An expanded and unique Daycare Centre for GBV survivors has opened in Kharkiv. From now on, the Centre will provide assistance in a "one-stop-shop" format, combining Psychosocial support mobile teams, a mobile Survivor Relief Centre, The 'VILNA' women-friendly space, the ‘VONA’ Hub and other services aimed at improving access to necessary social and psychological assistance for residents of Kharkiv and internally displaced persons (IDPs).
"The Daycare Centre is a truly innovative service where assistance is provided comprehensively and in one place to all survivors of violence. The opening of the Centre in an expanded format is a true manifestation of the effective cooperation between UNFPA, Kharkiv local authorities and our donors. Kharkiv has always been at the forefront of creating functional and effective services for survivors of violence," said Mustafa Elkanzi, UNFPA Senior Emergency Coordinator/Deputy Representative in Ukraine.
The Daycare Centre provides comprehensive support to overcome the consequences of violence. The centre's services are free of charge and include:
- group and individual sessions with a psychologist;
- crisis support;
- advice on specialist services and psychosocial support;
- workshops, networking meetings (quick and effective solutions to difficult life situations)
- employment support for affected women.
The services are open to everyone, both residents of Kharkiv and IDPs.
Among the services offered at the Daycare Centre is a mobile Survivor Relief Centre (SRC), which provides comprehensive support, including to survivors of conflict-related sexual violence (CRSV). The work of the SRC is supported by the governments of Belgium, Sweden and France.
"The consequences of war can often be invisible to society. War tears families apart and leads to violence against women and children. That is why social work is so important. I am very pleased that Belgium, in cooperation with the UNFPA, is effectively helping to build social services," said Peter Van De Velde, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Belgium to Ukraine.
Even before the full-scale war, Kharkiv created a strong social infrastructure in the city, and now it continues to actively develop it. Expanding the capabilities of the Daycare Centre in one-stop shop format is another step towards creating a powerful European-level system of countering violence in Ukraine.
"We live in times when the stress of war can escalate into violence. We are making a lot of efforts to tell our community members that in case of violence, there is always a place to turn to, a place where you can get qualified help," said Svitlana Horbunova-Ruban, the Deputy Head of Kharkiv City Council.
The opening of the Daycare Centre in an expanded format was supported by UNFPA, the governments of the Czech Republic and France, in cooperation with the Kharkiv City Council through the implementation partner, the Youth Charitable Foundation ‘Initiative’.
In May 2020, UNFPA launched the project "Cities and Communities Free from Domestic Violence" in Kharkiv, which aims to strengthen the capacity and role of Ukrainian cities and communities in building sustainable mechanisms for protecting and assisting survivors, developing a network of quality specialised services, improving coordination and interagency cooperation of actors at the local level, and activating and engaging community residents in the prevention and early detection of such cases.
