The first internally displaced Ukrainians have moved into the shelter in Oleksandrivka, Kirovohrad region
Six women from Donetsk region have become the first residents of the shelter that the Rokada team set up last year in the village of Oleksandrivka in Kirovohrad region. They say the community welcomed them warmly and supports them in every way.
Ms Kateryna is 79. She is from Sloviansk. She first evacuated to Lozova in Kharkiv region, then moved to Mala Vyska in Kirovohrad region, and at the beginning of April to Oleksandrivka in the Mala Vyska community.
“The people here are wonderful – they support and help us. They treat us like family,” the pensioner shares through tears. “That’s it, I’m not crying! We didn’t even expect such humanity and care. They feed us and wash our clothes…”
As soon as she settled in Mala Vyska, she and other evacuees were immediately given medical check-ups. A nurse visits the residents of the Oleksandrivka shelter every week.
“She measures our blood pressure and takes care of us and our health. We have also signed up with a family doctor,” Ms Oleksandra joins the conversation.
She is 67. She and Kateryna Ivanivna share a room. They met back in Lozova. Ms Oleksandra herself is from Druzhkivka.
“We have a good company here. And this bed is Svitlana’s. She has gone for a walk now. She is 87, the oldest of us. Also from Druzhkivka. We live in harmony and respect each other. We even asked for the three of us to be put in one room,” Oleksandra Leonidivna continues.
At the shelter, internally displaced people get help with household chores, in the kitchen and with shopping.
“Our residents are mostly older people. We support them however we can,” says the shelter manager Tetiana Hryshchenko, adding that an evacuated family is expected to arrive any day now.
Rokada completed the refurbishment of the facility last year. The building has two floors. There are 7 rooms on the ground floor, intended for internally displaced Ukrainians with limited mobility. There are as many on the first floor.
“We completely renovated the rooms and the corridor on the first floor and replaced the doors. We built inclusive bathrooms and a kitchen from scratch. In addition to the renovation, we provided the shelter with furniture and appliances,” says Mariia Shelest, coordinator of Rokada’s regional office, noting that the shelter as a whole is ready to accommodate fifty evacuees.
The project is implemented with financial support from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund / #UkraineHumanitarianFund (#UHF).
