UKRAINE: Project provides education, health care and support to families
Goal to deliver humanitarian assistance to more than 31,000 people
(MissionNewswire) The “SAFE-UKR: Support and Assistance for Families in Emergency in Ukraine*” project provides rapid and effective aid to people affected by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. Launched in February 2024, the project is active in the regions of Dnipropetrovska, Donetsk and Zaporizka, which are located near the front lines.
The goal of the project is to deliver humanitarian assistance to more than 31,000 people, including internally displaced persons and local residents. Efforts include providing access to integrated health and education services, as well as the distribution of essential goods.
The project is carried out through a collaborative network including the Salesian International Volunteer Service for Development (VIS), international partners AVSI Foundation and Doctors with Africa CUAMM, and local partners Step In and Genofund for the Future. Funding for the initiative is provided by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation.
Over the past few months, the project has provided 4,570 food kits, along with 600 kits of sleeping bags, power banks, thermal clothing, flashlights and more in frontline areas. Special attention was given to families with high vulnerability and little to no access to other support. Salesian VIS assisted more than 3,000 people with mental health and psycho-social support services.
Doctors with Africa CUAMM supplied medicines and health care materials to 11 health facilities in the Donetsk and Dnipropetrovsk regions, reaching over 26,000 people. Step In’s mobile medical teams, each consisting of a doctor, nurse, receptionist, and lab technician, also delivered essential medical supplies and services to pre-identified locations. These teams provided health care to over 7,000 people. Using available diagnostic tools, doctors created personalized treatment plans, educated patients and referred complex cases to higher-level facilities.
In addition, through to the AVSI Foundation and Genofund for the Future, four temporary learning centers were established in the Dnipropetrovsk region, supporting more than 2,000 children through educational materials and psycho-social support activities. The two partners also conducted mine and explosive ordnance risk-awareness events for about 4,000 people in shelters managed by the organizations as well as those served by mobile teams from Step In and VIS.
A Salesian noted, “Even though the project has already met all of its planned goals, all teams continue working on the ground to maintain high-quality service. After three years of war, the commitment to supporting the most impacted regions remains unwavering.”
###
Sources:
ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)
ANS – Ukraine – Ongoing Activities of the “SAFE-UKR” Project Supporting War-Affected Populations
UNHCR – Ukraine
*Any goods, services, or funds provided by Salesian Missions to programs located in this country were administered in compliance with applicable laws and regulations, including sanctions administered by the U.S. Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Asset Control.
