The National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine continues to implement the project «Improving Rehabilitation Services in the Healthcare System», which is led by Momentum Wheels for Humanity (Momentum). One of the key activities of the project is the provision of case management services to people with disabilities and vulnerable populations.
The hero of our story today is Mr. Volodymyr, who was born and raised in his native Donetsk region in 1954, in a small village called Rivne. In 2008, his leg was amputated, and although he managed to cope, he was still on his own. When the war came, fierce fighting broke out near his native village.
«There were bloody battles in my native village, and in the Donetsk region itself. It was scary, there was shooting, my family and friends left, but not in the direction we wanted to go,» Volodymyr painfully recalls.
After a Russian shell hit his home, volunteers and caring people helped evacuate him to a safer place. That's how the man ended up in Dnipro at the Ocean of Good Center for the Temporary Accommodation of People with Disabilities.
Unfortunately, due to the hasty evacuation, he did not have any documents to prove his identity. At the center, Volodymyr received shelter, warmth, food, and psychological assistance.
The key task for the project's case manager, Olha Volkova, was to restore her husband's lost documents. Despite all the difficulties, she managed to restore Volodymyr's passport and identification code. From now on, a light of hope shines in his eyes. Thanks to the restored documents, the hospital confirmed the 2nd group of disability. Now he will be able to receive medical treatment, re-register his pension, and move to another place for permanent residence.
«You are like my family,» says Mr. Volodymyr. That's what people's concern and sincere desire to help a person in difficult times can do, and attention and support will always give hope for the best.
The story of Volodymyr and, in general, of each of those who seek help from our project is not only a difficult task, but also a life story of Ukrainians that reflects the modern history of Ukraine and its problems.
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This initiative is made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development under cooperative agreement number 7200AA18CA00032 with Partnerships Plus, funded through September 28, 2018, and implemented by the JSI Institute for Research and Training under agreement number PP-EI-001 with Momentum Wheels for Humanity. The contents are the sole responsibility of the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine and do not necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States Government.
Photo from open sources. The photo shows a destroyed house in the village of Rivne.
