Working for people and helping them overcome the challenges of war as much as possible is the main goal of the Stabilization Support Services Charitable Foundation. Together with the German humanitarian organization Sign of Hope, we have organized a laundry and shower on wheels so that people living in frontline villages can comfortably wash their clothes and bathe.
Two specially equipped mobile complexes travel daily to villages in the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions. During one such trip, up to fifty people were able to use the mobile laundry and shower services. However, in order to reach even more people who need our help, additional equipment was installed in the mobile complexes. Now, each complex has three washing machines and a dryer.
“Most of the villages that our complex visits do not have a water supply. Some people’s machines are either old or damaged from constant shelling. They simply have no way to wash their clothes properly, or even wash themselves. Now it’s summer, and many have set up showers outside, but how much water do you need to carry and wait for it to heat up? Our complex is a real lifesaver. People bring their clothes to be washed and go to wash themselves. I see how happy they are when they go home, and I am very glad that we can help even more people,” – says Alla Tsybulynnyk, administrative assistant at the mobile laundry.
In the five months since we started our work, 8,448 residents of the Mykolaiv and Kherson regions have already received our assistance and been able to wash their clothes and take a shower. During this time, two washing machines and dryers have been operating at each laundry and shower complex. With the increase in capacity, the number of people seeking assistance has grown significantly. Now, more than 70 people use the mobile laundry services during a single trip to a settlement.
Valentina (name changed for security reasons) is one of the regular visitors to the mobile laundry. She and her family live in the Beryslav community in the Kherson region, which is located almost 10 kilometers from the front line. The only thing separating her from the enemy is a river. Often, there is no electricity for several days and there are constant problems with the water supply. So when the complex arrives in the village, she is one of the first to arrive on her scooter.
“It’s like a little holiday for me — a real bath day. In an hour, I manage to wash my clothes and myself. It’s very difficult to do this at home. There is no central water supply in the village. Those who have wells can be said to be living, because they have water to drink and wash with. If you don’t have a well, you survive as best you can. This is the only help we have,” – says Valentina.
In large bags on the handlebars of an old bicycle, Natalia (name changed for security reasons) and her son are transporting items for washing. Their bicycle is located in the Mykolaiv region. The woman says that she uses the services of a mobile laundry very often. The washing machine at home is old, so the quality of washing is simply incomparable.
“Today I brought winter clothes to wash: jackets, warm pants, hats, and insulated sweaters. My son and I decided that it was time to prepare for the cold weather. While it’s still hot outside, everything will dry quickly, and we’ll know that we already have it. While everything is being washed, we usually wash ourselves. They give us shower gel, shampoo, and soap for free on the spot. We don’t bring anything with us. And then, clean and happy, we go home. It turns out that it takes so little to do this,” – says Natalia happily.
The mobile complex operates as part of a project implemented by the Charitable Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” and the German humanitarian organization “Sign of Hope” with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).