Diana, her son, and her elderly grandmother left the town of Chasiv Yar in the Donetsk region with two bags shared between the three of them. At the end of May, they registered as internally displaced persons in the village of Zaluzhzhia in the Khmelnytska Oblast. They found shelter in a local compact accommodation facility (CAF), where people fleeing the war can stay.
For the most part, the CAFs had to be established in places that are not very suitable for living.
“They settled us in a kindergarten, where at first there were only beds and bedding,” says Diana. “At first, it was difficult without household appliances. Local residents brought us potatoes, canned food, meat, and lard. But we had to invent something to cook one meal at a time because the food quickly spoiled in the summer.”
Having learned about the needs of this community, the team of the United Voices in Action program made a commitment to improving the lives of the residents of the CAF in Zaluzhzhia. Charity donors provided the necessary equipment, as well as folding beds, blankets, pillows, and bed linen.
“It got easier when we received a refrigerator. It was in the autumn when volunteers from the United Voices in Action program arrived,” Diana recalls. “They brought new bedding sets, kettles, a washing machine, an oven, multi-cookers, a boiler, and other household appliances. It has become easier to live and cook since there are no more queues in the kitchen.”
The United Voices in Action program is implemented in Ukraine by IREX together with the Stabilization Support Services Foundation and with the support of the U.S. Department of State. The project team has been working with IDPs for a long time, so it has a good understanding of their needs and problems. Assistance must be effective, not just for show and this rule guides the activists, making it possible to provide effective support to internally displaced persons and meet their most urgent needs.
“We are gradually getting used to it, the kid watches TV, and he is not afraid to go outside,” says Diana. “I am running around, cooking, taking care of my son and grandmother. We go for walks”.
Settling in a new place, joining the community, and exercising their civil rights are the main challenges for IDPs seeking a better life in different parts of our country. Often people need help and tips on how to do the right thing, and sometimes they just need the simple but much-needed support of a human being.
The project United Voices in Action is dealing with these issues as well. Therefore, they provide not only household appliances, but also support in other aspects, including providing free legal support. Professionals explain how to restore lost documents, receive pensions or housing allowances, etc.
“We get acquainted with the locals, and learn how everything is organized here. We have nowhere to return to, there are hostilities not far from our home. So we want to feel like a part of this community,” says Diana.
It is good that the IDPs receive the necessary support that helps to deal with the challenges and continue living their lives despite all the hardships.