On Friday the 28th November, we celebrated the inauguration of our medical-social center for IDPs and returnees, in the city of Dnipro – a program that stands at the crossroads of Ukraine’s reconstruction and resilience. The medical-social center will provide FREE services, all in one place, and help IDPs
and returnees rebuild their lives and settle down in a new city after displacement from their home due to the russian invasion. After months of renovations, and thanks to the dedication of many volunteers and donors, the medical wing has finally opened its doors, marking the first milestone of a four-step program.
Step 1 — Medical Services
Offering for free, essential care for the vulnerable population that are the IDPs and returnees through a gynecology office, an ophthalmologist, a dentist, and specialized psychologists. It is the foundation upon which the rest of the project
will grow.
Step 2 — Social Support Hub
Next, we aim to open the social section of the center where administrative support, social workers, assistance with finding and renting housing, and job-readiness programs will help the people to rebuild both their stability and their future. Free optional Ukrainian courses will be dispensed for those who want it.
Step 3 — Children’s Playground & Community Garden
The project will expand outdoors on our territory, with a playground and a shared garden. The garden will offer to many internally displaced families who once lived in villages and now find themselves in large urban environments, an access to soil, nature, and therapeutic gardening activities to contribute to a smoother transition to city life.
Step 4 — Food Distribution System
Finally, we would like to open a space in the backyard dedicated to the distribution of weekly food packages for families in need, as a concrete gesture to support daily life.
For the inauguration of the first step of our program, 25 representatives from various NGOs across Dnipro and all of Ukraine gathered to support this important initiative. Again, we would like to thank them all for their presence and their support and particularly our main partner of this project, the Solidarity Foundation that provides the building materials along all the renovation process and without whom this project would not have been possible. We now hope to open the second step in the shortest time and you can help us make this happen by donating to our program!
You can hear more about the center from our project manager Laurie and the
founder of Ukraine is Europe, Arthur, in this video:
