The name of the initiative: "Together we can change everything"
The shelter for displaced persons in the village of Kostryzhivka, Chernivtsi region, is special. Mostly single mothers with children who find themselves in difficult life circumstances live here. Until recently, the nearest place of entertainment for children was an old swing in the yard of a local school. However, thanks to the SCLR program, the abandoned lawn near the shelter was leveled, landscaped, and a slide, ladders, trampoline, carousels, and a sandbox were installed there. Now families from all over the village come to this playground.
- Here, first of all, we give shelter to those who have the hardest time - families with children from the regions affected by hostilities. - said the administrator of the institution, Vasyl Jus. - We have a corresponding memorandum with the Donetsk regional mother and child center. Once it was a manor house, in 2022, thanks to benefactors, it was converted into housing. We are very happy that thanks to the project, the children will now have a place for entertainment, we purchased quality factory equipment for it to serve for a long time.
Olga Schlothauer with children in this shelter since December 2022. "From Mariupol, we first fled to Mykolaiv, where I had my second child," the woman recalls. children will play outside for more time. At home in Mariupol, there were many nice playgrounds, and this one near the shelter reminds me of home. Besides, it is crowded, you can talk to local women who bring children."
Tetyana Blaush, head of the Children's Service of the Kostryzhiv settlement council, often visits the shelter and checks the living conditions of families. "Until now, the closest playground from here was at the school, it's older and it's a 10-minute walk there," she says. "Now local children also come to play here at the shelter, it will be easier for them to make friends with visitors, to help them adapt to a new place." According to her, several children who were removed from their mothers from this shelter before they moved here have recently been allowed to return by social services.
Adults and children, visitors and locals participated in the arrangement of the playground. Sisters Eva and Karolina Bosik, as the most active participants in the arrangement of this public space, were tasked with cutting the ribbon at the celebration of the official opening of the site.
In addition, within the framework of the initiative, developmental classes with children, trainings for parents on psychological support and upbringing of children in war conditions, familiarization with village traditions, games and career orientation events were held.
The initiative was implemented as part of the SCLR program for supporting community initiatives of Bukovyna NGO "AREAC - Chernivtsi Regional Association for Social Development" with the administrative support of Fundatia Heks/Eper Romania and the financial support of Swiss Solidarity and Act Alliance.