Riding her old bicycle, which had come to her rescue more than once, Ms. Oksana arrived in the village of Afanasiivka, in Mykolaiv Region, to wash clothes for her family. She had been gathering them for days into a large bag, and now, with the help of her trusty two-wheeler, she finally brought them to be washed.
“When I heard that the mobile laundry service was coming today, I was so happy. I’d already prepared so many things: sweaters, hats, winter pants, and bedding. I thought I’d have to start packing another bag. But luckily, the mobile laundry service arrived. Now the assistants will wash everything nicely for me, and I’ll go home with clean laundry. Clothes always come out clean and smell really nice after being washed at the mobile laundry service. There are never any streaks or stains left behind. The complex’s employees themselves are very friendly and hardworking. “It’s so good that you’re here, coming and helping people,” — the woman shares.
Ms. Oksana is not a local resident. She lives in the village of Yurivka, a neighboring settlement to Afanasiivka. There is a centralized water supply there, and most local residents have washing machines—albeit old ones—so the mobile complex doesn’t go there. Those without washing machines have to manage on their own. To wash her clothes, Ms. Oksana has to bike about 3 kilometers, and that’s just one way.
“Even though I have a disability, I’m not going to sit at home and get sick. Movement is life. Besides, when it comes to cleanliness and hygiene, I’d rather ride my bike to the neighboring village and back, wash everything properly, than stay home heating water in pots and washing by hand. I don’t have a washing machine at all, and my financial situation doesn’t allow me to buy a new one. Laundry at the apartment complex is free—I don’t even have to pay for detergent. This is very important to us. My husband and I live on our pension. We spend most of our income on medicine. Our farm and garden help us get by, and now the apartment complex helps with the laundry,”—the ”woman explains.
Ms. Oksana, with her kind and compassionate heart, helps her neighbors. She often takes their laundry to Afanasiivka to be washed.
“What can you do? You have to help people. There are many elderly people in our village who don’t have washing machines. They’re alone, most of them have bad hands, and some can’t get around without crutches. If not me, then who will take care of them? Besides, I just drive the clothes. You do all the work—washing and drying the clothes. And all of this is free. So, first and foremost, we need to thank the mobile laundry services. Thanks to their work, we’re able to keep our homes clean,” — emphasizes Ms. Oksana.
The mobile complex operates as part of a project implemented by the charitable organization Stabilization Support Services Charitable Foundation and the German humanitarian organization Sign of Hope with financial support from the German Federal Foreign Office (GFFO).