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.

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.

I remember feeling frightened and devastated when the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine began unfolding on my television screen in February 2022. While these feelings were, and still are, not isolated, there is something incredibly jarring about watching the neighboring country being attacked by one of the world’s superpowers. I am originally from Poland, which shares borders, a long history and many traditions with Ukraine, and where intergenerational war trauma is still very much alive. Things hit close to home, very quickly. Since the war started, more than 15 million people have crossed the Polish border from Ukraine and more than 1.6 million have applied for protection in Poland alone. Globally, there are 6.3 million Ukrainian refugees. More than 5 million people are estimated to be displaced internally, and over 17 million people need urgent humanitarian assistance inside Ukraine. That’s nearly half of the country’s current population.

Global Communities, where I have been working for over 2.5 years, has had a long presence in Ukraine. Since 2016, we have been leading the Decentralization Offering Better Results and Efficiency (DOBRE) program, funded by the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). When the full-scale invasion commenced, DOBRE began leveraging its networks to provide rapid emergency response to conflict-affected populations and to assist at least 60 communities in 10 oblasts (provinces) in their war recovery efforts. Simultaneously, Global Communities has partnered with USAID’s Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (USAID/BHA) to implement the Community-Led Emergency Action and Response (CLEAR) program in the Chernihiv and Chernivtsi oblasts. CLEAR works through local civil society organizations (CSOs) to address urgent protection, shelter, water, sanitation and hygiene needs, including through direct cash assistance.

Earlier this year, I traveled to Chernivtsi to meet our incredible team and observe how our DOBRE and CLEAR programs work in tandem to support Ukrainian people on their journey from crisis to resilience. Located in western Ukraine, Chernivtsi is the smallest oblast, with a population of less than 1 million. While the oblast has been relatively unaffected by direct hostilities, it is now home to approximately 100,000 people who have been displaced from other parts of the country, mostly from the east and the south. 

On the first day of my trip, I sat down with Oksana Mykhailenko, Global Communities’ Protection and Gender-Based Violence Prevention Manager, to discuss the opportunities and challenges of providing emergency assistance in Ukraine. The interview was conducted in Ukrainian with English interpretation provided by Tetiana Dudnyk, CLEAR Communications Officer at Global Communities. The conversation was edited for length, clarity and flow of information. 

Paula: Could you tell me a bit about yourself and your role at Global Communities?

Oksana: I joined Global Communities, specifically the CLEAR program in Ukraine, in November 2022. At first, I was a technical officer for the prevention of gender-based violence (GBV). Now, I also manage our protection activities. I have been working for non-governmental organizations in Ukraine since 2006, and these topics are very close to my heart.

Prior to the war, Ukraine had a vibrant community of professionals working on gender and health issues. This proved critical after the onset of the invasion, when the Ukrainian government lost the ability to react quickly to the needs of women, people with disabilities, and other vulnerable populations, especially in the occupied territories. Through our professional network, we were able to distribute medications, contraceptives, food and other basic commodities.

My current role at Global Communities entails many responsibilities, such as advising our staff, government officials and civil society partners on how to provide emergency assistance in a safe, respectful and dignified way. For example, it is important to ensure that we do not ask women intimate questions in front of other people. Or that bathrooms in centers for displaced people have locks; otherwise, some women and girls may be afraid to use them. Most organizations and service providers in Ukraine are still getting used to working in humanitarian settings. They are full of energy and desire to help people, but they can cause harm if they are unaware how to do it properly.   

Paula: How has the war affected your life, personally and professionally?

Oksana: I am originally from Nova Kakhovka — a city in the Kherson oblast — which has been under Russian occupation since February 2022. The day the war started was the worst day of my life. At that time, I was in Kyiv conducting a training and could not return to my hometown. I had to wait half a year before I could see my family. Right now, my young daughter lives with me here in Chernivtsi. A lot of my colleagues have moved here as well. My husband and son have joined the Ukrainian armed forces and are away. As you know, in June, the Nova Kakhovka dam was destroyed, which caused a massive flooding in the area. We cannot even get to our home because of the occupation. Things are hard, but I understand very well what people need. I am glad to have found the position with Global Communities.

Paula: I am sorry you have faced so many personal challenges, and I am grateful for all your work at Global Communities and beyond. What are the most critical needs of war-affected people in the Chernivtsi oblast?

Oksana: It is necessary to support all people who have suffered from the impacts of the war, including displaced people, host communities, those who return from the frontlines, and those who have been directly affected by hostilities. And it is important to include all categories of vulnerable people. Of course, people’s needs depend on their personal situation. They change and grow constantly, and we do not know when they will end. For example, when displaced people first arrived in the Chernivtsi oblast, they needed places to stay, food, clothes and hygiene essentials. Then, they needed winter preparation assistance. Now, they need cash and credit so that they can regain control of their lives and rebuild their livelihoods, rather than being dependent on external assistance indefinitely.

Another issue is that many people moved to the Chernivtsi region — which is mostly rural — from big cities, and are now forced to live in small villages, which do not have adequate infrastructure to accommodate them. They need daycare centers, schools and clinics. Local governments are trying to help, but they have limited resources. Humanitarian assistance should not only be about meeting people’s basic needs; we should also focus on the quality of people’s lives. While temporary settlements are vital, a woman with small children should not walk five kilometers to the nearest shop for extended periods of time.

Finally, people need jobs. Many people displaced from eastern Ukraine are engineers and technicians, which are not popular professions in this part of the country. They are unable to work in their prior occupations, so they need vocational and business skills training to support their economic integration. Workplace creation is also key. 

Paula: What needs to be done to protect people in Chernivtsi from psychological harm arising from the war?

Oksana: Again, different groups of people need different things. For example, teenagers and young people need socialization and educational activities. They suffer a lot because they have lost their friends, homes and schools. Many still study online and feel isolated. We should do our best to involve them in rebuilding activities. They need to be included in community life. They are the future of Ukraine.

We also need to pay special attention to displaced families, especially women with small children whose husbands and fathers are on the frontlines. In addition to the economic hardships, they are now the primary caregivers not only for their children, but also elderly family members. Many have to build their lives from scratch and do everything by themselves. They need psychosocial support and opportunities to rest, relax and connect with others.

Paula: How does Global Communities respond to these needs?

Oksana: We have a lot of inspirational results. Our CLEAR program partners with local civil society and community-based organizations to offer group-based psychosocial support to displaced people, create safe spaces and organize community events, such as art therapy classes, sporting activities and cultural festivals. These events promote healing and integration. We involve local residents, too, to build trust and social cohesion. It is very important for displaced people, including children, to get together and socialize. It makes them feel better and decreases anxiety because they get acquainted with the local life. At the same time, host communities learn about the culture and traditions dominant in eastern Ukraine, so this is mutually beneficial. CLEAR also organizes workshops on the prevention of domestic violence for displaced women. While they might have had support systems in their hometowns, they do not know where to seek help after moving to Chernivtsi. 

Paula: What are some of the challenges associated with the integration of displaced people in the Chernivtsi oblast? How can we strengthen social cohesion within host communities?

Oksana: There are significant demographic, cultural and even linguistic differences between western Ukraine and the eastern part of the country, which is perceived to be more “Russian.” We see many lingering beliefs and stereotypes about eastern Ukraine here. This creates misunderstandings and tensions. Local people are quite resentful that Ukrainians from the east do not speak Ukrainian and are surprised to learn that they follow Ukrainian traditions, too. For example, they wear similar embroidered shirts, just with different patterns. Local residents are welcoming, but they also feel the economic burdens caused by displacement. These social dynamics are complicated, but the events I mentioned before show us that we have more in common than we had thought.

Paula: Could you share more about your work with community-based organizations?

Oksana: Our local partners do really great things. This is a successful approach because civil society organizations know their communities and their needs. They also have their unique skillsets, experiences and methodologies. But there are also challenges. International donors and organizations, like Global Communities, have many complex compliance requirements, which are burdensome and difficult to understand by small organizations. For example, CLEAR has strict vulnerability criteria for selecting recipients of humanitarian assistance. So, we provide oversight and increase their technical, financial and administrative capacities so that they can influence sustainable changes in their communities more effectively. 

Paula: What else should Global Communities and other humanitarian organizations do to support conflict-affected people and contribute to long-term recovery efforts in Ukraine?

Oksana: It is crucial to start designing rehabilitation and reintegration services for war veterans, their families and communities receiving them. Many people fighting for our country are not military professionals. They are civilians conscripted to the army and sent to the battlefields on short notice. They will need a lot of support, including psychological counseling, before they can resume normal lives. We should be already working with families and communities to prepare for their return.

Paula: Do you have any final thoughts you would like to share?

Oksana: I would like to call attention to the fact that we are facing a significant shortage of professionals specializing in protection and psychosocial support in Ukraine. Many specialists have left the country and others are compelled to wear multiple hats at different humanitarian organizations across Ukraine. This can easily lead to burnout. We are all working under very difficult circumstances, and we are exposed to vicarious trauma in addition to our own. I encourage the international and donor communities to pay attention to this important issue and help those who are helping others.

Paula: Thank you for your time! How can our audiences learn more about your work?

Oksana: To learn more about Global Communities’ work in Ukraine please visit our website and read our recent story Art Therapy for Ukrainian Children Helps Reduce Stress Under Everyday Shelling. If you have questions about our programs, please email us at [email protected]. 

Oksana Mykhailenko

Oksana Mykhailenko is a Protection and GBV Prevention Manager with Global Communities’ CLEAR program in Ukraine. She started her professional career as a school psychologist. Three years later, she became the head of the new psychological service at educational institutions in Nova Kakhovka and continued to work in this capacity for 15 years. In 2006, Oksana co-created a youth NGO and later became an expert in GBV prevention, gender equality and peace building. In her capacity as a GBV expert trainer, Oksana worked with UNFPA, UNDP, IREX, ILO, NDI, Successful Woman Kherson Oblast Center, the Ukrainian Women’s Fund and the National Police of Ukraine.

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 “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 Supporting War-Affected People in Ukraine: Insights from Our Protection Manager appeared first on Global Communities.

Proposals for marriage began coming for Pushpa three years ago, when she was only 15 years old. Pushpa felt too young to be married and wanted to continue her studies, something that many girls in Jharkhand – her home region of India – are unable to do. 

Jharkhand has some of the highest rates of child and early marriage in India, which exceeded 32% according to the most recent National Family Health Survey. Globally, nearly 1 in 5 girls are married before the age of 18. In some countries this figure is closer to 2 in 5 girls, or 40%, with 12% being wedded prior to the age of 15. 

Child, early and forced marriage is a human rights violation and a form of gender-based violence (GBV). Child marriage cuts short girls’ education and obstructs pathways for healthy living, growth and development. It often leads to early pregnancies, which are dangerous for young girls. It also increases the risks of acquiring HIV and experiencing other forms of GBV.  

The practice of child marriage is intricately linked to a variety of sociocultural, religious and economic factors, such as poverty, inequality, conflict and barriers to educational opportunities. Each of these factors plays a major role in the communities where child marriage remains stubbornly high despite policy and program efforts designed to prevent it.

Like Pushpa, many girls around the world want education, but have few options beyond becoming wives and mothers. Parents of adolescent girls often face socioeconomic pressures to accept offers of early marriage. And many mothers, like Pushpa’s mother Rukmani, were also married before the age of 18 and had no say in determining their own futures. 

Even where laws prohibit child marriage, changing social and gender norms is key to preventing this practice. Mothers can be strong allies in this fight and advocate for girls’ continued education. 

Umang: Bringing Normative Change around Child Marriage

In 2019, Global Communities, in partnership with the International Center for Research on Women, designed the Umang project, which is a comprehensive approach to preventing child and early marriage in Jharkhand, India. The project partnered with the Government of Jharkhand to test the model in two districts, Godda and Jamtara, and is now implemented by PCI India, an independent organization created by Global Communities in the spirit of locally led development. 

Umang is a women-led, norm shifting intervention, where women collectives play the central role in molding household and community attitudes away from marrying adolescent girls. 

The Umang project works with women’s Self-Help Groups (SHGs), which are supported by the Government of Jharkhand and provide a powerful platform for women to discuss their ideas and strategic interests. Women engaged in SHGs often design collective action plans to challenge various harmful practices, such as child marriage.

Supported by Umang, SHG members learn different communication skills to meaningfully participate in discussions and decision-making processes to delay marriages in their communities. Umang strengthens the bonds between mothers and daughters, helping the girls to fulfill their aspirations. 

Two women reached by Umang were Rukmani and Pushpa’s aunt Vimla, who both supported Pushpa’s continued education.

I had never considered myself worthy of taking decisions or going against social practices. But project Umang made me realize the difference I can make as a mother.

Rukmani, Umang participant, Pushpa’s mother

Umang brings mothers to the center stage, as they are well placed to effect change and advocate for the betterment of their daughters. Many of these women are survivors of harmful social practices, too: 85% of mothers who participated in Umang could not make decisions about their own marriages, 75% were married before the age of 18, 40% had their first child as children, and 54% never attended school.

Between February 2021 and March 2023, PCI India and its partners conducted an evaluation of Umang, which showed the following results: 

• Girls’ belief in their ability to resist marriage pressure increased from 77% at baseline to 95% at endline;  
• Girls expressed increased aspirations to study through 12^th grade, from 78 to 87%; 
• Girls’ confidence in their ability to complete education spiked from 60 to 75%; 
• Girls’ belief that they should only work if their in-laws and husbands allow them dropped from 63 to 54%; 
• Mothers’ reservations against sending their daughters for higher education and fear of delaying marriage decreased from 17 to 12%;
• The number of girls who faced pressure from parents to end education early decreased from 22 to 15%.

Umang’s design is layered upon the socio-ecosystem of the lives of women and girls. Its main success lies in women’s leadership.  

Thanks to Umang, women now negotiate with their husbands and others, often successfully, to delay marriage and continue education of adolescent girls. Moreover, women leaders engage with government officials to demand quality services so that adolescent girls can pursue higher education.  

Finally, Umang enables women leaders to provide community-based counseling services to girls and their parents so that they can learn about the harmful aspects of child marriage, the value of education and possible career opportunities. Counseling both girls and their parents ensures there is coordination within the family to support their daughters’ aspirations. 

Pushpa is now 18 years old and will soon complete 12^th grade. She is planning to continue her studies. Her mother is her biggest champion, ready to invest more in her education. Since 2019, Umang has reached more than 60,000 mothers of school-aged girls in Godda and Jamtara. The project team is working with the Government of Jharkhand to expand the work across 11 additional districts in the state to support the empowerment of many more mothers and adolescent girls.

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