Strengthening the effectiveness and efficiency of locally led protection services

Despite 17 months have passed since the Russian aggression against Ukraine began, the humanitarian needs have remained very high. Millions of Ukrainians have been affected by this conflict, with many of them losing their homes, jobs, and access to basic necessities such as food, water, healthcare, education, and safe living conditions. Local Ukrainian NGOs have shown remarkable efficiency in providing humanitarian aid, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. However, these organizations face several obstacles, which this projet tries to address.

The 2023 Humanitarian Needs Overview identifies Mental Health and Psychosocial Support (MHPSS) both to beneficiaries as well as to humanitarian service providers as a cross-sectoral concern: in analyses across Health, Education, general protection and Child-Protection clusters and sub-clusters, the MHPSS has been identifies as a main protection gap.

1. Local and national non-governmental organizations in the protection sector
2. Professionals engaged in the MHPSS assistance sector (social workers, teachers)
3. Conflict-affected children and their parents

Outcome 1 - Capacity building:
Enhanced project and organizational management capacities of local and national protection NGOs, which leads to their increased ability to get support from the international aid system

Outcome 2 – Protection services provision:
Increased mental health resilience and well-being localy led protection actors, as well as boys and girls and their parents directly affected by the armed conflict

Principaux résultats attendus:  

Capacity building:

1. Support, including mentoring, Ukrainian organizations with policy development
2. Trainings in project management (grant writing, project planning, budgeting, MEAL)
3. Training in game techniques, PSEAH and burnout prevention
4. Financial audit grants
5. Supervision sessions for project psychologists

Protection services provision:

6. Individual and group support sessions for children
7. Individual and group support sessions for parents and teachers
8. Awareness raising about tools and mechanisms for PSEAH
9. Project implementation grants for protection services providers

Protection Cluster, local authorities and communities, Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF), International NGO Safety Organisation (INSO), Advisory Steering Committee for ACAPS in Ukraine.

SDC project partners: East Europe Foundation, People in Need, Nonviolent Peaceforce in the area of localization, MH4U project in the area of MHPSS provision.