It is small but very cozy and, most importantly, their own. Now, Maria’s younger grandson will finally sleep in his own bed. The boy had been waiting for his own bed for almost a month. Since then, he has left his native Kherson with his family and older brother and moved to Mykolaiv.
However, no one in the family could assemble the furniture for the boy. Maria is 82 years old, and her husband is 92. Both have been retired for a long time and have health problems. Her husband can only walk with crutches and can hardly see anything. They receive a small pension and spend almost all of it on medicine. Therefore, everyday household chores are a real problem for the family.
The social hub in Mykolaiv, which Maria asked for help, helped the family assemble the furniture. The woman’s daughter saw an advertisement for a free workshop on public transport and immediately called. However, neither woman expected such quick and, most importantly, timely help.
“We are very grateful to the hub for their help. They responded immediately, came and assembled the bed. I didn’t even know that such services were available, let alone free of charge. The day after my daughter’s call, a craftsman came to us, examined all the details, asked for instructions, and did everything. Now the child will be able to sleep properly. Before that, she and her mother slept on a small single bed for a whole month. There was simply no other place. We are alone in this city, with no one to ask for help. That’s why it’s very difficult for us,” — the woman says.
During nearly four years of full-scale war, Maria’s family has endured many hardships. Initially, seeking refuge from enemy fire, they relocated from Kherson to Vinnytsia. They attempted to establish a new life there for an entire year, but were unsuccessful. It was difficult to adapt to the new place, especially since at that time, a Russian missile struck a medical facility near the apartment they were renting. Everyone was seriously frightened, because many people were killed and even more were injured.
“We thought about it for a long time, but decided it would be better to return home to Kherson. It’s much noisier there than in western Ukraine, but as they say, home is where the heart is. Besides, we were running out of money. Only my daughter works in our family; my husband and I have been retired for a long time, and we have our own house in Kherson. We decided that at least financially it would be easier there,” — Maria shares.
After returning, the family lived in Kherson for another two years. But they didn’t dare to stay there any longer. Every day, it became more and more dangerous in the city. So they had to pack their bags again. Maria’s family moved to Mykolaiv a month ago. In addition to her husband, Maria has a daughter and two grandchildren, aged 8 and 5. The older boy is in second grade and plays chess, while the younger one attends kindergarten. At first, as displaced persons, they were provided with free accommodation in the city’s temporary accommodation center. Only a week ago, the family was able to rent a small apartment and move in.
“Compared to Kherson, it is not as noisy here, and the children can go outside and even attend school and kindergarten. These are small things, but they bring us joy. We miss our home very much. My husband and I worked our entire lives. We built a house and dreamed of a peaceful retirement. We never even thought that we would have to travel the world with suitcases in our old age. Every night I close my eyes and see our former life. Our home, the smiles of our grandchildren, the happy eyes of our daughter. But then morning comes and reality sets in,” — says Maria with tears in her eyes.
However, despite the difficult circumstances, the woman does not lose hope that she will return to her native Kherson, see her house, and walk along familiar streets hand in hand with her grandchildren. For now, she needs to set up a new home so that her children feel comfortable and safe there.
“We are so happy that we found out about the hub. Now, at least, household chores will become easier, because we cannot tidy up on our own. I am sure we will be using their services often,” — Maria emphasizes.
In addition to calling in craftsmen for minor repairs in households, the Mykolaiv social hub offers free tool rental, clothing repair/sewing in a sewing workshop, and use of equipment in a construction workshop. All services are provided free of charge.
For more information about the hub, please call: +38 050 449 53 22.
The social hub is located at: 13/9 Mariupolska Street, Mykolaiv.
Hours of operation: Monday–Friday, 10:00 a.m.–4:00 p.m.
The Mykolaiv Social Hub 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).
