Taking care of all categories of the population and meeting the basic humanitarian needs of IDPs and residents of frontline communities in the government – controlled areas is one of the main areas of work of the Stability Solutions Foundation.
Within the framework of the project “Vital Response to Protection-Related Risks and Humanitarian Needs of the Conflict – Affected Population in the South and South – East of Ukraine”, in May and June, five hundred women in Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions received assistance from our Foundation. The personal hygiene kit included the most necessary personal hygiene items for girls and women aged 11 – 59.
Ms. Victoria (name changed for security reasons) from Kherson region is one of those who received the aid. The woman’s family received three sets of personal hygiene products from the Stabilization Support Services Charitable Foundation.
“This help is very important and extremely necessary for our family. Our family is small, but we are all women. In addition to me, there is my mother, who is over 60 years old, and my two daughters. The younger one is 11 years old and the older one is 15. She will graduate from school in two years. She dreams of being an artist and maybe she will be able to go to university,” – says Viktoriia.
The woman says that she is now the sole breadwinner, so the family takes spending very seriously, counting every hryvnia and raising funds to rebuild their home.
“In winter, our house was hit for the second time. The windows were blown out, the sink was broken. Debris damaged the entire apartment and the bathroom pipe. All four apartments were flooded by our riser. Now we are raising funds with the girls to somehow repair the apartment before winter. So we are very grateful for any help, especially this kind of help,” – the woman says with gratitude.
Nina Vasylivna (name changed for security reasons), a single mother from Kherson region, understands the problems and needs of the women. She is raising two daughters aged 11 on her own. In addition to the girls, she takes care of her father and mother, elderly people.
“Of course, it’s hard to take care of a whole family on my own. That’s why, when I learned that they were going to distribute the aid, I was probably one of the first to fill out the questionnaire. Hygiene is very important for women, especially in summer,” – the woman emphasizes.
However, in addition to personal hygiene products, the kit also contained effective basic items for ensuring individual safety – a flashlight and a whistle.
“To be honest, I didn’t immediately understand why the whistle and flashlight were included in the kit. But my daughters read on the Internet and explained everything to me. It’s good that young girls can understand and take care of their own safety from such an early age. Considering the time and circumstances we are living in now,” – Nina Vasilievna says with regret in her voice.
Ms. Olga (name changed for security reasons) from Zaporizhzhia region also received her humanitarian aid package. Her native community is now under occupation, and the Russian military live in her house, so after the evacuation she had to start a new life.
“It’s good that we left, it’s good that we are alive. My son has a disability. My husband is with him all the time, and I work from morning to night. We spend almost all the money we earn on the child, and the rest on housing and food. We are very short of money, but what can we do? It’s hard for everyone now. So thank you very much for taking care of us women. Like any mother, I try to give my child everything he needs, and often I just forget about myself and my needs,” – concludes Ms. Olha.
Participation in the joint humanitarian mission was made possible through the “Lifesaving Response to Protection Risks and Humanitarian Needs of Conflict-Affected Population in South and South-East of Ukraine” project, implemented by the Charity Foundation “Stabilization Support Services” in cooperation with the international humanitarian organization CARE and with financial support from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark.
