In the Kharkiv and Zhytomyr regions, Caritas-Spes Ukraine is completing the project with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and Caritas Slovenia
At the end of March 2023, the Caritas-Spes Ukraine team is completing the humanitarian aid project for the Kharkiv and Zhytomyr regions, financed with the support of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and Slovenska karitas. Thanks to Slovenian partners who provided Ukraine with financial support in the amount of 300,000 euros, the Caritas-Spes Ukraine team this winter provided the residents of Kharkiv region with essential products and heating equipment and carried out a partial reconstruction of a house for children and youth with disabilities in the village of Zarichany of Zhytomyr region.
Distribution of grocery sets and heaters in Kharkiv and Kharkiv region
Destroyed infrastructure, interruptions in the supply of food, problems with centralized heating pose a serious threat to the lives of residents of Kharkiv region. One of the key objectives of the program, financed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia and Slovenska karitas, was chosen to provide humanitarian aid to the most vulnerable sections of the population.
In December 2022, the Caritas-Spes Kharkiv team held a tender for the purchase of food kits, stoves and electric heaters. Having chosen the most profitable offers in terms of price and quality ratio, in January 2023 our employees and volunteers began distributing the purchased goods. Within the framework of this project, they went to the villages of the Kharkiv region, which were previously under occupation, and villages that were under constant shelling: Korobochkine, Izyum, Lebyazhe, Tsupivka, Solonitsevka and Zolochiv.
As a result, 100 families received heating devices, 202 families received blankets, and 423 families received food kits. Among the needy citizens who received humanitarian aid, there are mostly single mothers with children, separate households with elderly, sick and disabled people, temporarily displaced families from Kharkiv, Donetsk and Luhansk regions.
"When the war started, we were all very scared. The light disappeared immediately. Together with many families from our house, we hid in the basement. It was very cold there. Most of all, children and elderly people were freezing. There was nothing to warm up and cook food with. We are very grateful to the volunteers for the heaters. We hope that we will not be attacked again. God forbid. But if something happens, we now have something to heat the basement," thanks Olena for the help, who came to the Caritas-Spes Ukraine branch to get a heater for her family.
Even now, after the end of the distribution, many needy people from Bakhmut, Kupyansk, Avdiivka, Soledar, Debaltseve, Makiivka and other cities and villages of eastern Ukraine continue to contact our social center in Kharkiv every day. Unfortunately, many families no longer have homes, some ran away from home with only documents and no belongings at all. In general, these people have nothing left. Currently, temporarily displaced families either rent housing or live with relatives, acquaintances, and dormitories.
Thanks to the support of partners, the Caritas-Spes Ukraine team continues to respond promptly to the priority requests of affected citizens, but the humanitarian needs of people today still exceed our capabilities.
Reconstruction of the Rehabilitation Center for children and youth with disabilities in Zarichany
Another urgent request for Caritas-Spes Ukraine is the care and rehabilitation of children with disabilities. That is why the Caritas-Spes Ukraine Mission decided to prioritize the completion of the reconstruction of the center for the rehabilitation of children with disabilities in the village of Zarychans of Zhytomyr region. For the partial reconstruction of the center, Slovenian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Slovenska karitas allocated financial support in the amount of 134,000 euros and 63,000 euros, respectively. The rehabilitation program is planned to reach up to 1,500 children and youth with disabilities per year.
At this stage, the work on the design of external metal slopes on the windows and the installation of plasterboard boards on the walls and ceilings of the building has already been completed. Work is ongoing on arranging the lining of the roof from the outside, creating a rainwater collection system, and choosing floor coverings in the interior of the building for their further installation. Finishing works on walls and ceilings and preparing them for painting are planned in the near future. Currently, five teams of different disciplines work at the facility, with a total of 18 craftsmen.
Despite the temporary difficulties faced by our builders – delays in the supply of materials due to the relocation of construction materials factories as a result of hostilities, power outages due to enemy missile attacks and low temperature regimes – the construction team is completing the reconstruction work within the mentioned project this spring.
On February 16, 2023, the ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Ukraine Tomaž Mencin and his deputy Blaž Masle visited the construction of the center. The Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia expressed his sincere gratitude to the Caritas-Spes Ukraine team for organizing the visit and the opportunity to see with his own eyes how, even in winter, the construction of the rehabilitation center continues every day.
On behalf of the entire Caritas-Spes Ukraine team, we thank the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Slovenia, the Ambassador of the Republic of Slovenia to Ukraine and Caritas Slovenia for their support, openness, understanding of our needs and willingness to help the citizens of Ukraine.
