As residents of Kharkiv, we face challenges and threats every day.
People in frontline towns live in constant tension and stress, alongside anxiety, fatigue, traumatic experiences and psychologically traumatic situations. It is especially difficult for women: older women, women with disabilities, and mothers raising children with disabilities. For them, every day is a struggle to overcome physical, emotional and social barriers, a daily battle with fatigue and stress.
Every day, different people come to the Organisation of Veterans of Ukraine in the Industrial District of Kharkiv, each with their own problems and stories. Some need legal advice, others need to talk to a psychologist or simply need human warmth. And for some, even a small amount of help, such as a certificate for purchasing food at the ATB-Market chain of stores, becomes a real source of support.
Our organisation issues such certificates within the framework of the projects "Humanitarian Response and Recovery: Strengthening the Leadership of Organisations of Women with Disabilities" and "Together in Difficult Times: Assistance and Support for Women with Disabilities in Kharkiv City and Region".
Once, a man came to us to help his wife obtain a certificate. At that moment, a woman with a disabled child arrived. While the mother was filling out the paperwork, the boy waited for her. The man saw that it was difficult for the child to sit alone. He approached him and asked:
– Can you draw?
It turned out that the man was an artist. Within a few minutes, the child was enthusiastically drawing a Christmas tree, smiling sincerely and talking about his drawing. When his mother came out of the office, worried that her son had been left alone, she saw him calm and happy. The boy enjoyed the conversation so much that he did not want to go home at all.
This chance but touching encounter inspired us to organise creative classes for mothers with disabled children who visit the organisation. This is how another good cause came about, one that not only provides support but also gives children joy, communication and a sense of security, and gives mothers a little rest to take care of their business, knowing that their child is nearby and in good hands.
Author: Yevgeniya Borodina
The programme is being implemented Organization of Veterans of Ukraine of the Industrial District of Kharkiv. Kharkiv within the framework of the project "Humanitarian Response and Recovery: Strengthening the Leadership of Women's Organisations with Disabilities", implemented by the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAIU) with technical support from UN Women in Ukraine and funding from the UN Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). However, this does not mean that the views and content expressed during the training sessions are officially endorsed or recognised by the United Nations.
The UN Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a flexible and operational funding instrument that supports quality interventions to enhance the capacity of local women to prevent conflicts, respond to crises and emergencies, and harness key peacebuilding opportunities.
