Project for September
Oksana is 33. She is a historian and a journalist. When she was 8, she got rheumatoid polyarthritis. Still she managed to finish school, to graduate from university and get married. But 7 years ago, she had a heat stroke, that has further crippled her, and in two years she became almost crippled. The past five years she can not stand up or sit down by herself, she can not go up or down steps or use public transportation. She can walk with big difficulties a distance of 50 metres.
Many people have cars and can walk. Oksana can not walk and does not have a car. She has said: “A car is my legs”. You can help Oksana to be connected to the world of people. We need each other, don’t we? Oksana is trying to raise funds to purchase a car. You can help her to get out and be connected to the world of people. This is her dream.
Can you help?
Watch a video about Oksana
Project for August
Investing in children helps build our future. Recently, we were able to purchase a video projector and screen for one of the Molochansk kindergartens. It gave an opportunity to improve the teaching process by using visual images. Children enjoy the lessons much more. We thank donors who made this possible.
In the Village
Every year we work together with the local social services to provide food hampers for veterans of previous conflicts. After they went to visit the villagers, social workers shared how shocked they were when they saw the poverty that village people are in. The seniors welcomed the food hampers with tears.
Food aid packages
Tears of thankfulness
Villagers home
Food Aid contents
Helping Seniors
Last December Olga broke her hip. When visited her only wish was to be able to go outside. It did not take a lot of work for Mennonite Centre staff to build a ramp and now she is able to go outside and see her garden and flowers. Olga is very thankful to those who support senior’s programs.
Olga spent many years outside in her garden and it was sad to see springtime pass her by. All it took was a chainsaw (in background), a few nails, some wood and time so she can once again appreciate the outdoors.
Mennonite Centre manager Oksana spends time with former staff member Olga who enjoys her ride through Molochansk to “smell the roses” along the way.
Project for May
Village farmers rely on custom harvesters to harvest their grain & corn crops. Since they are small they are the last priority. This resulted in many hardships for villagers who were unable to harvest and sell crops that were still in the field. A Canadian donor stepped forward and offered to help solve the problem. The result was that a combine was purchased and during the winter the crops of many small farmers were rescued and sold. In the photos you will see Svetlana and her family. They arranged to help small farmers as far as 100 kms from their family farm. This is truly a win-win situation for villagers. The Mennonite Centre is pleased to have set up this project to help this and neighbouring communities.
Father and son looking at combine with family house in the background
Svetlana, her husband & son walking along village street with combine & house in background
Project for April – by Olga, Zaporizhzhya
The Mennonite Centre started a new telemedicine project which will allow several clinics of the “Friendly to Youth” network in Zaporizhzhya Oblast to be connected through a computer network. The head of the clinic Friendly to Youth in Zaporizhzhya can lead seminars for the staff in Primorsk, Melitipol, Orekhov and Berdyansk clinics. They can do many other things at distance through this internet connection. By introducing new technologies the Mennonite Centre will help people working in those clinics to save their time and money because they won’t need to travel to Zaporizhzhya. At this stage of the project the Mennonite Centre provided the four clinics with the necessary equipment (4 notebook computers, 2 routers and 1 projector) so that they can connect through the internet. I was really impressed with the staff of those clinics as they were very enthusiastic about implementing this project. The next step is to install the equipment and do testing. I will keep informing you as the project progresses. The staff in those clinics are very grateful for the generosity of donors who help them improve life for many in Ukraine.
Staff from the clinics