In the conditions of constant shelling, the issue of security for Kherson remains a priority.
In the spring of 2025, we held a meeting of heads of condominiums together with security providers - the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Kherson region, the National Police in the Kherson region, to record the real needs of the community and build a systematic approach to solving them.
During this meeting, the heads of condominiums clearly outlined the key problem: the lack of practical skills and basic means of response among residents in the first minutes after shelling, fires, or injuries, before emergency services arrive.
This request served as the starting point for the development of the Safe Home program, which combined training, practice, and the provision of the necessary means of first response.
Over the course of four months, 35 condominiums in Kherson underwent training in pre-hospital care, mine safety, and fire safety. In total, the program covered 3,235 residents, including 212 children. The classes were conducted by qualified instructors from the Educational and Methodological Center for Civil Defense and Life Safety of the Kherson Region, with an emphasis on actions in real conditions of shelling. Separately, additional practical training on applying tourniquets was conducted at the participants' request.
In parallel with the training, houses received first-aid equipment: 140 fire extinguishers and first-aid kits with tourniquets, which can be used immediately if necessary.
An essential part of the approach was also information work. As part of the program, 5,000 information newspapers on mine safety were developed, printed, and distributed, in particular on the danger of PFM-1 "petal" mines. Part of these materials were distributed by the Kherson Patrol Police and rescue officers of the Main Department of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine in the Kherson region, directly in the community, as part of notifying and informing residents.
The Safe Home program has shown that effective security begins with dialogue, continues with training, and is reinforced with concrete tools. It is this approach that allows the residents of Kherson to be better prepared for the challenges that, unfortunately, remain part of their daily reality.
The project is being implemented with the support of the international humanitarian organization ZOA with funding from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).
