Initiative Title: “Installation of an Alternative Energy Source – Solar Collector – for Water Heating in the IDP Shelter in Kitsman”
With the beginning of the full-scale invasion in Kitsman, an IDP shelter (compact residence) was established on the basis of a local college dormitory. More than 80 IDPs permanently reside here, and in total, about 1,500 people have used the shelter’s services since 2022. These are mainly women with children, the elderly, and people with disabilities who lost their homes due to hostilities. Living in conditions of constant power outages, residents realized that in winter they could be left without hot water, since there were simply no additional energy sources in the building.
Thanks to the experience of successful cooperation with the NGO AREAC, in the first half of 2024, the initiative group of the Kiman shelter created its own public organization "New Life - Kitsman". And submitted several applications for the second round of the AREAC community initiative support program. The application for energy-independent equipment for the shelter won, so the first project of the new public organization was to equip the building with solar collectors.
The lion's share of the grant funds was directed to the purchase of equipment, and practically all the work was done by the applicants themselves with the involvement of volunteers.
Using a solar energy source has a number of advantages. Residents were able to get energy cheaper and save on utility bills, because previously electric boilers consumed a lot of electricity. Also, people in the shelter became less vulnerable during blackouts. In addition, the solar collector is also beneficial from an ecological point of view, because it uses an inexhaustible source of energy and does not harm the environment.
The authors of the idea attached an important role in their activities to raising awareness among residents on energy conservation issues. In cooperation with the Department of Ecology and Biomonitoring of Chernivtsi University and the Caritas Charitable Foundation, they managed to organize educational events where participants learned about the benefits of alternative energy sources and learned how to use energy resources economically and effectively.
“The development of renewable energy and the formation of environmental awareness among citizens not only saves money, but also contributes to sustainable development and environmentally responsible consumption,” the grantors explain their goal. The successful implementation of this initiative can serve as an example for other community members and stimulate further implementation of alternative energy, which will increase the overall sustainability of the country's energy system.
