp

Selin* is an 11-year-old girl who was born in the Atmeh Camp and – like most of her peers – has never had a home beyond the camp. Selin’s main caretaker is her mother; her father has been imprisoned for ten years. For a very long time, Selin lived in isolation. She used to avoid socializing with her peers, and she frequently showed signs of fear and confusion. When our team met Selin, they referred her to one of our social workers, who paid a home visit to her family.  

The social worker observed that Selin had significant domestic responsibilities, despite being so young. She had to take care for her brothers, in addition to caring for her elderly grandmother. She was not allowed to leave the house, and she could rarely play with other children. She was also caught in a conflict between her mother’s and father’s families regarding her care. The social worker took time to explain to Selin’s mom how important play and learn activities are for children’s development. The mom noted that Selin loved drawing and was very talented, so the social worker suggested enrolling Selin in structured psychosocial support services, including art therapy. Eventually, our team registered Selin at one of our CFS centers and invited her mom to participate in parenting sessions. This changed Selin’s mother’s perspective on the importance of play and relationships with peers.

These activities contributed to boosting Selin’s self-confidence, and she made new friends. Gradually, she began participating and playing with groups of children, overcoming the shyness and confusion that were initially apparent when she joined the center. Selin is now one of the outstanding children in the center, actively engaging in activities with other children.

Tarek Fakhereddin, Senior Child Protection Officer, Global Communities

Through interventions like these, child protection efforts not only provide immediate relief but also lay the groundwork for long-term resilience and recovery. Ultimately, by ensuring the safety and security of children, these initiatives contribute to building more stable and sustainable communities in the aftermath of crises. Investing in children’s physical, emotional, and educational needs not only ensures their individual growth and development, but also helps to mitigate the same risks experienced by children in their communities in the future.

*The name has been changed to protect Selin’s identity.

The post Protecting Children in Emergencies: Perspectives from Syria and Ukraine appeared first on Global Communities.

India has grown into the fifth largest economy in the world. The growth of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP) indicates the existence of a plethora of opportunities that people can leverage to partake in the economy. Over the past decade, there has been a notable increase in the rate of women’s labor force participation. In 2023, this rate stood at nearly 33% as compared to 27% in 2013.

It is pertinent to pause and reflect where the growth in women’s labor force participation is coming from. Approximately 51% of women entrepreneurs and businesswomen in India earn less than USD 120 per month. Yet the recent Periodic Labor Force Survey (PLFS) conducted by the government of India reveals an increase in self-employment among working women, despite dwindling average earnings. This trend partly arises from the pandemic-induced income shocks, prompting women to supplement family incomes and highlighting their pivotal role in stabilizing household finances. According to PLFS data from 2021 to 2022, women are much less likely to work then men, but they are more likely to be self-employed than men (60% vs. 51%). Notably, 60% of working women aged 15 to 59 are self-employed, with around 45% operating their own enterprises. This highlights the urgent need for tailored support to businesswomen so that they can sustain their entrepreneurial journeys.

Reducing Gender Barriers to Entrepreneurship

A journey to entrepreneurship is a complex one, and one that requires sufficient investment of effort, time and money. Women, especially those from marginalized backgrounds, face a myriad of sociocultural and material barriers to their economic advancement, including rigid gender norms, limited education and a lack of mentorship.

It is important to recognize that women entrepreneurs are not a homogenous group. Efforts to support them must be tailored to their needs based upon their unique skills and opportunities, and the specific barriers they face. The best approach is to understand the existing systems and structures – formal and informal – and then both work within these systems to support women entrepreneurs and advocate for systemic changes, including by challenging gender norms and barriers. The key aspects of such a model must include:

• Improving women’s business skills through capacity building.
• Formalizing women’s enterprises where appropriate.
• Enhancing access to schemes and policies of the government.
• Increasing access to finance and financial knowledge.
• Introducing technological solutions to increase productive efficiency.
• Enhancing women’s access to value chains and working to make them more gender-responsive.
• Developing and strengthening peer support networks.

These types of interventions require facilitators to invest time in working directly with women while introducing normative and social behavior change strategies. Projects must be tailored to support participants based on their skills, needs and opportunities. While the degree of customization may vary, tailored and segment-specific methodologies have greater potential to meet women where they are and deliver impact.

Swabhimaan: Promoting Entrepreneurship & Boosting Self-Esteem

Project Concern International (PCI) India, which is an independent organization localized by Global Communities, has tackled these challenges with its Swabhimaan project. Swabhimaan, which means self-esteem or self-respect in Hindi, aimed to boost women’s incomes and workforce participation through scalable models. This integrated entrepreneurship initiative has supported 15,000 women from low-income households in urban slums and rural areas to thrive as micro-entrepreneurs. The approach includes three distinct entrepreneurship development models:

1. Assistance to individual women as they enhance their autonomy and build livelihoods, including through training, coaching and seed capital.
2. Enterprise support services for businesses established by the urban poor within the Self-Help Group ecosystem.
3. Leveraging government contracts to enhance the role of rural women collectives in market penetration.

PCI India implemented the Swabhimaan project between October 2022 and March 2024, and we are proud of the following achievements:

• 97% of participants are running fully operational businesses since the start of the intervention.
• 90% of participants increased business revenues and income.
• 30% of enterprises accessed institutional financial support mechanisms.
• 52% of enterprises adopted sound financial practices and improved decision-making.
• 80% of enterprises introduced automation of business processes.
• Women with existing businesses stated that a deeper understanding of business operations coupled with implementation of new accounting practices has enabled them to efficiently manage inventory, reduce wasteful expenditure and re-invest revenues into their businesses.

We have learned that entrepreneurship development requires diverse strategies and engagement with multiple stakeholders. It is not always easy but building entrepreneurial aspirations among women from marginalized and rural communities has the potential to generate local employment, increase economies of scale and improve women’s control over resources. This will subsequently lead to a greater investment in the social indicators of health, nutrition and education. Through these collaborative efforts we are working to bring forward inclusive, democratic and equitable change.

About the Author

Irina Sinha is a Director for Strategic Insights and Systems at PCI India. She has over 25 years of experience in the social development of India, especially in the state of Bihar. Recently, Irina spoke at Global Communities’ event, “Fostering Women’s Entrepreneurship at Every Stage: A Cross-Regional Exchange.”

The post Promoting Women’s Entrepreneurship to Drive Economic Growth: Perspectives from India appeared first on Global Communities.

It all began with a simple idea: create a public co-working space for local businesses to establish a business school that would provide tools for success. Little did these project developers know how much this community-powered idea would change the lives of residents and set in motion the wheels of local economic development.

PIcturing a way forward, together

Mariia Demchuk is a dedicated and determined entrepreneur from Lanovetska who was struggling to realize her dream of becoming a professional photographer. With limited resources and the need to provide for her family, she often felt her goals were out of reach.

She vividly remembers the first day she walked into the newly established co-working space. It was a bustling hub of creativity, with a video studio for content creators, a spacious conference hall and a photo studio promising great potential. The modern office set-ups, meeting place and cozy recreation areas were designed to foster entrepreneurial growth. Global Communities’ USAID-funded Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency (DOBRE) program provided the grant that allowed the community to develop this opportunity.

“Opening a photo studio in Lanivka helped me to develop my business and significantly increased the number of customers,” Mariia shared. “Moreover, those willing to have a photo session do not need to travel 60 km to the regional center; now, they can do it where they live. Together with the city council, we started to organize social projects and photo sessions for those who could not afford them.”

DOBRE is providing comprehensive technical assistance to 60 territorial communities (TCs), including Lanovetska, to help the TCs recover from the war with Russia and resume their economic development. One aspect of the program involves providing guidance to TCs on how to cultivate local entrepreneurship, accommodate relocating businesses, support cooperatives, attract outside investment and other matters. DOBRE also provides material assistance to support specific projects.

“The mission of the USAID DOBRE program is to help communities take stock of their resources, identify challenges and find solutions for them. We also help communities develop sustainably and increase their economic capacity,” said Vitaliy Yurkiv, the program’s Local Economic Development expert. “At the same time, we do not impose any direction but encourage residents to determine their own priorities. Today, our communities turn to us precisely for help in economic development – they seek to create new jobs, maintain existing businesses and help relocated businesses.

building up local entrepreneurs

While support from DOBRE has been essential, the real catalyst for the success of those like Mariia is the B2B School, a business school that opened just a few days after the co-working space was launched. It is a beacon of knowledge and unique opportunity for local residents who want to learn how to translate their ideas into concrete plans.

To date, more than 20 small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) business owners have enrolled in B2B’s program, where skilled instructors provide training in marketing, finance and business management. The school’s mission is simple but powerful: to equip local entrepreneurs with the skills and knowledge necessary to grow their businesses.

In addition, through the co-working space, a series of trainings have been held for 25 more people — half of whom are already entrepreneurs and the rest who aspire to become business owners. With the help of mentors, participants have already prepared business plans and are looking for funds to implement their ideas.

“I got acquainted with the co-working space and its possibilities when I joined the business school. The major part of the training was held here, because the co-working space has all the conditions for comfortable work and relaxation,” said Hryhorii Soltis, a local entrepreneur and B2B program participant. “The co-working space has created all the conditions for actual and potential entrepreneurs.”

The co-working space and business school have jump-started local economic development. The businesses that have found a home within its walls are growing, creating new jobs for the community and contributing to its prosperity. The impact is visible not only in financial progress but also in the renewed sense of hope and purpose that has swept through the lives of local residents.

In a country still suffering from Russia’s full-scale invasion, where small towns often face economic challenges, the activity of Lanovetska TC offers an excellent example of how local initiatives can lead to significant change. Funding by the USAID DOBRE program provided the initial push, but it was the dedication of people like Mariia and Hryhorii and the entrepreneurial spirit of other community members that has ultimately made the difference.

This success story is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). The contents are the responsibility of Global Communities and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.

The post Making Space for Economic Growth in Ukraine’s Lanovetska Community appeared first on Global Communities.

It took eight years for Yuliia to shake off the feeling of numbness and fully integrate into the Ukrainian community where she lives now. She moved to the Chernivtsi oblast from Luhansk oblast as an internally displaced person (IDP) in 2014.

Having experienced this kind of uprooting on a personal level, Yuliia says she understands how millions of displaced people must feel as Russia continues its full-scale invasion in Ukraine. Since February 2022, Chernivtsi oblast has become one of the main refuge points for IDPs and their temporary home, or transit point, as many wait to move into other parts of Europe. To date, more than 140,000 officially registered IDPs are in the oblast.

To help respond to this population’s unique needs and assist communities in their war recovery efforts, Global Communities partnered with the U.S. Agency for International Development’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) to implement the Community-Led Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR) program. CLEAR is addressing the urgent needs of 22,580 people who have been impacted by the war in Chernivtsi and Chernihiv oblasts, providing emergency response in three areas: protection, shelter & settlements, and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH). A core strategy of the program is coordinating with local partners and civil society organizations (CSOs) to carry out this assistance, which includes hosting activities aimed at fostering social cohesion, resilience and peace.

One such partner is the Ukrainian People’s House (UPH), a CSO where Yuliia has been serving as a mobilizer since the CLEAR program began in December 2022. She helps IDPs integrate into their new communities through recreational and psychosocial support activities that allow them to interact with local residents and engage in mutually beneficial dialogue.

According to Ihor Babiuk, deputy head of UPH, inviting both parties to participate is key to the success of the approach, because it aids in clearing up misunderstandings and tensions that often arise between IDPs and locals due to cultural differences, competition for jobs and public resources. Since 2014, IDPs have moved into almost every community in the Chernivtsi oblast. Babiuk explains that frustrations between IDPs and local governments have spiked because IDPs believe the government officials are not listening to their voices, while the local governments accuse IDPs of being unwilling to work and engage in the life of the community.

Whether it be an art therapy session or cooking class, CLEAR-sponsored activities at UPH ignite conversations among participants that range from simple exchanges about regional traditions in Ukraine to more pressing matters such as job opportunities and community needs. The idea is to foster greater understanding between the two groups and bring to light the unique experiences and skills IDPs can contribute through new businesses, cultural activities, workplaces and other economic and community development efforts.

“Locals start speaking about these issues openly, as well as the IDPs. Everyone talks about assistance for the relocated population but often forget that local residents also need assistance,” Babiuk says. “Almost everyone has their own pain connected with war – a son or a husband is on the frontline, someone died or is in captivity, someone is in constant stress because of ongoing uncertainty, loss of jobs, or forced changes in habitual lifestyle.”

Babiuk admits new arrivals are not integrated into a community in a year or two – the process is long and intricate. Even so, UPH has found it helpful to seek out public activists and other CSOs that have been relocated and need assistance getting registered, learning about the community, determining activities and building connections. CLEAR also helps recruit volunteers who want to be involved with integration efforts and employs some IDPs who have professional backgrounds that are applicable and relevant.

“We try to work in such a way so that our activities do not end with the closure of a project. Our work is about people, not about figures. That is why we try to maintain continuity,” Babiuk says. “We involve IDPs, provide consultations and help them create their own CSOs. Then, they build a team and again involve IDPs in them, and our work keeps going. That is to say, [these are the] side effects of our projects. They are not foreseen, but they are of great value.”

According to Justin Secrease, Deputy Country Director of Global Communities Ukraine, UPH is a prime example of how the CLEAR program is strengthening humanitarian response by putting localization into practice — investing in CSOs which have deep knowledge of their communities and co-creating new interventions that help meet unique needs emerging from the current crisis.

“Host communities form the fabric of local societies. In times of crises and large-scale displacements, humanitarian organizations must prioritize nurturing the resilience of these hosts. Local CSOs, like UPH, emerge as critical voices advocating for the integration of IDPs, and it’s the collaborative harmony of communities and local governments that lays the foundation for managing displacement on a larger scale,” Secrease says. “UPH’s work under the CLEAR program serves as a testament to the impactful threads reinforcing this intricate weave. Yuliia’s story adds value to the collective narrative, reminding us that unity and shared experiences build resilient communities.”

The post Building Community and Supporting Internally Displaced People with Integration Efforts in Ukraine appeared first on Global Communities.

“For the first time in my life working in the public sector, we as an organization not only provide assistance but receive it,” says Zhanna Derii, who is part of an association of teachers from Chernihiv Polytechnic National University that make up the civil society organization (CSO) known as Chernihiv European.

Prior to Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Chernihiv European was implementing university youth initiatives and education projects with support from Global Communities and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID)-funded DOBRE program. However, like many institutions in the region, the university suffered extensive damage from a bombing in the early days of the conflict and life abruptly changed overnight.

According to the United Nations Development Programme, nearly 10% of Chernihiv Oblast’s infrastructure has been damaged or completely destroyed as a result of the ongoing Russian invasion, including more than 300 hospitals, schools, social protection facilities and cultural sites.

When repairs began at Chernihiv Polytechnic and the university’s teachers started returning to the city, Zhanna says members of Chernihiv European wanted to shift the CSO’s focus to providing humanitarian assistance to people in the recently liberated area.

“It seemed to us that we had the desire and resources to help others, but it turned out that humanitarian response is a highly complicated activity,” she said. “You can even cause harm if you don’t know how to maintain [it].”

If we didn’t receive CLEAR’s support, we would have made many mistakes.”

Zhanna Derii, Chernihiv European CSO member

To help Chernihiv European and 12 other local Ukrainian partner organizations effectively move forward with war recovery efforts, Global Communities partnered with USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance to implement the Community-Led Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR) program. From providing home repairs and winterization cash assistance to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) kits and psychosocial support, CLEAR offers lifesaving emergency relief while helping adults and children alike heal from the trauma of war in 23 communities of Chernihiv and Chernivtsi oblasts.

“CLEAR prioritizes working in smaller and remote communities through local CSOs to secure better humanitarian access to vulnerable populations,” said Dubravka Latinac Pem, CLEAR Program Director. “Local actors know the needs of people in their communities and how to work with them better than anyone else.”

When Chernihiv European joined the CLEAR program as a local partner organization, Global Communities provided the CSO’s members with training on humanitarian standards, volunteer management, distribution, monitoring, cash assistance, protection activities, hygiene promotion, safeguarding, burnout prevention and resilience development, among other key topics.

“If we didn’t receive CLEAR’s support, we would have made many mistakes,” Zhanna says.

Instead, the CSO was able to confidently provide humanitarian assistance to two community groups that might otherwise have been overlooked by larger projects.

For Vulyk, which means “Hive” in Ukrainian, Chernihiv European organized a training on psychosocial support for parents of children with disabilities and provided materials for the group to conduct art therapy sessions. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, an estimated 1.5 million Ukrainian children are at risk of depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder and other mental health issues, with potentially lasting effects, due to their exposure to war and conflict. The children who are part of Vulyk have the added challenge of often being excluded from social activities due to their disabilities. Art therapy provided them with an opportunity to be in community, express their emotions and ultimately begin healing from the stress they have experienced over the past two years.

“There are many different vulnerable categories, but people with disabilities are the most vulnerable among them,” Zhanna says. “… In times of war, their needs become even more complicated.”

With support from CLEAR, Chernihiv European also assisted a local organization that works with people who are blind. Although the government provided the group with a space to conduct social activities, it had no amenities in place for members to meet comfortably. Chernihiv European helped them to obtain tables, chairs, sofas and a laptop with an audio system to listen to movies.

“When people have nothing and suddenly get support, they can’t believe their luck. All the time, they have been asking if all these things will be left to them,” Zhanna says. “… Of course, we can’t provide stable cash assistance to each of them, but we can help them create a space where they can gather, support each other and develop their community.”

Over the life of the program, CLEAR aims to address the urgent protection, shelter and WASH needs of 22,580 people who have been affected by the war in Ukraine. A total of 13 local partner organizations are supporting implementation efforts. By layering lifesaving humanitarian interventions with long-term development assistance, Global Communities is working with Ukrainian communities to respond to the crisis, set the stage for post-war reconstruction and foster lasting resilience to shocks and stresses.

Learn more about our three current projects in Ukraine through our Crisis to Resilience series.

The post Localizing Humanitarian Assistance to Help Meet Needs of Marginalized Groups in Ukraine appeared first on Global Communities.