The story so far...

[ Other work, In the Balkans ] - and - [ In Ukraine (this page) ]

The former Soviet republic of Ukraine gained its independence in 1991 and is fighting very hard to alleviate poverty. But the reality of life for many people is very grim.

We work primarily in the area around Chernigov, in the north of the country, where the poverty is made even harder to bear by the legacy of the Chernobyl nuclear accident. Although this happened over 15 years ago, many families in the area have lost people or are dealing with serious health issues. The state, as yet, has very little to offer. Many children are abandoned or orphaned through problems including health and alcoholism. Where they are physically cared for by the state, there may be no educational provision available whatsoever. This is why so much of our aid is educational supplies. We also take food and clothes to support these children. The latest project undertaken by us and our network of partner organisations, is the installation of heating and toilets, and the rebuilding of some woodworking and metalworking rooms, at a school for 200 children with learning difficulties where there is currently no proper toilet at all!

We are also working with "The Chernihiv Regional Youth Public Organization Our Generation" - a youth group who produce a newspaper and run a theatre project which aims to teach young people about the causes of problems such as alcoholism, drug use, and HIV. Although they are not formally trained in theatre, they have devised and produced the shows themselves, and travel around schools and universities across Ukraine with their important mix of fun, self-help, and social education.

With the great support of the friends we have made at the "Aratta Centre for Children and Youth" we are supporting a number of childrens' homes, clinics, schools, and foster families, amongst other projects run from the centre. With a team of volunteers and workers, the centre does the work of ensuring secure distribution of the aid once we have come home. They also support each other and local initiatives, running things like "bring-and-buy" sales, and an English language club. They work with a number of international charities. If you are outside the UK, please still contact us - we may be able to connect you with another partner group.