A Large-Scale Mentorship Wave: In a Month, 500 Ukrainians Volunteered to Support Orphanage Children

In Ukraine, over 80,000 children live in institutional care facilities. Despite efforts by the government and charitable organizations, these children often face social isolation, a lack of trust in adults, and an absence of life guidance. They struggle to adapt, find jobs, or build relationships.

To support children in orphanages and help them prepare for independent adult life, the charitable foundation Tvoya Opora (Your Support), in partnership with the Kyiv Region Center for Social Services, has launched a pilot mentorship project. The initiative is aimed at supporting teenagers aged 12 to 18 in institutional care who need help with social adaptation.

The project ambassador is Inna Miroshnychenko — a lawyer, mother of four, and public figure advocating for the rights of orphans.

Over 500 Applications in a Month: How Mentorship Became a Movement of Compassion

The project was launched in late 2024, and in less than a month received over 500 applications from people wishing to become mentors for orphans in the Kyiv region.

For comparison: according to the most recent public data, there were only about 250 mentors across the entire country. The pandemic and full-scale war significantly reduced this number.

“Mentorship has officially existed since 2016, but due to a lack of awareness and systemic approach, Kyiv probably had no more than a dozen mentors. We closed registration in under a month simply because 500 applicants is the maximum number we can effectively train and support. If everyone completes the program, every teenager in need of support in Kyiv and the region will have a mentor. That is absolutely our goal!” said Inna Miroshnychenko, the project’s ambassador.

Due to overwhelming interest, Tvoya Opora has expanded the pilot project to include not only residents of the Kyiv region but also Kyiv city.

How Are Future Mentors Being Prepared?

Initial informational events were held for the 500 future mentors in:

• Kyiv, at Gulliver Mall

• Bucha, at Avenir Plaza Mall with the support of Bucha Mayor Anatoliy Fedoruk

Participants learned:

• How the training program works and what the requirements for candidates are

• The steps to take before meeting the child

• How to build trusting relationships and the importance of psychological support

“These meetings confirmed that mentorship is not just volunteer work—it is a life necessity for children who have grown up without family support. Children who regularly interact with their mentors adapt better to social life. They gain stability, trust, and confidence that there are people in this world who won’t disappear,” said Valeriya Tatarchuk, founder of Tvoya Opora.

Memorandum of Cooperation: A Strategic Step for the Development of Mentorship

A key systemic step was the signing of a memorandum of cooperation between Tvoya Opora and the Coordination Center for the Development of Family-Based Upbringing and Childcare.

This will allow:

• More responsible adults to be involved in mentorship

• A more efficient candidate training process

• Professional support for children and their mentors

“Most children in institutions are teenagers who will soon have to enter adult life. However, the institutional system does not provide them with the necessary skills. Mentorship offers an opportunity for each of us to become an older friend, to help the child prepare for the future. It is not a form of family upbringing but an individual support program where an adult meets regularly with a child, shares experiences, helps them grow and make decisions,” emphasized Iryna Tulyakova, Head of the Coordination Center for Family-Based Upbringing.

What’s Next?

Mentors will participate in:

• In-depth training sessions with experts

• Certified courses with official documentation

• Direct work with teenagers

Everyone involved in the project will also receive psychological support from the Tvoya Opora Family Center for Mental Well-being.

In the future, the project aims to expand to other regions of Ukraine with institutional care facilities.