KHERSON
The work in Kherson is in full swing as our volunteers work tirelessly. We buy a lot of poison for a large number of rats and do our best to get rid of them.
In Kherson, almost all basements have been turned into bomb shelters by the locals. There are beds to lie down on, chairs, and even kitchen corners, not to mention heating devices in them. People spend a lot of time there, so the neighborhood with rodents is not a very pleasant one. We carry out pest control so that people do not have such problems.
In addition to rodents, there are also lots of fleas which is why disinfestation is also extremely necessary. We are preparing for disinfestation. With this kind of hot weather, it is quite troublesome because the special suits become improvised saunas.
In addition, the equipment also needs constant attention, so this week we sent the disinfectant for repair. We also monitor the condition of the generators, replace the oil in the engine regularly, and refuel them to provide people with electricity.
During the severe shaking after a missile attack pipes ruptured in the basement of a house. That house was two blocks away from the bomb hit and was lucky to remain intact. After fixing the pipes torn by the explosion the residents turned to us for help. They asked to dry the basement so that the moisture would not rise and get to the first floors of the house. After a month of drying the premises, the dehumidifier, purchased back at the time of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power plant explosion, did a great job, stopping the moisture and preventing it from reaching the first floors where people lived.
This week we finally took the device back to the warehouse and disinfected the house so that there was no fungus or mold left inside.
“One day this week, we came to conduct deratization, and then at night, there was a direct hit onto the house. We postponed the pest control to the next week because at that time people needed psychological support first of all. Also, the residents were busy talking to the police and cleaning up the mess”.
AGRICULTURAL PROJECT
The harvest after the agricultural project is truly impressive, so we are sharing some photos of it for you to see.
DONETSK REGION
KRAMATORSK, SLOVIANSK
This week, we made several trips to Kramatorsk to deliver humanitarian aid that included bread and food packages.
People were deeply grateful.
The situation in Kramatorsk remains tense. People do not know what to do and what to expect next. They are looking into their tomorrow with fear. They do not know where to go, so we are trying not only to help with food but also to support them psychologically. That is, to strengthen their emotions, uplift their spirits, and help them face their future without fear.
We also try to help the elderly people who are in a very vulnerable state at the moment. In general, to be honest, everyone in Kramatorsk is in a vulnerable position, all the civilians. For instance, there is no one there to help the elderly. Those who are still in a healthy working condition and are not retired, do not have any salary as they are unemployed. Perhaps there is still someone left wishing to help others, but for a certain reason under the current circumstances, few people respond to the call.
In Kramatorsk, there is a very acute need for baby food and adult diapers as they are hard to get. There is a lack of pensions or any other assistance for their purchase.
KHARKIV REGION
KHARKIV, KAMIANA YARUGA, MALA DANYLIVKA
This week, we organized an event for young people on the topic of “Motivation”, and a meeting for children to congratulate a boy on his birthday.
We also continue providing people with the opportunity to recharge their gadgets and flashlights, take a shower, do some laundry, etc.
The story of Larysa Petrivna, an 80-year-old from Kharkiv.
Our team once met an elderly woman on the way to the store. She approached us and asked for 9.70 UAH for the cheapest bread.
The woman had nothing to eat and had been starving for 4 days in a row. Larysa Petrivna decided to make herself some bread to survive, but she didn’t have enough ingredients, so she made it with what she had at home and felt very sick (as she didn’t have enough flour and put more baking powder than she should have).
So the next day she decided to go outside and ask people to buy the cheapest bread that would be enough for her for another 6 days until her pension was paid. But the war had left a mark on people’s hearts, and many had been hardened, so no one wanted to help the woman. Thus when our team met her, they immediately bought her some basic groceries, apart from bread.
After that, Larysa Petrivna got to know our team more closely. It turned out that the woman had devoted her entire life to children. She used to be a primary school teacher. Later on, she was left all alone because her children were taken from her by the war. They were killed in all of the multiple shelling attacks on the city of Kharkiv.
Our team is grateful to you for not abandoning us and for supporting us in this difficult time for our country.
DNIPROPETROVS’K REGION
NIKOPOL
This period was marked by active work in all areas. We continue to expand our horizons around the region, covering new settlements. When we see people’s obvious needs, we try to use every opportunity to ease their burdensome fate.
We usually go to the villages outside the city on Saturdays. We had no specific arrangements with anyone this week. Organizational issues take a lot of time and do not always yield results in time.
Eventually, after driving quite far, we stopped on the road in confusion. Seeing a car that appeared out of nowhere, we waved our hands without any hope of attracting the driver’s attention. Yet, the elderly man behind the wheel stopped and listened to us closely, and then suggested that we go to one of the remote villages where, as we thought, any life had disappeared about 20 years ago. He took care of all the organizational issues. They were solved in a matter of minutes. So we ended up in the village of Oleksandropil.
We received about 40 people that evening. The local paramedic station provided us with a reception room.
On the way, we stopped at a bridge over the river to take pictures of how fast the water had been flowing away from the Nikopol district. This riverbed is completely dry now. It looks more like a puddle. In the deepest areas, it is maximum knee deep. Birds come here from all over the district. You can probably see the feathered ones from the entire Red Book here. There are storks, herons, and all kinds of birds that come here in search of water.
In addition to that, we pass the bushes and plantings completely burned by the sun all along the way. Everything is completely sunburned to the point where it hurts to look at it.
For a week we have been hosting the people we had taken under our care in our Assistance Center, supporting them with food and drinking water. We never thought those things would ever become such a rare and precious thing to us.
During the week, we distributed 2000 liters of drinking water, 60 pairs of eyeglasses, and 20 food packages.
We also heard lots of people’s stories to share.
Oleksiy is a truck driver. He underwent major surgery to remove a blood clot from his brain. He has lost his memory and eyesight and now recognizes his loved ones only by their voices. We have been supporting his family for two years already. After a long time of communication, he now recognizes the voice of our volunteer Vyacheslav, too. He shares his worries and anxieties. He is a real fighter, so he asks us to help him get a job. Looking at him, your heart shrinks. You see his impulse, but realize he is no longer a warrior. You want to help him, but you don’t really know how. A beautiful man who lost his wings, as the truck and the steering wheel were his whole life. He stretches out his arms longingly after the passing cars.
Mykhailo. Mykhailo earns his living by collecting waste paper and being a school guard. A young promising man with an extraordinary mindset, he has no opportunity to realize his potential. We try to help him as much as we can.
PAVLOHRAD
Tamara Hryhorivna, 69 years old:
“We came from Chasiv Yar with our family. Thank you very much for your help, for the bread! We really appreciate it and thank you.”
IVANIVKA, ARKHANGELSKE, ANDRIIVKA
The villages of Ivanivka, Arkhangelske, and Andriivka thank you all for the delicious bread.
KRYVYI RIH
The aims of this week’s trips were the following:
– Receiving and delivering humanitarian aid and bread;
– Conducting psycho-training sessions for war victims.
The total weight of the transported aid was about 2500 kg.
KAMIANSKE
The work of the volunteer center in the Kamianske district consists of:
– humanitarian aid transportation around Kamianske (left and right bank);
– psycho-social program “Healing of Soul Wounds”;
– continuation and completion of the children’s camp “A Journey to Friendlyland”;
– charity dinners;
– distribution of bread.
We also received some words of gratitude:
“My name is Lyudmila Martynenko, I am 36 years old. I used to live in Avdiivka before the beginning of the full-scale war. We stayed at home until the fighting reached the city.
When the frontline approached and the shelling started, we evacuated to Lviv, me and my two children, my 76-year-old mother, and my nephew. When we recovered a little bit, we decided to return a little closer to home, so we moved to Dnipro and then to Kamianske. We live together, the five of us, in a rented apartment. We are very grateful for the help and attention we get to receive. We are grateful for the delicious bread.”
