The project of supporting families, rearing disabled kids, has won the Cities Inspire Awards international competition by UNICEF in the nomination of Child-Free Social Services.

The award was initiated in 2019. It has been awarding innovations or projects, inspiring children’s rights protection, making kids and youth’ s life all over the world.

The system of services for disabled children, having helped Bakhmut win, was created within the SPILNO project, having been working in 16 municipalities in the east of Ukraine. The project is aimed at assisting in developing the service system in a municipality, depending on their residents’ needs.

“Schools closure, isolation, permanent anxiety are repercussions of the pandemic, affecting children in Ukraine. Under the conditions of the COVID-19 crisis, social support has become even more important than ever, assisting in decreasing pressure of the pandemic social and economic consequences and facilitating municipalities’ resistance. It is not easy to develop and enhance the social service system. The results cannot be seen immediately. Developing social services demands courage to invest in children and the most vulnerable people. But caring of the most vulnerable children, we ensure future prosperity of the society and a municipality” – said Murat Shakhin, the head of UNICEF in Ukraine.