As we support communities affected by devastating shelling, we often speak with their residents who share their experiences, hardships, and hopes for the future of their cities and villages. These conversations continually affirm for our team that we are doing important work. One such conversation took place with Oksana, an active resident of Lebedyn in Sumska Oblast. The Foundation is currently working here on establishing a social laundry, and Oksana eagerly anticipates its launch.
“I had dreamed of a laundry even before the full-scale invasion began. I believed it was a basic need for the community,” the woman shares. “And now this need has only grown. First of all, many displaced persons rent housing without a washing machine. Not everyone can afford to buy one. The same goes for locals who are unemployed or lost their jobs due to the war. Secondly, there are many elderly people in the community who can’t wash their clothes themselves, don’t have a washing machine, and lost their loved ones because of the war. Thirdly, many can only afford clothes from second-hand shops, and it’s hard to wash off their chemical treatment thoroughly at home. By the way, having a social dry cleaner would be a great addition.”
As Oksana explains, their community is one of the newest, but by the beginning of 2022, it was already starting to develop: roads were being repaired, parks were being cleaned up, some people were returning from working abroad and starting their own businesses, creating new jobs — everything was gradually improving.
“We didn’t get a chance to see the blossoming we dreamed of, because the community is near the border. At first, we were surrounded, and now we’ve rallied all our strength for victory and to address social issues that have only become more pressing,” Oksana adds.
Currently, the community houses 3,500 IDPs. Most of them came from the border settlements of the community. Now, a number of tasks must be tackled to improve the lives of those who found refuge in Lebedyn or ended up in difficult circumstances due to the war.
“We had no idea how well we were living until our people scattered all over the world. Now we’ve realized our strengths and advantages. We’ve truly started to value what we had — and what we still have — and that, of course, is a good thing,” says Oksana. “Now we’re waiting for victory and the opportunity to keep developing the community. One day, when Lebedyn got bombed, and I was lying on the floor at home, so scared I was shaking, and a poem came to my mind. With trembling hands, I started typing it on my phone:
Everything will be as it should:
The sun and a peaceful sky!
Beautiful, blooming, united—
My freedom-loving Ukraine!
Our Victory Day will come!
My sincere and brave people!
The war filters through a sieve
All who truly honor Ukraine.
This war has opened our eyes
To what a “peaceful night” really means,
To what a “peaceful sky” truly is,
And how we must cherish freedom!
A few months later, composer Olena Lystopad set these words to music and filmed a music video. Now this song is heard all over Ukraine.
The Foundation has already purchased washing machines, dryers, and laundry supplies, begun renovating the space, and will soon open the social laundry, which will be available to Oksana and all the residents of her community.
The Improving Hygiene Access in Shelling-Affected Areas in Sumska and Chernihivska Oblasts by Installing Social Laundries project is financed within the framework of the Localization project by the Polish Humanitarian Action (PAH).