[Ukraine]Peace Winds continues to provide comprehensive support to people in Ukraine

Peace Winds continues to provide comprehensive support to people in Ukraine who have been evacuated from their homes due to the ongoing conflict.

More than 20 months have passed since Russia invaded Ukraine, and recent weeks has seen an escalation of attacks by the Russian military, including extensive drone attacks on Kyiv on November 25th and 26th.

Amid the protracted conflict, Peace Winds, in collaboration with the Ukrainian NGO Right to Protection (R2P), has been providing assistance in the western and central oblasts of Lviv, Vinnytsia, and Chernivtsi, where a high number of internally displaced persons (IDPs) are located. This assistance includes food and hygiene products, mental health care, and legal and welfare consultations for IDPs. Mental health care is also extended to the communities hosting the evacuees.

R2P has a long history of protection activities in Ukraine and one of the NGO’s main characteristics is its mobile teams consisting of experts in the psychosocial, legal and social work fields. These experts form the core of R2P’s mobile teams, which travel far and wide in the three oblasts to end support to IDPs who are staying in shelters, or living with family members or acquaintances.

●Christina dreams of becoming an Origami teacher

One of the people we encountered in Vinnytsia is 10-year-old Christina. Having lived in the southern city of Mariupol, where intense fighting occurred, she experienced terrifying moments hiding in the basement amid the sound of explosions above ground. With the situation becoming increasingly perilous she fled with her family to Vinnytsia in March 2023. Although initially destabilized by life in an unfamiliar place, Christina eventually found solace in activities organized by R2P’s mobile team, such as making models and drawing. Through these opportunities, Christina rediscovered the joy of being creative, which gradually led to a sense of happiness in her new life.

Christina (left) with Olena

“What particularly captivated Christina’s heart was origami. When she spoke with Olena Kaminska, a psychotherapist from R2P, Christina shared her future dream saying, ‘I want to open a classroom to teach origami to children.'”

●Reissuance of pension document

R2P’s mobile team’s legal experts provide a variety of support for IDPs. One recipient of such support is Mykolai, who fled from Mariupol to Vinnytsia after his apartment was destroyed by shelling, which left him completely incapacitated for three days as he lay under the rubble. He has no memory of who rescued him. Subsequently, he was taken to a Russia-occupied area, where he experienced violence from the occupying forces. This resulted in Mykolai having a stroke and physical disabilities. Among the many documents and other personal belongings he lost along the way, was his pension certificate. This made it difficult for Mykolai not only to receive the treatment he desperately needed, but also to sustain his day-to-day living requirements. R2P’s mobile team helped him to have his pension certificate reissued, and then collaborated with medical institutions and a local NGO to help him obtain an walking aid, as he was experiencing difficulty walking.

This project has been made possible with financial support from you and Japan Platform. But the challenging situations faced by the people of Ukraine persist. We appreciate your continuous support.