About the organisation
NGO “Big Family” — the Association of Large Families — unites 26 members and a core team of 7 specialists working for the safety of Ukrainian families.
History
NGO “Big Family” was founded in 2009 by caring parents concerned about children and their future. The organisation has long-standing experience in protecting young people and families with children.
We actively defended the rights of children from large families and organised social and cultural events, working together with the Boiarka city council, the district administration, other NGOs and social services.
When the war began in 2014–2015, most of the organisation’s working group served in the East of the country carrying out mine action tasks. Since then, safety has been the cross-cutting theme of all our work.
After the full-scale invasion in 2022, the team evacuated people from the hottest spots of the Kyiv region, delivered humanitarian aid and taught civilians safe behaviour. In 2023, after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, the team worked in the Mykolaiv region all summer.
Today the organisation has resumed its work and completed re-registration. The statute has been reviewed and updated, and new areas of work have been defined in response to current challenges.
Goals
- Protecting the rights and interests of children and large families at local and national level.
- Raising the level of safety culture among adults and children in communities across Ukraine.
- Creating safe spaces in schools, communities and places hosting displaced people.
- Supporting families from temporarily occupied territories, veterans and their families.
- Building community capacity through programmes, trainings and safety guidance materials.
Who we work for
- Large families and families with children
- School-age children and young people
- Internally displaced people and families from affected regions
- Veterans and their family members
- Teachers, educators and school psychologists
- Volunteers and critical infrastructure workers
- Local authorities and partner NGOs
Areas of work
Six areas the organisation focuses on today.
Strengthening family relations
Supporting harmonious family relations, patriotic education of children and youth, and promotion of a healthy lifestyle.
Camps for children and youth
Organising sports and recreational camps for children and young people.
Safety education
Educational work on safety: mine risk awareness, behaviour in dangerous conditions and basic protection skills.
First aid training
First aid training for teachers, volunteers, critical infrastructure workers and civilians.
Safe spaces in communities
Helping communities create safe spaces where children and adults can learn and recover.
Support for IDPs and veterans
Supporting the social, psychological and economic adaptation of people from temporarily occupied territories, veterans and their families.
Developing safety programmes
Work on local, district, regional and national programmes to strengthen the safety component of communities.
Achievements
87
people evacuated in 2022
At the start of the full-scale invasion the team evacuated people from Bucha, Irpin, Makariv, Stoianka and Bilohorodka to western Ukraine and to Germany.
101
families received aid in Makariv community
Food and hygiene kits worth UAH 94,928.60 were delivered to residents of the Makariv community who had lost their homes. We hold a letter of thanks from the community.
2019
mine-risk manual endorsed by the Ministry of Education
A mine-risk manual for teachers (author — Serhii Chutkyi) endorsed by the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine and recognised as the best in its field.
2023
a full summer of work in the Mykolaiv region
After the destruction of the Kakhovka dam the team travelled to the Bashtanka district: humanitarian aid, drinking water, sessions for children and adults on behaviour in risky conditions, and psychological support.
Completed projects
2011
The “School Bag” project
Helping children from large and low-income families prepare for school. Implemented within the social projects competition of the Boiarka city council.
2011
Protecting children’s right to free transport
Joint work with the district administration on the transport of children from large families and compliance with the Law of Ukraine “On the Protection of Childhood”.
2012
The “School Bag 2” project
A continuation of the project helping children prepare for the school year, within the social projects competition.
2012
Participation in the “NGO Training” project
The organisation’s core group completed training in project writing and working with donors (trainer — Ruslan Kraplych).
2021
Strategic plan for the Boiarka Community Foundation
Development of a strategic plan within the organisational development competition run by ISAR Ednannia.
2022
Social adaptation of displaced children
A plan for the social adaptation of internally displaced children in a host community, together with humanitarian and psychological support.
2022
ToT trainings and certification
Training of trainers and certification of teachers, critical infrastructure workers and volunteers within a project of the NGO “Parental Initiative of Khmelnytskyi”. Part of the “EU Emergency Support for Civil Society” competition, administered by ISAR Ednannia and funded by the European Commission.
2023
Strategy and mentoring in Khmelnytskyi
Development of the strategy of the NGO “Parental Initiative of Khmelnytskyi” and mentoring support in its implementation, within the ISAR Ednannia organisational development competition.
Organisational resources
Today the organisation has 26 members and a core team of 7 specialists.
- A team of experienced professionals — the organisation’s main asset
- In-house safety materials for children and adults: manuals, presentations, leaflets
- A mine-risk manual for teachers endorsed by the Ministry of Education (2019)
- Office and storage premises
- Two cars and a 9-seat minibus
- Two laptops, a printer, a scanner and two flipcharts for trainings