Help in Ukraine, e-magazine #2

Impressum

E-MAGAZINE

Introduction

We present to you the second issue of Help in Ukraine quarterly e-magazine in 2022. The topic of this issue is synergy local resources and international assistance.

The war in Ukraine is still unfortunately making headlines. Even though Help has been present in Ukraine since 2021, with the initial idea to provide tools and mechanisms to help themselves to build better lives, we had to adapt and respond to the growing humanitarian crisis. Since the 24th February 2022 Help has redirected its resources to provide emergency assistance to the growing number of internally displaced people and refugees.

Currently Help is present in 16 oblasts in Ukraine where we provide assistance via hygienic and food parcels, multi-purpose cash assistance, livestock medicine, and psychosocial aid, and as you will see on the pages ahead many other.

Help operates through its office in Kyiv from where the team of 20 people provides first aid and assistance to those in need across the entire country under the government control. This issue covers a wide range of topics: Winterization, Psychosocial support, Cash/rent assistance, Food & Hygiene, Agriculture, Hotline, through the local partners, as you will read in the interview with Volodymir Shiryaev. The stories and images come straight from the field.

In summary, for those curious about what happened so far, Help together with its partners and donors have supported over 40,000 people: women, children, the elderly, and people with disabilities, who were forced to leave their homes and find

shelter in centres and other people’s homes. Over 17,000 food and hygiene parcels have been distributed. Over 30 farms have been helped out. And 6,475 people have been provided with psychosocial help. Over 6,180 hot meals have been prepared so far. This is a united act of compassion and solidarity.

Help operates under the guiding principles of humanity, neutrality, impartiality, and independence. Moreover, it continues to follow the principle of staying out of any political or religious ties, and promotes humanitarian help regardless of who needs it. All the activities and projects Help does are highly transparent and visible.

Modern technology gives us a chance to present you all of what we do in the field via our social media: IG @helpinukraineorg, FB @Help-Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe_Ukraine YT @ helpinukraine, you can get information on a daily basis about our activities.

This issue is trying to provide the reader with an understanding of how the cooperation of Help, donors, local partners, and volunteers provides the essential psychological help, and establishes faith that hope is on the horizon.

We would like to mention that your support is already making a difference. Your support has enabled us not only to help people in need but also create more ongoing projects. (CTA)

Help Ukraine PR team

Dear readers,

Local partners

Together we grow stronger “localising” the humanitarian assistance

The principle contained in the very name of the organisation “Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe” - assistance towards self-reliance is widely applied in our activities throughout the humanitarian aid and development assistance including direct recipients and local partners and stakeholders.

Help is an internationally active aid organ isation in humanitarian and development assistance with a mission to help people in need for over 40 years. One of our found ing principles contained in the very name of our organisation “Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe” meaning assistance towards self-reliance is widely applied in humanitarian and de velopment programs across our missions worldwide.

With that in mind along with direct human itarian aid that keeps giving relief to people during and after conflicts, shocks and natu ral disasters, we always strive to empower the recipients of that assistance as well as local partners and stakeholders in the pro cess. To achieve lasting and sustainable re sults aid is based exclusively on the needs of the people in distress.

Local and national civil society organisa tions are among the first responders to dis asters and outbreaks of violence, dealing with the influx of millions of displaced and refugees, as we have seen in the situation in Ukraine. Local communities organise

themselves voluntarily and oftentimes with very limited resources manage to provide the basics ad hoc.

In Ukraine, we partnered with local civil society organisations to reach as many people in need as possible. Based on the humanitarian principles of humanity, neutrality, and impar tiality, we build rapport with our local partners and communicate extensive ly.

Being the signatory party to the Char ter for Change (an initiative to trans form the way that the complex hu manitarian system works) we focus on long-term partnerships and empower local actors to improve the effective ness and efficiency of that humanitar ian action.

Our local partners, both civil society organisations and local administra tions play an active role in the humani tarian system overall and the provision of that aid. Assistance towards self-re liance is becoming tangible through long-lasting partnerships on projects that not only supply direct assistance but strengthen our partner’s owner ship over the aid concept. Building their capacities through communica tion, and transparent processes and supporting the use of harmonised standards in due diligence we keep working and going towards the vision of a just world without poverty where people live freely in dignity, peace and safety, and in harmony with the envi ronment.

ACCORDING TO THE UN OCHA, IN 2022, THE NUM BER OF PEOPLE IN NEED OF HUMANITARIAN AID HAS RISEN TO 274 MILLION. IN A YEAR HUMAN SUFFERING INCREASED BY 15 PER CENT. THE COV ID-19 PANDEMIC, CLIMATE CHANGE EFFECTS, AND FORCED DISPLACEMENT DUE TO THE CONFLICTS MADE PEOPLE FACE FOOD INSECURITY, PHYSICAL AND MENTAL HEALTH HARM, AND AN INCREASE IN POVERTY.

INTERNATIONAL THINKS

GLOBALLY, WE ACT LOCALLY

Volodymyr Shiryaev is the Chairman of the Board of the NGO “Shyrokyi Step”. Collaboration between Help humanitarian INGO and Shyorkyi Step started back in March 2022. Since then, Help has been implementing emergency relief projects, and within those projects, food and hygiene parcels and hot meals were delivered to over 8,000 direct beneficiaries, IDPs, elderly, women, children, and people with disabilities in Ukraine.

We want to present to you how Shyrokyi Step, one of our local partners, deals with various difficulties and challenges in order to realize their humanitarian projects.

Volodymyr Shiryaev, Ukraine

What kind of assistance do you provide from the beginning of the organ isation?

Since 2014, since we had to leave Lu hansk as IDPs, we switched over to social projects, helping communities, dealing with and assisting IDPs, pro viding necessary help and care, etc. Thanks to the activists all over Ukraine, we have been able to receive some grants, equipment, and most impor tantly: people who were willing to help others.

In which way does your organisation collaborate with Help?

However, since the outbreak of the war in 2022, we have shifted our goal to humanitarian assistance, such as pro

viding hot meals, hygiene kits, cloth ing, and shelter options. We have con tributed to several projects initiated by Help: Joint Emergency Assistance in Ukraine, Emergency Assistance to Conflict-affected Persons in Ukraine.

The projects aim to provide urgently needed basic humanitarian assistance in food and sanitation to the local pop ulation, the growing number of IDPs, the elderly population, women with children, and disabled children resid ing in social institutions.

How are you involved in the projects?

Although we are a smaller organisation than some of the larger NGOs in the country, we are more mobile since the majority of our organizational work is done remotely. We dispatch volun

teers and supplies to the most critical areas. This opens up new opportuni ties to provide necessary and urgent help in the most affected areas. Together with Help, and other partners, not only we can support IDPs, but also change quickly to deal with public and social issues. As civil activists, we want to have an active public position, and when there is a challenge in society, we respond to this challenge. We can not just sit at home and think whether we will win or not. This is our work and we come up with the initiative that we have such a need and such opportuni ties, such resources and we are ready to do such work.

What kind of structures and resources exist locally?

Since we are a small organisation, we have realized that having an office lim its our work, and thus we have chosen to work remotely and adjust our assis tance to where it is needed the most. Having our own transport, we go and take such help to the places where IDPs stay. We pay particular attention to dormitories on the outskirts of the city, because those people who live in the center have more opportunities to get help. Furthermore, we employ volunteers who are IDPs themselves, since they already have some experi ence they are able to help other IDPs.

What kind of support is still needed from the INGO?

In order to do more work, you need necessary staff, a salary, an office. But things are changing quickly right now. Therefore, we need help to ac quire and distribute food and hygiene products, people to deal with incom ing IDPs, psychological support, and of course any kind of assistance we can get. We can organize ourselves and if there is some kind of temporary sala ry for those who will be professionally employed, we will be grateful to our partners, and if not, we will look for volunteers who are ready to do it on a volunteer basis.

What needs to be done to strengthen the local structure?

Any structure always tends to grow. Therefore, any public organisation, of course, needs an office, office equip ment, transport and training, and all that, but at another time we will think about organizational development and improvement of the material base. And now we need more opportunities to perform our job and more people to help. Because that is what we need now.

Do you think there is any advantage in how you organize everything?

One of the main advantages is that we can adapt. Most of us working on the field have experienced first hand what it is like to be shelled and chased away from home, which is why we can offer help to the IDPs. We already have some psychological stability. Of course, every person has fear. Without a sense of fear or pain, a person will probably die. But we adapted to it, found a way to manage our fear, and learned to live with it. Our strength is that we are accustomed to it and live under such circumstances. During shelling, we do not run, but look for what to do to sur vive or help someone when we have already helped ourselves. If you do not help yourself, then you will not help anyone.

How do you see the work done be tween the NGOs and INGOs?

International partners also see more opportunities because they work with the international community. As a re sult, they have a wider perspective on how to respond, how to assist, and where to find resources. So I think we need each other. That we work locally here, and they work globally, but they still have to rely on someone on the ground.

WORDS: PR TEAM

Help that keeps giving

At the moment of writing these lines, some nearly 270 days into the Russia-Ukraine war, mercury in the thermometer shows one degree below zero in Kyiv. Mobile weather applications say minus four. The subjective feeling. Our bod ies and minds react to external and internal stim uli and thus communicate. Some say that even a lack of communication is communication and there is a message in it. In times of stress, we run on high levels of adrenaline and our inner drive for self-perseverance exceeds the external con ditions and hardships. One can only temporarily be “frozen” in horror and disbelief at the sight and feel before anything. But we never, ever stop communicating and sharing feelings, words, and

touch. Or a helping hand. And that is a form of communication as well.

For, since the first days of shelling our team has prevailed in the change of location, displacement, and setting of a new office in Kyiv. Not once stop ping the provision of emergency relief to those in more need and more stress. Be it, single parents, children, families with disabled members, elderly citizens, or the local communities taking care of forcibly displaced – all the above.

Delivery of emergency relief demands intense levels of communication with those supported, local communities, local authorities, and finally the donors. Only together, and sharing, we were

able not to stay frozen in our “fight or flight” mode before the gruesome teeth of war.

Most importantly, communication and sharing with vulnerable, partners and stakeholders, with the in ternational community engaged in Ukraine, with do nors, and with other Help teams, continued despite all imaginable and unimaginable disruptions. Our communication keeps only deepening and getting

stronger in the face of intensified cold winter winds blows and all they throw in our direction.

Our teams, our local partners CSOs, institutions, hromadas (local administration), national and inter national partners and donors, communicate in syn ergy. All together we keep giving. For we share the same ground, air, and skies.

But we never, ever stop communicating and sharing feelings, words, and touch. Or a helping hand. And that is a form of communication as well.

Hotline

A Call That Makes a Difference

Humanitarian crises lead us to a quick and prompt response in order to help those in trouble, and provide first aid. Setting up a helpline for individuals to call and request assistance is necessary to accomplish that.

There are various ways of help ing people in need,especially those in areas ravaged by war. The 21st century provides, through the means of tech nical support, availability and speedy help assistance. As a non-governmental humanitarian organisation operat ing in its area of responsibility, Help in Ukraine set up an emergency hotline as one of the resources available to help those in need. This was done in collaboration with donors and local partners.

A hotline is a phone number set up by a crisis manage ment organisation, Help in this case, where people can ask for assistance, counseling, or if they have other questions regarding the emergency crisis. The hotline is staffed by professionals and qualified volunteers who can give the necessary information.

Parents, or parent, with minor children, and people with disabilities, elderly, and women seeking asylum, has a pri mary concern of safety and food. Together with the local partner — the Ukrainian Agri Council, an emergency hot line was established and available in Cherkasy Oblast. The region has approximately 1.2 million people. Operators were available at the weekends, to assist with register ing as internally displaced persons in a local center of ad ministration services, and how and where to receive the humanitarian aid (food, hygiene, shelter…), information about possibilities for evacuation and relocation, psycho logical support via phone, line, online, or personally/in groups.

Emergency hotline assistance recorded 7,759 calls, and provided information, consultation, and referred the per son to our first aid psychological councelling. Rent money was one of the most often asked questions. In the war-af fected country of Ukraine, people in need can get help from professionals on site at shelters or collective centers, or if IDPs need immediate assistance, they can also contact the psychosocial hotline set up to help.

CURRENTLY AVAILABLE NUMBER FOR ANYONE WHO NEEDS HELP IS THE CONTACT NUMBER IN THE HELP OFFICE IN KIEV +380 99 685 73 35.

Help is implementing the German Federal Foreign Office and NAK-karitativ funded project “Emergency relief and protection services to the conflict-affected population in Ukraine” in cooperation with local partners until the end of next year. All together, the humanitarian workers, and partners, are doing their best and everything in their pow er to help the people in need.

Food and Hygiene

Help as a non-governmental interna tional humanitarian organisation, since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, has managed projects: Provision of Emergency in - kind, and Cash Assis

persons, IDPs, children, elderly, people and children with disabilities in social institutions.

The organisation has provided the necessary food and hygienic parcels in the following regions in coordina tion centers, Uman (Chersky Oblast) to Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson, Chernihiv, Kyiv, Mykolaiv, Symi, also in Zaporizhia, Dnipropetrovsk, Lviv.

Food parcels contain flour, wheat groats, canned food, rice, oil, sugar, milk, and tea, infant formula and baby food.

tance to Satisfy Basic Needs of the War-affected Population in Ukraine, Emergency Relief and Protection Ser vices to the Conflict-affected Popu lation in Ukraine, Joint Emergency Assistance in Ukraine, Emergency As sistance to Conflict-affected Persons in Ukraine, in which among other things food and hygienic parcels have been provided to help the most vulnerable

Hygiene parcels contain toothpaste, soap, shampoo, toilet paper, washing powder, and other necessary items for basic sanitations, diapers for babies, and diapers for adults.

Volunteers at Zaporizhzhia are doing their best in order to help the incoming IDPs who are looking for shelter. The volunteers are not professionals, and they are learning as they are doing as well. Most of the volunteers are IDPs themselves, who are trying to help the others. Every day hot meals, food like what their mothers and grandmothers used to make, are prepared and dis tributed, as well as fresh vegetables and fruits. Some of the hot meals in clude: pampushky (Ukrainian garlic bread), borscht, chicken goulash, por ridge, as well as cottage cheese casse role, and fresh bread.

Helping others is not done only to ben efit each other, it is done so that one can be humane, feel useful, and make sure that nobody around them has to suffer or go through hardships alone, especially in a war-affected region.

Food parcels contain flour, wheat groats, canned food, rice, oil, sugar, milk, and tea, infant formula and baby food.

A Parcel for A Change

Within the project “Emergency Relief and Protection Services to Conflict-affected Population in Ukraine” funded by the Ger man Federal Foreign Office and NAK-Karitativ, Help managed to aid over 20 thousand people, in cluding women, elderly, and chil dren who were forced to become internally displaced people.

Internally displaced people have it hard enough to have to look for a place to stay and find their next hot meal, they also have to think about keeping hygiene up. How ever, it is not at all easy to find everything you need when you have to constantly move and look for assistance. Luckily, Help pro cures and provides hygiene par cels together with meals to help IDPs and make it easier for them to establish themselves.

„It was scary to drive, rockets were flying over us,“ said a 26-yearold Vika, with two children, from Oleshky, Kherson Oblast, who had to leave and search for a safe area because of the dire situation there. After going through hell, evading shelling, and being stuck in long queues of cars while being shot at, they finally ended up in the Uman area, Cherkasy Oblast, with their relatives.

„Thank you all very much for your help... To the good people giving us a place to live. For helping us with food and household prod ucts. My whole country and I are grateful that there are such good people” Vika is grateful for all the help she has received, either from volunteers or through parcels. Thanks to the help she feels safe and strong enough to continue hopefully.

„I like to paint. I plan to keep on making bags and selling them to support myself and my family.“ Thanks to the help towards selfhelp, Vika and others alike, can bounce back onto their feet, and find shelter and jobs, in order to try and continue living a some what normal life considering the circumstances.

Every bit of assistance counts in a situation of emergency especial ly during conflict. It is more than evident that even a parcel of food or hygiene items can make a dif ference and help IDPs in hope that tomorrow can be a good day.

It also gives people in need strength to feel that they are not alone and forgotten.

A Force of Empowering

SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE RUSSIAN INVASION NEARLY 18 MILLION PEOPLE – 40 PER CENT OF THE COUNTRY’S POPULA TION – NEED HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND THE SITUATION IS EXPECTED TO DETERIORATE FURTHER IN THE WINTER MONTHS.

The project “Emergency Assistance to Con flict-Affected Persons in Ukraine” founded by Ak tion Deutschland Hilft enabled the provision of hot meals to over six thousand people, mostly women with children, the elderly, and people with disabili ties, who were forced to leave their homes. In such a desperate situation, people accept assistance with gratitude but also look for an opportunity to be use ful in the newfound situation. Thanks to this project, many internally displaced persons took proactive roles and helped their fellow Ukrainians. One such example is illustrated by the story of Liudmila. Lidumila managed to break out of the occupied city of Melitopol, taking her three children and a daugh ter-in-law with her and unfortunately leaving her mother behind. Right now, she is in one of the shel ters in Zaporizhia. There, within its project Help pro vides hot meals and hygienic parcels to the IDPs. As soon as Liudmila found a place to stay, she decided to give back to those similar to her. Our help and her strength changed her way of thinking to reach out and give help back to those who are in need. She vol unteered at a kitchen, where she helped with food preparation and soon enough became the supervi sor and manager of other volunteers in the kitchen.

Liudmila in the shelter kitchen

“We prepare homemade food, with fresh ingredi ents, very good quality, provided by Help. Just like at home do our mothers and grandmothers. It helps me feel better giving and it just feels right to help others like me”. Liudmila tries to prepare “home made” food, just like what their mothers and grand mothers prepared, to at least give comfort while having a hot meal.

Unfortunately, in moments of desperation, many people find the strength to rebuild and redefine themselves. Help’s assistance is expressed directly, by providing food and hygienic parcels, and also in directly, by putting the people in situations where they can feel safe and secure, allowing them to change and help others in the same situation.

Hot meals served in the shelter in Zaporizhia

Ukrainian Garlic Bread - Pampushky

Ingredients for a better future

The story of the traditional Ukrainian garlic bread, pampushky, reaches back into the 19th century, when German colonists settled in the areas near to day’s Ukraine. The colonists showed the locals how to prepare a version of Pfannkuchen (a German kind of thick dumpling). Pampushky are made with garlic and are a must to go with red borshch.

Since 9th March, 2022, IDPs have been arriving to the Zaporizhia oblast, where grandmothers and mothers, are unable to make pampushky due to the ongoing conflict.

In Zaporizhia oblast, Help together with its local partner “Shyroki Step” carries out the project “Emergency as sistance to conflict-afffected persons in Ukraine”, by purchasing and deliv ering food to one of the shelters in Zaporizhzhia. The volunteers help IDPs who are in dire need of emergency as sistance, besides cooking and distrib uting hot meals, they usually prepare: pampushky, porridge, chicken goulash, borscht, and other meals. It is very im portant to underline that pampushky is perhaps a symbol of hope, family, unity, and Ukraine, since it is some

thing that makes the IDPs feel secure, and at home, if nothing else,

Help provides hygiene parcels, as well as hot meals arrive by buses to the war-affected regions, such as Zapor izhia and Donetsk oblasts. The parcels are distributed in hospitals, admin istrative centres, social centres, and refugee centres. Hundreds, and some times thousands of IDPs pass through IDP hubs in Zaprizhzhia, mostly from the south of Zaporizhia, Donetsk, Kherson oblasts.

The project is funded by the Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH).

In some situations, a small symbol like pampushky in this case, can save us and give us a hope for a brighter fu ture.

THE PROJECT IS FUNDED BY THE AKTION DEUTSCHLAND HILFT (ADH).

INGREDIENTS FOR A BETTER FUTURE - UKRAINIAN GARLIC BREAD - PAMPUSHKY

• 2 1/4 teaspoons (7 grams) active dry yeast

• 1 teaspoon granulated sugar

• 1 cup (225 milliliters) lukewarm water 105-115˚F (40-46˚C)

• 2 1/2 cups (325 grams) white bread flour plus more for dusting, divided

• 1 1/2 teaspoons (8 grams) fine sea salt

SECURE ROOF

From the beginning of the war situation in Ukraine, many people had to leave their homes and find shelter in other regions. The most needed assistance is reflected in cash for buy ing basic supplies, medicine, and especially renting a place to live. Cash for rent is an aid provided by the Help humanitarian organisation so that IDPs can find a place where they can be safe and warm.

In the prolonged humanitarian and economic crisis, there is a constant need among IDPs to secure the roof over their heads. So far, Help managed to provide this type of assistance to 374 internally displaced families, 1,346 people, in Cherkasy and Zaporizhia Oblasts. To cover those basic expenses a family needs at least 100 Euros per month which can cover electricity and utility costs.

Oksana and her daughter Lisa from Malyn, Zhytomyr Oblast are one of such IDPs who got cash for rent assistance. Their story is one of the many. They have evacuated from Cher kasy Oblast searching for shelter. Now, they are afraid to return because of the situation, however, thanks to Help’s aid, they were able to cover their basic rent and stay in a warm place.

There are a lot of various stories of different people who are grateful for receiving a kind of security to have a roof above their head, and to sleep peacefully for a little bit.

THE “PROVISION OF EMERGENCY IN-KIND AND CASH ASSISTANCE TO SATISFY BASIC NEEDS OF THE WAR-AFFECTED POPULATION IN UKRAINE” IS FINANCED BY THE GER MAN FOREIGN OFFICE AND NAK-KARITATIV.

Small Help for Big Steps

Besides being given a hot meal and basic hygienic products, it is important to find a bed to sleep in.

LUNCH

Cash-for-rent is part of Help in Ukraine’s project “Emer gency relief and protection services to the conflict-affected population in Ukraine” financed by the German Foreign Office Nak-karitativ to help out so that IDPs can find a roof above their heads where they can rest up. Many stories tell us about the dire situation and how a bit of help can mean a lot.

Yana and her parents had to evacuate from Porkovsk, Donetsk Oblast.

„It was the first time driving after getting my licence. The car was full and we were under fire.“ explains Yana their escape route. And when they finally reached the safe area of Ukraine, they were in the unknown.

„We just drove around the streets asking if anyone could take us in. We did not know anyone in this area when we came.“ said Yana.

She did everything she could to support herself and her

parents. As soon as they settled in a place, she went look ing for a job.

„I went to all the stores in town asking if they needed work ers. I would do anything to support my family. From scrub bing floors to sewing, working with clients... It doesn’t re ally matter as long as I can work. I even volunteered until I got a job“ tells Yana.

Luckily, at the time, Help’s cash-for-rent assistance was available in the Cherkasy area and Yana and her parents got it to ease the burden of rent and utility costs. Besides food and hygiene, it is important to have a place to stay and a bed to sleep in.

Now, her parents, who are pensioners, help out the owner with repairs in the house, and by planting a vegetable in the garden. They also helped with making pickles, candies, and preserves for the season.

YANA AND HER MOM WITH A LANDLADY MAKING

Psychosocial assistance

INVISIBLE WOUND HURTS EVERMORE

Mental health conditions and psycho social wellbeing can be affected by a number of factors. However, when it comes to natural disasters and armed conflicts, it can have dire consequenc es. Mental health as such is often ne glected and not taken care of properly. Because of that, it is vital to provide the necessary care, support, and help in order to cope with any traumas.

The term ‘psychosocial’ refers to the dynamic relationship between the psychological dimension of a person and the social dimension of a person. The psychological dimension includes the internal, emotional and thought processes, feelings and reactions, and the social dimension includes relation ships, family and community network, social values and cultural practices. ‘Psychosocial support’ refers to the ac tions that address both psychological and social needs of individuals, fam ilies and communities. (Psychosocial interventions. A Handbook, ICRC)

Besides dealing with mental issues, it is also complicated to get back to a normal social life after a war-like expe rience. It takes time and professional support to shape back to a normal and bearable life.

Studies, conducted by major organisa tions, such as the World Health Organ isation (WHO), have concluded that more than 1 in 5 people in war-affected communities will suffer from a mental health condition. These could include: mild depression, anxiety, severe cases of trauma, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). The numbers from the studies are more alarming because they statistically triple the number of mental conditions of the average pop ulation around the world.

There is no health without mental health.

Psychosocial help during the war is very important because IDPs and vulnerable war-affected population need psychological and communal help to deal with the ongoing traumas and learn how to cope with it. Professional help is at dis posal to anyone who feels they might need it, or notice that anyone around them is suffering. This is confirmed by the work done by the psychologists from the Help project. One of the people who sought help said the next thing: “For a long time I was closed in myself and did not communicate with my peers, my mother persuaded me to turn to a psychologist, and now I understand that I

really needed to talk to someone about my problems. I talked to a psychologist for the first time and learned a lot about myself. Thank you for giving me back my self-confidence, I’m taking violin lessons again and I’m really enjoying it.”

Psychologists provide psychological assistance, on line counseling via the hotline. Psychologists in Uman and Zaporizhzhia provided counseling to people who needed psychosocial assistance, who were referred to the psychologists via the hotline. Psychosocial help is provided either individually or in groups, depending on the need and the situation.

In the past eight months Help has provided psychoso cial assistance to 6,475 persons in need. We believe that this way we have empowered people and give them hope that through their mental stability they can overcome the atrocities of war.

Invisible wounds hurt evermore, heal slowly, and it needs a lot of love and attention of an indi vidual and community. A strong man forms a strong society, and a strong society forms a strong country.

HELP PROVIDED PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT TO IDPS AND VULNERABLE PEOPLE IN UKRAINE, THROUGH ITS PROJECT “EMER GENCY RELIEF AND SERVICES TO CONFLICT-AFFECTED POP ULATION” FOUNDED BY THE GERMAN FEDERAL FOREIGN OFFICE AND NAK-KARITATIV.

There is no health without mental health.

EVERY SEED IS IMPORTANT

Since the start of the war in Ukraine, farmers have had difficulty selling their harvest, es pecially since the price was too low and they had to operate with a loss, since farmers need the money to invest. Moreover, farm ers had an issue with purchasing seeds and fuel, which makes it even harder to start the sowing process. This is a particular blow to the economy of Ukraine since it is a major provider of food for international markets. Moreover, the agricultural sector accounts for around 11% of Ukraine’s GDP and employs the largest portion of its workforce. Ukraine is one of the world’s largest exporter of wheat, corn, and rapeseed, which is why if the situation is not remedied, food shortages will be felt not only in the country itself but also all around the world as well. These on going problems and eventual consequences have been recognzied by the UN Food and Agriculture Organisation as well.

The situation in Ukraine has made it difficult for agricultural workers to go about their work normally, which is why Help is provid ing support to dairy farmers. The livestock breeding facilities have been damager par tially or completely and made dairy farming nearly impossible in the affected regions. In some regions, though, logistics and supply chains are disrupted making it more difficult to transport dairy products. The farmers are given food, medicine, and medical dispos

ables for livestock in order to be able to restore farming to somewhat satisfactory levels.

Food and medical assistance was distributed according to an expert group made up of veterinarians from the Ukrainian Agri Council. The aid included food and various medicine: antibac terial medicine, NSAID, SAID, medicine for dry cows and milk ing cows alike, and other necessary medicine to help the cattle in this conflict period. Over 30 farmers have received support from Help to sustain their farms.

The Russian army has also destroyed the oil refinery in Kremenchuk and the region has lost its capability to produce and refine fuel. This has had a huge impact on the supply chain for farmers, to and from the farms. Cattle production predom inates the livestock farming in Ukraine, and dairy production, so it is an important branch of animal husbandry. So far, 16 farmers have been supported with 122,019 litres of fuel in Poltava Oblast and to keep the livestock healthy, they have been provided with 5,906 HIPRA vaccines. According to the Association of Milk Producers in Ukraine, they estimate that the number of cows in Ukraine will decrease by around 15% in 2022, due to the ongoing war.

Ukraine as the main supplier of grains to Europe must have satisfied and supported farmers so that they can produce, and sustain at the same time in the time of war. Help is trying to provide enough aid in order to keep micro-farmers and midsized producers functioning and a helping part of society.

The project “Support to the agricultural sector in Ukraine” is implemented with the financial support of the Aktion Deutschland Hilft (ADH) and NAK-karitativ, and in cooperation with our local partner Public Union “Ukrainian Agri Council”. The project is aimed at supporting farmers in dairy farming.

Winterisation

Winter is a new chapter…

Winters in Ukraine can be quite harsh, with temperatures reaching negatives well beyond comfortable levels. Making things worse, the constant shelling has destroyed homes, commercial buildings, hospitals, schools, and other facil ities that could provide shelter in the coming bitter cold. Help, together with local partners, in different oblasts in Ukraine, will support and realize the winterisation process in order to keep Ukrainans safe, secure, and warm. More over, prefabricated houses are planned to be built so that Ukrainians could get through the winter months.

Due to the levels of destruction of critical infrastructure, Help in Ukraine team assessed the situation in local com munities and most affected municipalities (hromadas) that need support to get ready for winter. Preliminary, six objects were selected in Kyiv, Chernihiv, Cherkasy, and Mykolaiv oblasts. After the assessment of these heavily damaged oblasts, we have engaged in providing the necessary assis tance in cooperation with the local partners.

The works in Buzova where a water reservoir was renewed are now finished. The water is necessary to be used in the heating system, mainly in the kindergarten and ten mul ti-apartment buildings. In other communities the recon struction works on schools, for example, replacing by the shelling broken windows are in progress as well as insula tion and other works.

Although winters take a toll on Ukraine, Help together with local partners will do their best to aid IDPs, and any other people in need to keep them safe and warm this winter. More over, the volunteers will help in rebuilding the destroyed, so that spring can actually mean new life. On the other hand, Help is looking for cooperation with local compa nies, municipalities, and other aid organisa tions to strengthen existing structures and to create a favorable space for growth.

Map of projects