February 22, 2016
Ukraine
Improving care for disabled children and young people seeking possibilities for social entrepreneurship or collaborating with Ukrainian charities are the paths that lead to the improvement of the plight in Ukraine. Caritas Olomouc (ACHO) passed on its experience to Ukrainian partners Caritas Kolomiya this week.
Ukrainian Caritas staff was familiarized about the functioning of ACHO and other charities during the period from February 15th to February 19th, 2016. They will be able to apply their experience in Ukraine. "We introduced our partners from Kolomiya to how diocesan and parish charities work and coordinate their activities. Likewise, we explained them the fundamentals of economics and accounting. It was also significant to bring them to our projects in the field of social entrepreneurship or work with disabled children," said P. Rostislav Strojvus, the coordinator of humanitarian aid for Ukraine.
Sewing machine for a workshop in Kolomiye
The Ukrainian visitors were fascinated by how the Charity helps the mentally and physically handicapped people. "I was impressed by Caritas shelter workshop in the Moravian Trebova. Their clients are mainly young people with mental and intellectual disabilities. Their hand-made products sell at Angel store. This way of working with disabled people is unknown in Ukraine, unfortunately. The small children with disabilities are shut in their homes, even if the family cares about them, they are excluded from society. When they grow up, it is worse," explained Oksana Melnyk who works with handicapped people in Kolomiye.
It is always hard to find places for them to go to when they become grown-ups. Ukraine misses decent day care centers where the mentally and physically disabled people might reside. Therefore, many of them wind up at 35 years old in the department of geriatrics centers which resemble a hospital, according to P. Rostislav Strojvus.
The sheltered workshops should be built in Ukraine in the future. Such will be established in Kolomiye. Caritas Moravian Trebova has already promised to send a sewing machine there.
Then another chapter, which Ukrainian partners deal with, was a social entrepreneurship. Now it is necessary to find a direction which we set off. "We watched Czech Charities work and would like to carry out what goes in our options," said Serhij Tryfjak, the director of Caritas Kolomiye.
They are able to produce their own electricity on the farm
The Czech-Ukrainian project Farm is the starting line for people in need. Since 2011 about 20 people from Kolomiye have found temporary work there, now there is a job’s opportunity for others as well. They grow domestic animals on the farm as well as take care of the pond which should have a profit for the farm in the future. The money made from the fishery may eventually help the people in need. “We would like to expand this farm on greenhouses with cucumbers and tomatoes. Furthermore, the photovoltaic panels will arise there to make energy for the farm for free," said Strojvus.
Ukrainian expedition also aimed at Slovakia. Slovak Catholic Charity promised them to help. "They guaranteed a support for children from kindergarten in Kolomiye and farms too. We will also assist with summer camps in Kolomiye attended by children from poor families and orphanages,” explained Strojvus.
Unfortunately, Ukraine is going through hard times nowadays. The refugees from the east of the country dwell in the western part where the fighting still continues. Also, war veterans have returned. There is the lack of projects and ways to help these people, how to work with them. "The sources of charities income are various collections as the proceeds will contribute the necessary accommodation. They strive to help them through basic humanitarian assistance such as food and clothing," said P. Strojvus.
According to him, currently the biggest problem is that charities or other volunteer activities do not receive the support of cities, regions and governments. They rely only on collections and their sponsors. However, the sponsors are currently declining due to rising inflation.
ACHO cooperates with Caritas Kolomiye for the past ten years. "We sincerely thank you for helping with projects as well as the support of the people affected by revolutions and other extraordinary dealings, such as floods, migration, refugees from the east of Ukraine and so forth," said Tryfjak, the director of Caritas Kolomiye.
Karolína Opatřilová, ACHO
