A photo exhibition “The Power of Support: What Gives Hope” has started in Dnipro at the House of Arts. The exhibition is the final stage of a project of comprehensive humanitarian support for Ukrainians in the East affected by the war funded by the European Union.
The exhibition consists of 17 images. Each exposes humanitarians working with people who found themselves in difficult life circumstances or lost everything due to the war. The exhibition will run until November 8 at 23 Philosophska Street. You can also visit the exhibition virtually here.
The artwork is an integral part of the ECHO-funded project “Immediate Gender-Sensitive Emergency Response and Protection of the Conflict-Affected Population in Eastern Ukraine to Save Lives”. It was implemented by the international humanitarian organization CARE together with partners from the Ukrainian non-governmental organization Avalyst.
"Now we have no time to think about the bad. We plant flower beds, cut the grass. We work, create a mood for ourselves and believe in the best..."Hanna Solovey, resident of the city of Slovyansk which is 25km from the frontline in Donetsk region.
“All the worries are for the children. My granddaughter, for example, is 16 years old. When COVID was around, she was a schoolgirl and couldn't study normally. Now she has entered college and is worried again. I worry about the young people. And I, for one, am not going to go anywhere… Now we have no time to think about the bad. We plant flower beds, cut the grass. We work, create a mood for ourselves and believe in the best... In case of danger, we will be in a shelter, we have one now”, says Hanna Solovey, resident of the city of Slovyansk which is 25 kilometres from the frontline in Donetsk region. The woman lives in the house where the bombshelter was rehabilitated as a part of the project. In total, 4 locations were reconstructed where people can find shelter in times of danger.
For almost a year, the project activities supported over 57 000 residents of the Donetsk region. These are residents of the frontline areas, as well as internally displaced persons who were forced to leave their homes due to the security risks. Some of them left forever.
"Our exhibition is dedicated to the reality."Darya Romanenko, CARE Ukraine Area Director in the East of Ukraine.
"The war has caused terrible devastation in Ukraine, resulting in great losses and untold suffering, particularly for women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities. These groups of people are often described as 'vulnerable', but each of these people tells an individual story of life that has been on the brink. Our exhibition is dedicated to this reality. In times of instability, when new destruction and waves of displacement are becoming daily occurrences, support of humanitarian organizations to affected populations must continue,” says Darya Romanenko, CARE Ukraine Area Director in the East of Ukraine.
As part of the project, CARE and Avalyst provided psychological and legal support to the population (11,611 people), repaired damaged housing (460 households) and medical facilities (4 outpatient clinics), distributed hygiene kits (7,720 units), and improved living conditions for internally displaced persons (repair of 4 dormitories).
"This initiative has not only brought the necessary assistance to the residents of the frontline areas, but also given them hope and a sense of support."Olena Pilypchuk, Protection Coordinator at Avalyst, CARE's partner organisation.
A separate area of work is assistance to survivors of gender-based violence. Specially trained social workers and psychologists were engaged to support this category of people. The case management system helped 251 people, and another 24,842 people attended information sessions.
"We are proud of our cooperation with CARE and the results of this project, which aimed to support those most affected by the war. This initiative has not only brought the necessary assistance to the residents of the frontline areas, but also given them hope and a sense of support. Our case managers, psychologists and volunteers have been working hard every day to alleviate the effects of the conflict on those who were forced to leave their homes. It is important that we help not only those who left, but also those who stayed in place under any circumstances.In addition, an important component of our work was the restoration of residential buildings, shelters and medical facilities, which allowed us to provide people with safe and proper conditions for living and treatment. We are convinced that our joint efforts with CARE have helped many people feel less alone in this difficult time,” said Olena Pilypchuk, Protection Coordinator at Avalyst.
Almost 5,000 more residents of Donetsk Oblast will receive support from CARE as part of a new phase of the project implemented in partnership with Avalyst and ECHO.
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