Project Safe Haven, Ukraine

The war in Ukraine has already resulted in millions of displaced people. Large numbers of orphaned children evacuated from conflict zones have been placed in temporary accommodation in western Ukraine without integrated health care facilities or trauma services. Responding to these challenges, the Safe Haven projects have been designed to meet urgent needs in the short-term while providing a holistic solution for long-term care.

Delivered in two stages as a partnership between ISD Foundation, the regional government, and New Horizons for Children (NHFC), an NGO led by clinical psychologist Dr Sherri McClurg, Safe Haven Village and Safe Haven Campus offer an opportunity to ‘build back better’ through replicable pilot projects informed by research into best practice interventions that will support children with complex developmental trauma to participate positively in Ukraine’s future.

Design of the Safe Haven Village is already underway, building on NHFC’s work to renovate an unused school site. Once complete, the Village will enable 300 of the most vulnerable children and their caregivers to be safely cared for during the ongoing humanitarian crisis. Alongside accommodation, on-site facilities will include a medical center specializing in trauma rehabilitation and pediatric health, and a library and recreational building that integrates spaces for indoor play.

Lessons from the Safe Haven Village will directly inform the design of the Safe Haven Campus, which will provide a restorative and safe home for 2,500 displaced children. Bridging humanitarian aid and sustainable development, the project is shaped around a series of modular cottage clusters with access to world class on-site medical care and flexible educational and community infrastructure.

ISD Foundation is leading the way in the development of the sites and collaborative model, and is currently working with partners to finalize the funding required to deliver both projects.