Support that helped start over: The story of Mykola, who now lives in the Sumy region
“In life, I have always been used to relying on myself. But there comes a time when you can no longer cope with everything on your own. The hardest part is not even the everyday hardships, but realizing that you are completely alone,” says 86-year-old Mykola Bieloborodov.
The Rokada team’s introduction to Mykola Viktorovych happened by chance. In April 2026, specialists from the foundation’s Sumy office noticed an elderly man dining alone near a theatre and decided to approach him for a chat.
During the conversation, they learned the man’s story. He shared that he had been forced to move to Sumy from his native village of Mykolaivka, in the Krasnopillia community, due to the danger in the border area back in 2023.
At the time they met, Mykola Viktorovych was living alone in a small house with no running water or heating. Due to his advanced age, health conditions, and a small pension, managing such living conditions on his own was becoming increasingly difficult.
“I grew very fond of Sumy. I used to guide people through these streets, telling them about the city and showing them interesting places. But I never thought that in my old age I would find myself in a situation where I would have to start all over again. I left my home due to the danger, and there are no loved ones nearby. But I still try to keep going. Because life goes on,” the man says.
The Rokada team in Sumy began supporting Mykola Bieloborodov. The specialists provided him with a phone so he could stay in touch, and brought him food and essential supplies.
“When we met Mykola Viktorovych, it became clear that simply providing food or essential items was not enough. We needed a comprehensive solution to the situation: restoring his documents, involving partners and social services, and finding a place where he would receive proper care. It was thanks to our cooperation with partners that we managed to provide the necessary assistance,” says Alla Muravska, a lawyer at the Sumy office.
Rokada joined forces with the Right to Protection Charitable Foundation and the Sumy Women’s Battalion – REAR charitable organisation. Together, they managed to restore the passport the man had lost, provide him with the necessary rehabilitation equipment, and begin processing the documents for his admission to a residential home for the elderly.
“Today, Mykola Viktorovych is safe. We managed to secure his placement at the residential home with the assistance of the social protection departments of the Sumy city community and the Regional State Administration. In his new home, he has a warm room, the necessary care, and, most importantly, people around him,” Alla Muravska concludes.
The event took place within the framework of the project Empowering War-Affected Communities in Ukraine Through Local Initiatives (EMPOWER), funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) jointly with the European Union, and implemented by GIZ Ukraine.
