Rokada continues the project to strengthen civil society organisations in frontline regions

The Rokada Charitable Foundation continues implementing a project whose main task is to improve the capacity of the civil society sector in Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions through training, consulting, mentoring, developing professional skills and building networks of horizontal communication and cooperation with local authorities. The team also believes it is important to provide comprehensive support to vulnerable groups in emergencies. This will increase the resilience and well-being of communities in the target regions.

The project will run until August 2026 and will include the following activities:

• mentoring support and training for CSOs (organisational capacity assessment, individual development plans, expert consultations);
• networking and partnership (exchange visits, round tables, joint events for organisations and local self-government bodies);
• protection services (psychosocial support, individual and group consultations, legal aid, case management);
• distribution of essential non-food items (NFI kits for more than 4,000 people);
• awareness-raising activities (legal and social awareness sessions, trainings for specialists).

“This project is an important step in strengthening local civil society organisations in frontline regions. We aim to give these institutions not only resources but also knowledge and partnerships that can be used to support communities and vulnerable groups. Implementing this project also broadens the range of our assistance. Within the initiative, we offer psychosocial support and individual and group consultations, and provide access to legal services and case management. An important area is legal and social awareness sessions and trainings for specialists working directly with people,” says Project Manager Vitalii Melnyk.

The project is expected to have a positive impact on the lives of more than 10,000 people. Such a comprehensive approach will help not only meet the current needs of vulnerable groups but also create long-term support mechanisms in communities.

The project “Strength through Unity: Supporting the Capacity Building of Local CSOs in Sumy, Kharkiv and Dnipropetrovsk Regions” is implemented within the EMPOWER project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) together with the European Union and implemented by GIZ Ukraine.