East SOS Participates in Forum “Public Participation: A New Reality” in Kyiv
On November 20–21, 2025, Svitlana Agadzhanian, Partnership Manager at East SOS, took part in the Forum “Public Participation: A New Reality” in Kyiv.
The event brought together local government representatives, civil society organizations, activists, and international partners to strengthen local democracy and support Ukraine’s recovery through inclusive community participation.
Discussions focused on the critical role of residents in decision-making and shaping change in their communities. Even during wartime, such participation ensures that local reconstruction is both humane and effective.
Svitlana Agadzhanian spoke on the panel “Services for the Population and the Role of Civil Society,” sharing East SOS’s experience in working with communities—from creating and improving living conditions for evacuees in temporary accommodation centers to supporting residential care and assisted living facilities.
She also highlighted the comprehensive evacuation cycle that East SOS has implemented since 2022, emphasizing the ongoing challenge of insufficient places in inpatient care facilities, which forces many to wait in a so-called “queue of life” before they can leave frontline areas and reach safety.
Svitlana Agadzhanian also presented the foundation’s work on creating and renovating residential care facilities in line with Resolution No. 888. Current projects are underway in Radekhiv (Lviv region) and Zinkiv (Poltava region). She highlighted concrete examples of community support: in the villages of Kolyndiany (Ternopil region) and Medvyn (Kyiv region), the East SOS team renovated premises for evacuees, provided essential living supplies, and continues to develop social services in partnership with local communities.
“We help communities strengthen their capacities so that evacuees feel safe and comfortable. We involve partner organizations and specialists from various fields, provide mentoring, identify community needs, and build sustainable services that actually work. Together with communities, we are improving social services and making them more sustainable,” said Svitlana Agadzhanian.
To date, East SOS has created 650 places for people with disabilities across the Kyiv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Cherkasy, Ternopil, Lviv, Vinnytsia, and Zakarpattia regions. Beneficiaries receive comprehensive inpatient care, including medical support, psychological counseling, and assistance from lawyers and social workers.
The forum was organized by the Association for Participatory Community Development in cooperation with the Union of Public Initiatives of Ukraine.
East SOS also recently participated in a thematic press conference in Kyiv on the Duty of Care for Humanitarian Workers.
