Today, 127 displaced persons, including 30 children, live in the Sichovy Colehium Zaporizhzhia Specialized Boarding School, says the institution’s director, Valentyna Omelyanivna Yershova. Most are from Zaporizka and Donetska oblasts.
In April 2022, people from settlements in Donetska Oblast, including Maryinka, Volnovakha, Kurakhove, Hulyaipole, Malynivka, and Rivnopillya, were brought here — initially, 170 displaced persons lived here.
Pensioner Tamara Vasylivna from Zhemerinka, Donetska Olbast, shares her story. In early March last year, her house burned down, and she and her husband had to live in a basement for a month. Volunteers then helped the family reach Kurakhove, and from there, they made their way to Zaporizhzhia, where they settled in the boarding school.
“About 40 people were evacuated to Kurakhove. Then we moved here, thanks to volunteers. We’ve been living here for 1 year and 8 months. After the basement, it felt like paradise. Our grandson lived with us, but we sent him to his parents in Italy,” says Tamara Vasylivna.
She recounts that director Valentyna Omelyanivna is very supportive. They prepare food for the IDPs and provide all kinds of support.
However, the building had old wooden windows, making the school cold. The Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” replaced them with plastic ones as part of the CARE Ukraine Winterisation and Resilience Program to ensure comfort during the cold season.
Valentyna Omelyanivna, director of Sichovy Colehium, shares her experience, saying that working with the team was easy.
“The guys are attentive and do their job well. They listen to our problems. It’s not easy to undertake large activities in such a small space, but they made it seem simple. I’m very grateful to them for this. If they were my team, I’d hire them myself.”
In total, 18 windows were replaced in the building, ensuring a warmer environment for the residents in winter.
The CARE Ukraine Winterisation and Resilience Program is implemented by the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” with the support of the humanitarian organization CARE.Ukraine.
