Ukraine: The mother-child house for domestic people
In Uzhhorod, women and children who have fled the conflict zones receive help. At the mother-and-child home run by the Committee of Medical Aid in Zakarpattya, they regain their strength and are supported by social workers in settling into their new surroundings. They receive assistance with illnesses, school or kindergarten registration, and applications for permanent housing. Because the families are often traumatized by their experiences of war, psychological support is offered regularly.
“I can’t complain,” Viktoria says—not just once, but again and again, and it sounds as if she still needs to convince herself. The young woman and her two children come from Sievierodonetsk, near the Russian border, and have been homeless for almost a year: “All the windows in my apartment shattered from the sound wave of a rocket, so I decided to flee with my two daughters,” she explains, snuggling up to seven-year-old Darina on her lap. “Just as we left the city, I got a text message that our apartment had burned to the ground. Now we’re homeless.” When Viktoria can barely hold back her tears, Darina strokes her face and hugs her. Where the strength of adults fails, children become comforters.
Viktoria was fortunate in her misfortune: "Take your children and come here," a friend from Uzhhorod advised her, and helped find her temporary accommodation. Uzhhorod lies near the border with Slovakia and is relatively safe. In peacetime, around 110,000 people lived there; now the population is estimated at 300,000. Housing is scarce, but numerous volunteer initiatives are helping the displaced: they collect donations of goods and money or organize emergency shelters. Viktoria and her children—like many other mothers and children—are housed in a disused industrial area with numerous office buildings. Terre des Hommes and its partner organization MACZ (Medical Aid Committee Zakarpattya) support the work of the dedicated grassroots groups, who have joined forces under the name Sila Uzhhorodu (Strength of Uzhhorod)—for example, with furniture, mattresses, toys, and food. What is needed is obtained as in-kind donations or, where this is not possible, purchased.
Getting a grip on life – despite adverse circumstances
The MACZ team consists entirely of women, is closely networked with small and large initiatives in Uzhhorod, and has been working with Terre des Hommes since March 2022. They not only support volunteer groups but also purchased and renovated an old hotel. Eight women and their children can live there at a time, find peace, and learn to regain control of their lives despite their difficult circumstances. Families can stay for six months, after which the space is needed for new arrivals.
The house has a playroom and a communal kitchen. The mothers and children are supported by social workers who assist them with school or kindergarten registration, job applications, and parenting issues. Because the families are at least unsettled and often traumatized by their experiences of war and displacement, regular psychological support is provided. The counseling services are also used by women and children who do not live in the house.
Viktoria also received support in coping with her worries: her breast cancer was operated on, and her daughter Darina, who is slightly paralyzed on one side, received treatment. "She could only walk on her tiptoes, but now she's doing much better," says Viktoria, grateful for the help. The money for the operation was raised through an ad-hoc fundraising campaign in Uzhhorod.
"We feel well taken care of."
“The support is amazing,” says Viktoria. “We get food, water, there’s a place to prepare meals. Everyone has their own bed. We get everything, even the clothes we’re wearing were given to us. Everyone is trying to help us. All countries, all people in Ukraine. We feel safe and well cared for. We landed in the right place at the right time.”
But one worry remains: "If we can no longer stay here, we'll have to keep looking," she knows. "We have nowhere left to return to. Everything is destroyed and burned. I used to have many dreams. But now I only have one left: to survive. For my children."
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