Novi Borovychi is about fifteen kilometers from the border. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, almost no one is left in the village. Tetiana Martynenko, a 55-year-old social worker, cares for 12 beneficiaries there. Due to their age and health condition, some are unable to even leave their homes.
“My responsibilities include more than just going to the shop for bread, paying utility bills, or cleaning the house. Now, if necessary, I help out in the garden, fix things around the place, and call the ambulance. Today, I came to collect humanitarian kits from Rokada on behalf of elderly grandmothers and grandfathers. Many of them are bedridden, so hygiene supplies are a critical need,” she notes.
Recently, within the LINK consortium, the Rokada team provided assistance to the residents of Novi Borovychi in the form of kits with essential supplies. Tetiana Mykhailivna describes them as a colossal financial support for the elderly. She says that with the money saved, the residents will be able to buy some groceries using their modest pensions.
Svitlana Tsvietkova, a 66-year-old retired teacher who lives in a neighboring village, helps Ms. Tetiana deliver the humanitarian kits.
“We live just 18 kilometers from the Russian border. The situation, like everywhere right now, varies, but we have already grown accustomed to the danger. Those who could leave have done so, but the frail elderly residents remained,” Ms. Svitlana explains, sharing why she helps her fellow villagers.
Rokada supports residents of the border region, who face enemy attacks daily, through four primary areas of assistance. These include family hygiene kits, specialized hygiene kits for individuals with limited mobility, non-food items for daily household needs, and food kits.
“We provide vital assistance to border communities. People here live under constant shelling, so ensuring they have basic items is our foremost duty. We try to deliver absolutely everything. For instance, we delivered food kits to the Turiia starosta district because local shops have been destroyed, leaving access to goods and services extremely limited, and mobile trade cannot cover all needs. To Novi Borovychi, we brought specialized hygiene kits for individuals with limited mobility,” says Liliia Bila, an aid registration officer.
The project is implemented by the LINK consortium (bringing together the Angels of Salvation Charitable Foundation, the Relief Coordination Centre, and the Rokada Charitable Foundation) with the financial support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.
