The primary goal of the new project, Improving Hygiene Access in Shelling-Affected Areas in Sumska and Chernihivska Oblasts by Installing Social Laundries, is to support the population in frontline areas and improve access to hygiene. The Foundation will implement the project in 2025 with the support of Polish Humanitarian Action. Additionally, the project will be carried out in cooperation with local authorities, who will help allocate premises for the laundries and ensure access for all who wish to use them.
The project aims to create three social laundries in communities within Sumska Oblast and one in Chernihivska Oblast. Each laundry will be equipped with two washing machines and two dryers, along with all necessary items for garment care: laundry carts, cleaning kits, and detergents. Additionally, an administrator will be employed at each location to assist users with the equipment. If needed, the Foundation will also help with minor repairs and setup of the premises.
“Despite evacuations, many people still live in frontline areas. Regular attacks on these territories result in constant power outages and water shortages. As a result, most people lack even the basic ability to wash their clothes at home. Particularly vulnerable are the elderly, large families, and people with disabilities,” says project manager Khrystyna Oliinyk. “Social laundries will become an essential component of long-term recovery.”
Local authorities are expected to continue supporting the laundries’ operations for socially vulnerable groups after the project concludes.
The Project is financed within the framework of the Localization project by the Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH).