Standing alongside those starting from scratch: how the Local Initiatives Support Center helps displaced persons in Dnipropetrovsk oblast

Publication date: January 14, 2026

Author: Yuliia Bilyk, Communications Manager, Legal Development Network

The Legal Development Network member organization NGO Local Initiatives Support Center (hereinafter referred to as the Center, LISC) helps internally displaced persons regain control over their lives. The organization operates in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, which has one of the highest numbers of internally displaced persons in the country. The organization’s team not only advises IDPs on legal issues, but also provides them with psychological support and helps them find employment. Support from the Legal Development Network and the GlobalGiving Charitable Platform allows the Center to work systematically, transforming one-time assistance into sustainable integration.

The number one priority is to support displaced persons

The Dnipropetrovsk oblast is one of those that has accepted the largest number of internally displaced persons in Ukraine. According to the report “Regional Profiles: General Population Survey” (Ukraine Internal Displacement Report), as of October 2025, there were more than 557,000 forced migrants in the oblast. These figures testify not only to the scale of the humanitarian challenge, but also to the profound social consequences: hundreds of thousands of people simultaneously need housing, access to social services, legal support, and opportunities to rebuild their lives independently.

The Local Initiatives Support Center, in close cooperation with authorities and other public and social initiatives, plays an important role in the process of adaptation, recovery, and solving the problems of people who have been forced to leave their homes due to the war. In terms of providing legal assistance, the NGO provides more than 1,300 free legal consultations annually to displaced persons and residents of communities in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast. However, this is only a small part of the work.

“It is important for internally displaced persons not only to know their rights, but also to have the strength and opportunity to move forward. Therefore, in addition to legal support, we provide psychological support to people who have experienced the trauma of war, as well as social support with employment — we help them find work, adapt to the labor market, and regain financial independence. This comprehensive approach yields lasting results,” says Oleksiy Kormiletskyi, head of the Local Initiatives Support Center.

Barrier-free employment

The Local Initiatives Support Center employs lawyers, case managers, a psychologist, and an employment case manager. Together, they form a permanent team of specialists who combine legal expertise, community work, and practical experience in crisis response. In particular, lawyers provide legal advice and assist IDPs in matters of social protection, housing rights, obtaining assistance, and interacting with government agencies. Case managers provide individual support — from initial needs assessment to coordinating assistance with other services.

An employment case manager helps IDPs navigate the local labor market, prepare the necessary documents, and establish communication with employers. For her part, the organization’s psychologist helps people who have experienced the trauma of war and the loss of their homes and loved ones to stabilize their emotional state and regain a sense of support.

“We work without formal barriers — not based on place of registration or status, but on a person’s real needs,” emphasizes Oleksiy Kormiletskyi.

In its activities, the LISC relies on partnerships with local authorities, social services, educational institutions, shelters for internally displaced persons, medical institutions, and community initiatives. Such cooperation allows for the creation of a continuous chain of assistance.

Telling figures

In 2025, the NGO “Local Initiatives Support Center” provided internally displaced persons and residents of communities in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast with over 3,500 consultations on legal, psychological, and employment issues. The team processed 1,300 legal requests, most of which were related to access to social benefits, document restoration, housing, and labor rights.

As part of social support, over 300 IDPs received individual assistance, ranging from initial needs assessment to referral to specialized services. Thanks to the work of an employment case manager, more than 180 internally displaced persons were able to find work or resume employment in their new communities.

About 250 people received individual or group psychological counseling. This was a critically important step in overcoming the effects of traumatic experiences.

In many cases, the support provided by the LISC had a long-term effect. More than 40 internally displaced persons joined local initiatives, community events, and initiative groups. Some of the IDPs began to help other displaced persons adapt to their new environment.

Cooperation with relocated communities

An important part of the work of the LISC is close cooperation with relocated local governments that have moved to Dnipropetrovsk oblast from temporarily occupied territories.

Joint coordination of efforts ensures that displaced persons receive timely and targeted support. Thanks to the employees of relocated local governments, displaced persons learn about the Local Initiatives Support Center and the possibility of receiving comprehensive assistance.

Legal education as a point of support

Thanks to flexible funding from the GlobalGiving Charity Platform, in addition to individual legal counseling, the LISC conducts legal education meetings. Most often, they take place in areas with a high concentration of displaced persons, public spaces, and educational and social institutions in Dnipro and the oblast.

The organization’s team works directly with people who often find themselves in a state of uncertainty, exhaustion, and lack of information. During meetings, the Center’s specialists explain the issues that most concern IDPs: social benefits, housing rights, employment, access to medical and social services, and interaction with authorities.

These events are important not only as a source of information. For many displaced persons, they become a point of support where, for the first time since their forced relocation, people feel that their problems are being heard and their questions matter.

“Live dialogue, the opportunity to ask specific questions and receive immediate professional answers help reduce tension and restore a sense of control over the situation in which displaced persons find themselves. It is often these meetings that mark the beginning of further individual support: people seek legal, social, or psychological assistance and join other support programs,” notes Oleksiy Kormiletskyi.

Retaining the team and expertise

The support of the Legal Development Network and the GlobalGiving charitable platform has been crucial for the LISC in maintaining stability in its work. At a time when the number of requests for comprehensive assistance from displaced persons is growing, flexible funding makes it possible not only to respond to challenges, but also to plan activities strategically.

Thanks to this support, the Center has been able to continuously provide free legal, social, and psychological counseling without reducing the amount of assistance even during peak periods of requests. Financial stability has allowed the LISC to retain its team of specialists, avoiding the loss of expertise.

The organization was able to expand its presence in communities in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast, working directly where the largest number of internally displaced persons are concentrated. The support also made it possible to move from short-term response to systematic planning of activities.

“For us as an organization, the support of the GlobalGiving charitable platform is not just funding. It is an opportunity to keep going and not reduce assistance precisely when people need it most,” emphasizes Oleksiy Kormiletskyi.

A course toward integration and strategic planning

In the near future, the Local Initiatives Support Center plans to strengthen its presence in communities in the Dnipropetrovsk oblast. This involves increasing the number of consultations and deeper integration into community life through regular outreach visits, legal awareness events, psychological support groups, and systematic social support for IDPs.

A separate priority remains the development of programs aimed at restoring the self-reliance of IDPs by expanding employment support, raising legal awareness, and supporting adaptation to the local labor market.

An important strategic task is to move from responding to individual requests to building sustainable solutions. The organization strives to work proactively — strengthening community capacity, establishing cross-sectoral cooperation, and creating conditions in which support for IDPs becomes part of long-term development.

A separate area of future work is the integration of internally displaced persons into the life of host communities, not only in social terms but also in terms of citizenship. In the context of post-war recovery, the issue of IDP participation in decision-making processes will become particularly important.

The team plans to work on raising IDPs’ legal awareness in the field of electoral law and mechanisms for exercising active and passive voting rights. This work is seen as an important element of long-term integration, as involving IDPs in democratic processes not only fulfills their rights but also ensures the formation of cohesive communities.

The NGO also plans to participate in the development, analysis, and improvement of local strategies and programs aimed at the long-term integration of IDPs. This involves systematic work with local authorities, relocated communities, and civil society organizations — from data collection and analysis of challenges to the development of practical solutions.

“We view strategic planning not as a formal document, but as a change management tool that helps communities transition from crisis response to sustainable development and effective integration of IDPs into social, economic, and civic life,” concludes Oleksiy Kormiletskyi.

When support matters

The experience of the Local Initiatives Support Center clearly shows that effective assistance does not come from high-profile campaigns or one-off actions, but from daily, consistent work with people and for people. When a person loses their home, stability, and familiar environment, support becomes not only a question of resources, but also a question of dignity.

That is why the Local Initiatives Support Center works at the intersection of legal, social, psychological assistance, and community development, helping displaced persons not only to survive but also to regain their independence and feel a sense of belonging to their new community.

And as long as the challenges remain, the LISC continues to stand by those who are forced to start from scratch, supporting their path to recovery without losing dignity and optimism.

This material was created by the Legal Development Network with the support of the international charitable platform GlobalGiving. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Legal Development Network.

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