Project is financed by the European Union and is co-financed and implemented by UNDP
Issue#1 | 2015
Community Based Approach to Local Development Project
News Digest
With CBA support a family with special needs found shelter in Donbas center for rehabilitation of disabled people Oleksandr’s mother – Olga Ivanivna – has problems with her spine.
Oleksandr is a blind lawyer from Debaltseve, together with his ill mother Olga Ivanivna lived for about 200 days on the line of armed conflict. Family lived in constant anxiety and waiting, without electricity, water, heating, and food. Now thanks to EU/UNDP Project “Community Based Approach to Local Development” (CBA) Oleksandr and Olga Ivanivna found a shelter in Kramatorsk, in Donbas center for rehabilitation of disabled people. Together they are getting used to hot food, warm and normal calm life. By education Oleksandr is a jurist and he was quit a well-known lawyer in Debaltseve. Ten years ago the man had to quit civil service due to the disability – he had problems with his eyesight. He started his private lawyer practice.
Since July 2014 their native city was in the area of armed conflict. After the New Year the situation got worth. On the Holliday of the Baptism of Christ there was a bombarding, and one of the rockets struck the house where Oleksandr and his mother lived, just three windows away from their apartment. From the end of January 2015 there was no electricity, heating, and fuel in the city. Food delivery was very limited, so it was impossible to cook at all. People turned to be on the edge of living. Oleksandr and Olga Ivanivna had some water which they managed to save. Later they got some bread from humanitarian aid. Two weeks the family lived on sunflower oil, bread and honey. When the food was over they lived even without hot tea. Shops didn’t work in Debaltseve. The city nearly died off and it was very dangerous to go out. The temperature in Oleksandr’s apartment was about 8 degrees above zero. There was no heating or electricity at all. When the living conditions became beyond all bearings Oleksandr called volunteers. At the beginning of February 2015 volunteer Oleg came to them and
helped to evacuate. On the way 12 more people joined Oleksandr and his mother and together family went to Kramatorsk. At first Oleksandr and Olga Ivanivna were settled in volunteers center, where they received humanitarian aid and food. For the first time in 2 weeks they had a hot meal and tea. Having disabilities Oleksandr and his mother were later settled in Donbas interregional center for rehabilitation of people with disabilities, where joint EU/UNDP CBA Project creates conditions for internally displaced people. Currently in this premise goes the reconstruction of hot water supply system, of some rooms, bathrooms, and porch, also the elevator will be installed. Finally family found there comfortable living conditions. «We want to thank for help and for shelter», said Oleksandr. «We would like to stay in the center as long as things stand now and we also want peace and to come back to our home to continue to work!». As for now Oleksandr implements his professional skills in the center. There he provides juridical consultations to people with special needs. Implementation of the first phase of CBA Project commenced in Donetsk region during March 2009. First phase was succeeded by a second phase in July 2011. Over these two phases 135450 of men, women and children of the region have benefitted from improvement in 78 schools/kindergartens, 15 healthposts, 8 water supply, 8 street-lightning and so on. This happened through joint effort of the citizens, oblast/rayon/local level governments, CBA Project and the private sponsors. CBA News Digest | March 2015