A Resilience Center has been opened in a social housing facility for Mariupol residents in Dnipro.
The center was created to provide comprehensive psychosocial support to the population aimed at overcoming stress, strengthening mental health and building resilience.
The goal is to help people cope with the consequences of the war, unlock their inner potential, learn to interact effectively in society and create their own prosperous lives despite their traumatic experiences. The Resilience Program has become an integral part of the All-Ukrainian Mental Health Program "Are You OK?" initiated by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.
The opening of the Center was attended by Denys Uliutin, Minister of Social Policy, Family and Unity of Ukraine, Ihor Boyko, Deputy Head of Donetsk Regional State Administration, representatives of Mariupol City Council and Pokrovsk City Military Administration, as well as representatives of Dnipro authorities and international partners.
Denys Uliutin emphasized that this is a new standard of social service for the Ministry: instead of temporary assistance, a network of spaces is being formed to strengthen communities and create conditions for recovery.
"The very concept comes from the name - how to restore people's confidence in the future, how to provide the level of services so that people understand that they can return to social and economic life and believe in the future. I am grateful to everyone who did everything to make this Center appear - to the Mariupol and Pokrovska communities, as well as to Dnipro for making it happen," the Minister said.
Serhiy Dobriak, head of the Pokrovsk City Military Administration, noted that this is another important service being opened by the relocated communities of Donetsk Oblast in Dnipro, which will help unite IDPs. Oleksandr Slobozhan, Executive Director of the Association of Ukrainian Cities, emphasized that such centers and social housing were made possible by the cooperation of communities, support from central and regional authorities, and the participation of socially responsible businesses.
Along with the opening of the Center, housing certificates were issued to 36 families belonging to vulnerable categories of IDPs. These include families of military personnel and prisoners of war, families with children, and families with people and children with disabilities.
The "I am Mariupol.Housing" project provides affordable housing for Mariupol's displaced residents and is a successful example of international cooperation. It is being implemented by the Mariupol City Council in partnership with the Government of France, the International Organization for Migration (IOM), UNHCR and charitable organizations.
In total, four social housing facilities have been created in Kyiv and Dnipro for more than 1,300 IDPs. Repair works are ongoing in Zaporizhzhia, Kropyvnytskyi and Chernivtsi.