In February, we delivered Sphere workshops in Kyiv, Ukraine for the first time. In partnership with Save the Children in Ukraine, we organised two cohorts of 1.5-day introductory workshops based on the Sphere Handbook. The workshops focused on humanitarian principles and minimum standards in four life-saving areas, which the Sphere project defines and promotes: water, sanitation and hygiene; food security and nutrition, shelter and settlement, and health. Both workshops included highly participatory exercises, role plays, and visuals, highlighting a human-centred and rights-based approach that lies at the core of the Sphere standards.
Sphere Handbook is an easy-to-use tool based on 25+ years of experience from humanitarian responses worldwide. It puts people at the centre of humanitarian action. It looks not only at needs but also at capacities and evidence, aiming to enable the right to live with dignity for affected communities.
Employees of local and national NGOs and national staff of Save the Children and Danish Refugee Council (DRC) attended the workshops (41 people in total).
Participants received pre-event information two weeks ahead of the workshop, and a copy of the Sphere Handbook in Ukrainian on the day. The participants practiced finding answers to their daily humanitarian challenges in the Sphere Handbook to use the tool confidently. Acknowledging the packed agenda of the training, participants praised the comprehensible and engaging delivery.
To understand people’s needs we should ask people. Now I know where I can find qualitative humanitarian standards and indicators.
I enjoyed the level of engagement, the provided examples, and the supportive environment for sharing thoughts and asking questions.
After the workshop, the participants continued to engage with each other and the trainers. They agreed to have an online post-event reflection session.
All the participants successfully completed the programme and received the certificates. Congratulations to all involved!
- You can start exploring Sphere Standards with our microlearning guide ‘An introduction to the Sphere Handbook’
- Online course Sphere in Practice
- Online course How to be a Sphere Champion (available in English, French, Spanish, Arabic, and Japanese)
- The Sphere Handbook
