They left for a few weeks but stayed forever: Rokada helped a family from the Luhansk region successfully adapt to the Rivne region
The story of the Obukhovskyi family from the Luhansk region is tragic yet hopeful. Ostroh, a small town in the Rivne region, became a new home for the internally displaced persons. The Rokada team not only helped Petro Stepanovych and Olha Mykolaivna cope with this new challenge in their lives but also supported their dream of settling into the community. Today, the couple has their own home, and the social adaptation project implemented by the foundation continues to instill faith in a better future.
“We have been here practically since the end of 2023. Our town in the Luhansk region turned into a battlefield. Back then, my son told us to pack only the essentials and drive as far away as possible from the Russian shelling,” shares Olha Obukhovska, recalling the last time she saw her home.
However, a few weeks imperceptibly turned into years. Initially, the Obukhovsky is lived with the husband’s relatives in the Ostroh community, and later they received a room in a shelter, where dozens of other displaced people were trying to accept reality.
It was in the shelter that the family met the Rokada specialists. Olha’s husband was skeptical about any attempts to help.
“When the Rokada staff offered help, he didn’t believe anyone would actually do anything for us. He kept saying there were just too many people in need of support,” the woman continues. “I, on the contrary, was delighted to talk with the girls.”
However, tragedy suddenly struck the family—their son was killed at the front. After this loss, Petro Stepanovych and Olha Mykolaivna decided they would stay in Ostroh forever.
“We buried our son here, and we will never leave this place,” states Olha Obukhovska.
Rokada was by our side the entire time, providing moral support. Later, through the social adaptation program, the specialists helped the Obukhovskys find housing and complete the paperwork for its purchase.
“The leadership of the community and the shelter, our team, and the couple themselves all joined the housing search. Since both are elderly and have health issues, their request was tailored to those needs. Ultimately, we found the desired option. The apartment is almost in the center, on the first floor with the necessary amenities, and has a pharmacy and shops nearby,” says Olena Husieva, senior social worker at the foundation’s regional office. She notes that the social adaptation project is an opportunity for people who have lost their own homes to become independent and no longer rely on the living conditions in a shelter.
If an individual or a family desires to rebuild their social life, strives for change, and is ready to take action, the foundation’s team will provide guidance and support at every stage.
“First, we develop an individual plan for everyone, taking into account their specific situation. After all, some people primarily need legal aid, while others need assistance in finding a job or applying for social benefits. Our goal is to achieve results together, rather than doing something just for the sake of the process. Therefore, when a person gets a job, resolves their housing issue, or addresses other requests—that is the true indicator of our work’s effectiveness. Today, I can confidently say that we have great examples, and above all, people and families who, despite their losses, find the strength within themselves to move forward,” adds Olena Husieva.
Today, Olha Mykolaivna and Petro Stepanovych admit they could not have even imagined that everything would turn out this way and that their lives would change so dramatically.
“Just a short while ago, I was happy that we were given a room in a dormitory and I could manage my own household, but today I have my own kitchen. The only thing is that my husband and I face health conditions that require adhering to a strict diet and proper nutrition under doctor’s orders. But Rokada helped here too—the foundation reached out to partners and provided us with a freezer. So now we can eat the fruits and vegetables we have already frozen all year round, just as the doctors recommend. But the greatest value is that they restored our faith in people, in kindness, in support, and in ourselves,” the woman continues.
Recently, the family purchased a sewing machine. Olha is learning a new craft and plans to do minor clothing repairs, bringing peace and plans for the future back into her life.
The project for the social adaptation of internally displaced Ukrainians is implemented with the financial support of UNHCR Ukraine—the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.
