Compact accommodation facilities for IDPs (CAFs) are being developed not only in the western regions of the country but also in all those that house IDPs. Kyivska Oblast, which has already settled more than 300 thousand IDPs, is no exception.

In the village of Karapyshi of the Myronivka territorial community, the CAF is located in the Zoryanyi local children’s health resort. Ruslan Poshtovyi, its director, says: 

“The team was getting ready to host children who came to the resort for relaxation and recreation on February 25. Instead, they had to set up accommodations for internally displaced persons from the east, without any funding, food, or the necessary household appliances.

The team of the communal institution had enough internal funds to last until May. During this time, they managed to provide families with only the bare necessities. Thankfully, the situation has improved, so now the funding for the CAF is partially allocated by the Myronivka territorial community.

The community pays for the upkeep of the institution and covers electricity, heating, water supply, and garbage collection. Our relations with the regional military administration have been established and we are providing mutual assistance to each other”.

People come and go. And some have nowhere to return to…

“In total, during this time we have received 469 people, mostly from the Donetska Oblast. We have been hosting 54 people on a permanent basis for six months, including 18 children and 10 pensioners. They have nowhere to return to. More than half of the houses were bombed,” Ruslan Poshtovyi explains. “Everyone who comes to us gets rooms designed for a certain number of people. There are rooms for 2, 4, 6 and 8 people. Families live together, we do not accommodate strangers in the same rooms with families. The shower and toilet are on the floor, next to the rooms. It was necessary to re-equip the showers and toilets after six months for a small repair.

Initially, we provided guests with access to a local centralized large kitchen with professional equipment. But we saw that due to constant and not always skillful use, expensive equipment quickly degrades. Then we found another way out, which became convenient for everyone: we equipped a mini-kitchen. Here the representatives of the United Voices in Action program came to the rescue. They provided the kitchen with a refrigerator, a boiler, a microwave, an oven, electric kettles, and multicookers in sufficient quantity. We now realize that additional electric ovens will also be necessary.

This support was very timely and very appropriate. The project United Voices in Action works in different regions of the country, it is implemented by the IREX organization in Ukraine together with the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” and with the support of the US Department of State. I know the regional team of the program in the Kyivska Oblast personally.

Our residents cook and clean on their own, after all, this is not a luxury hotel. And in general, it’s good that people are doing the things they normally do at home. They have also built relationships with the locals, they cooperate and communicate well. 

At present, the problem of insulating premises is incredibly serious. Due to constant power outages, the walls of the building are overgrown with fungus and mold. To solve this problem, we must secure funding to insulate the roof, which measures 3.5 thousand square meters in area. Now many things seem difficult, but we are confident that together, supporting each other, we will be able to overcome any challenges”.