Velyka Rodyna
Basic information
Project Title
Velyka Rodyna
Full project title
Social housing for the elderly and disabled "Velyka Rodyna"
Category
Prioritising the places and people that need it the most
Project Description
After the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion in February 2022, a group of Kharkiv activists started an NGO ‘Through the War’. We delivered food and medicine to the elderly and the disabled who had to face the war alone. Some of them required full-time care. We found an old dormitory, refurbished it to a livable condition and brought our first ‘residents’ there. This was the beginning of ‘Velyka Rodyna’ project. Now we are sheltering 50 senior citizens - giving them a home and a hope!
Geographical Scope
Local
Project Region
Кharkiv, Ukraine, Ukraine
Urban or rural issues
It addresses urban-rural linkages
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
EU Programme or fund
No
Description of the project
Summary
After the beginning of the full-scale russian invasion, Kharkiv people of different paths of life, got together and started an NGO ‘Through the War’. We started helping the elderly people who were left alone, sometimes in buildings half-destroyed by shelling, without water or electricity supply. Under the constant barrage of russian bombs, we brought them hot food and medicines.
Out of the 270 people who we initially took care of, there were some who required 24/7 care. This became the impulse for creating a project ‘Velyka Rodyna’. Our aim is to provide accommodation and care to the elderly and disabled people from Kharkiv and de-occupied territories of the region.
What we did:
- We rented a rundown dormitory for workers of a non-working plant and reconstructed it for the needs of the disabled;
- created a laundry, medical room, kitchen, ramps;
- furnished 25 rooms;
- purchased a car for transporting lying ‘residents’;
- built a terrace in order for people in wheelchairs to be able to enjoy fresh air;
- connected a 35 kWh generator;
- planted a garden outside;
- built a room for pets;
- conducted exhibitions, lectures, events in Ukraine and beyond, in order to fundraise;
- created 11 workplaces for people who had lost their jobs in a front-region city – now they provide 24/7 care to our residents;
- established a cooperation with the medical staff who provide weekly consultations and conduct medical procedures;
- developed an architectural project on the development of the area;
Living in Kharkiv during the war is a hard task: the unemployment is high, there are regular rocket attacks, and many people haven’t returned. However, the possibility of helping people who remember WW2, gives us strength and unites us.
This is how we turned a degraded 1.3-hectare slot and a dilapidated building into a blossoming garden and a fully-functioning house for 50 residents who really need it.
Out of the 270 people who we initially took care of, there were some who required 24/7 care. This became the impulse for creating a project ‘Velyka Rodyna’. Our aim is to provide accommodation and care to the elderly and disabled people from Kharkiv and de-occupied territories of the region.
What we did:
- We rented a rundown dormitory for workers of a non-working plant and reconstructed it for the needs of the disabled;
- created a laundry, medical room, kitchen, ramps;
- furnished 25 rooms;
- purchased a car for transporting lying ‘residents’;
- built a terrace in order for people in wheelchairs to be able to enjoy fresh air;
- connected a 35 kWh generator;
- planted a garden outside;
- built a room for pets;
- conducted exhibitions, lectures, events in Ukraine and beyond, in order to fundraise;
- created 11 workplaces for people who had lost their jobs in a front-region city – now they provide 24/7 care to our residents;
- established a cooperation with the medical staff who provide weekly consultations and conduct medical procedures;
- developed an architectural project on the development of the area;
Living in Kharkiv during the war is a hard task: the unemployment is high, there are regular rocket attacks, and many people haven’t returned. However, the possibility of helping people who remember WW2, gives us strength and unites us.
This is how we turned a degraded 1.3-hectare slot and a dilapidated building into a blossoming garden and a fully-functioning house for 50 residents who really need it.
Key objectives for sustainability
We have created a shelter for the needy with the help of ‘soft investment’ – by renting and renovating a rundown workers’ dormitory located near a non-working plant of food acids.
We haven’t built any new structures, kept the carbon footprint to a minimum (i.e. by using old furniture to make new pieces). We have cleaned the area and put it in order, thus saving it from further degradation. We have planted a little garden in the yard, in order for our residents to stay connected to nature and feel useful
Now our shelter is a place of community members meetings and joint work.
We haven’t built any new structures, kept the carbon footprint to a minimum (i.e. by using old furniture to make new pieces). We have cleaned the area and put it in order, thus saving it from further degradation. We have planted a little garden in the yard, in order for our residents to stay connected to nature and feel useful
Now our shelter is a place of community members meetings and joint work.
Key objectives for aesthetics and quality
All the transformation of the place was done according to the project of SBM studio, which created a high-quality functional space with the minimal effort possible. Almost every material or object used had already been inside the old dormitory. For example, the street furniture was made out of old beds, tables and benches were made from wooden pellets. We also finished building a terrace, which let the immobile patients and wheelchair patients, whose rooms are located on the second floor, access to fresh air and natural sunlight. The space below the terrace became a wonderful space where our residents and members of the local community gather together. Such a renovation of the yard lets us organize many events in the open air.
Also all our residents simply adore the garden in the yard, where they grow vegetables with their own hands and because of this simple thing they feel their own usefulness and being involved in the process.
Also all our residents simply adore the garden in the yard, where they grow vegetables with their own hands and because of this simple thing they feel their own usefulness and being involved in the process.
Key objectives for inclusion
Our residents are the most vulnerable part of our society. Even before the war their life was not comfortable stable or diverse. Typical houses where they used to live do not have ramps or special lifts. Social workers used to bring them food only twice a week. Their retirement benefits are pitiful – an equivalent of about 50 euros per month. When the war started and Kharkiv was half-encircled by the russian troops, all the social services evacuated. Almost all the drugstores and shops were closed. Every day more and more people were left homeless as their houses were shelled. Some immobile citizens were left alone in multi-story houses, without any help.
We have taken on the responsibility to care for them – and for more than 600 days they have 24/7 care and appropriate diet. We take them to hospitals, pay for their medical treatment. They live in a barrier-less environment, talk to the people of their own age, communicate with the local residents and their children, listen to live musical performances. They are able to use the library and read books donated by Kharkiv residents. All of the above comes at absolutely no cost for the residents – all of the expenses are covered by community donations and fundraising events. The only limitation is the capacity of the shelter. We are aiming to double this capacity in the near future by refurbishing the third floor of the building.
We have taken on the responsibility to care for them – and for more than 600 days they have 24/7 care and appropriate diet. We take them to hospitals, pay for their medical treatment. They live in a barrier-less environment, talk to the people of their own age, communicate with the local residents and their children, listen to live musical performances. They are able to use the library and read books donated by Kharkiv residents. All of the above comes at absolutely no cost for the residents – all of the expenses are covered by community donations and fundraising events. The only limitation is the capacity of the shelter. We are aiming to double this capacity in the near future by refurbishing the third floor of the building.
Results in relation to category
Today there is only one government establishment for the elderly and the disabled in Kharkiv, which can house 350 patients. There are 650 more places available in 4 similar establishments of the Kharkiv region. There are 500000 internally displaced persons in Kharkiv and the safer parts of the Kharkiv region. In many cases, these are people without their own place to live and without work. Half of them are people advanced in years. The problem increases every day, because evacuation from various parts of the region continues every day.
Our initiative has – literally - saved the lives of about 150 elderly and disabled people. Now there are 50 residents in our shelter, 22 of whom are immobile. We spend about 500000 hrivnyas (UAH) per month to run the shelter, 10 % of which goes toward refurbishing and equipping new rooms.
For many of our residents it is a temporary solution. Some people’s relatives return from abroad, some go abroad to join their children. Others were helped by the rehabilitation from our specialist and they were able to return to independent living. Some person’s house has been repaired and they were able to return home. Some of our residents passed away while still living with us, but during their last days they were catered and cared for. There are some people who have been here from the very beginning, who have nowhere left to go and who may stay with us until their last day. More than 400 people have joined to work on this project. These are volunteers, local residents and their children, various specialists, ordinary Kharkiv residents, and supportive people from anywhere on the globe. We have built a network of cooperation. This is a great example for other communities with a great potential for positive change. Many journalists visit us. Their articles and reports are seen by many people, so we have hope that this project may be continued in other regions which encounter such problems.
Our initiative has – literally - saved the lives of about 150 elderly and disabled people. Now there are 50 residents in our shelter, 22 of whom are immobile. We spend about 500000 hrivnyas (UAH) per month to run the shelter, 10 % of which goes toward refurbishing and equipping new rooms.
For many of our residents it is a temporary solution. Some people’s relatives return from abroad, some go abroad to join their children. Others were helped by the rehabilitation from our specialist and they were able to return to independent living. Some person’s house has been repaired and they were able to return home. Some of our residents passed away while still living with us, but during their last days they were catered and cared for. There are some people who have been here from the very beginning, who have nowhere left to go and who may stay with us until their last day. More than 400 people have joined to work on this project. These are volunteers, local residents and their children, various specialists, ordinary Kharkiv residents, and supportive people from anywhere on the globe. We have built a network of cooperation. This is a great example for other communities with a great potential for positive change. Many journalists visit us. Their articles and reports are seen by many people, so we have hope that this project may be continued in other regions which encounter such problems.
How Citizens benefit
Regular citizens found out about our project from their friends, the social networks, lectures in public spaces and exhibitions which we conducted in Ukraine and abroad – with photographs and video stories from our residents.
From the very beginning, local volunteers helped us to bring food (before the kitchen in the shelter started functioning), to evacuate the elderly and the disabled from the de-occupied territories. The builders, together with the community members, managed the renovation of the building. Volunteers from many EU countries sent us hygiene products and household chemicals. Local entrepreneurs provided us with petrol. Residents of nearby houses helped us clean up the area shared their garden produce, milk, home-made cheese (some still do so regularly). This turned into a real community project.
We were also joined by a volunteer from the U.S. - a rehabilitation specialist. He joined us on 25th March 2022 and has been working on bringing our residents back on their feet ever since.
Musicians organize free performances. Local children congratulate them on holidays. People from all over Kharkiv donate to help us pay for the heating of the building. The military help with the firewood for the winter.
This community project has given the people of different generations and from so many layers of society the chance to get to know each other and lend a helping hand. Younger people are taught to respect the elderly people, while the elderly get socialization, the feeling of safety and dignity.
From the very beginning, local volunteers helped us to bring food (before the kitchen in the shelter started functioning), to evacuate the elderly and the disabled from the de-occupied territories. The builders, together with the community members, managed the renovation of the building. Volunteers from many EU countries sent us hygiene products and household chemicals. Local entrepreneurs provided us with petrol. Residents of nearby houses helped us clean up the area shared their garden produce, milk, home-made cheese (some still do so regularly). This turned into a real community project.
We were also joined by a volunteer from the U.S. - a rehabilitation specialist. He joined us on 25th March 2022 and has been working on bringing our residents back on their feet ever since.
Musicians organize free performances. Local children congratulate them on holidays. People from all over Kharkiv donate to help us pay for the heating of the building. The military help with the firewood for the winter.
This community project has given the people of different generations and from so many layers of society the chance to get to know each other and lend a helping hand. Younger people are taught to respect the elderly people, while the elderly get socialization, the feeling of safety and dignity.
Physical or other transformations
It refers to other types of transformations (soft investment)
Innovative character
Caring for the elderly and the disabled has always been the responsibility of the government. Also after 2000, private establishments started appearing. But with the beginning of the war, the number of people who needed it have risen sharply and the government establishments were not able to help everyone. Besides, not all the people from ruined towns and villages have the necessary documents to gain access to a government facility. Private establishments require a payment, where a monthly fee is higher than an average retirement benefit of an elderly person. Our innovation is that the community members have gathered and took the responsibility for a group of the people who need it.
We organize the fundraising, renovate the building ourselves, take care of the residents. This gives us the energy, the ability to communicate with each other, to bring up our children to be responsible and humane members of society.
We organize the fundraising, renovate the building ourselves, take care of the residents. This gives us the energy, the ability to communicate with each other, to bring up our children to be responsible and humane members of society.
Disciplines/knowledge reflected
We have attracted many professionals to take part in this project:
- Medics and psychologists to care for the residents and provide recommendations regarding the best way to renovate the run-down dormitory;
- Geologists to research the possibility of improving the state of the walls, which were being damped and partially flooded by groundwater;
- Architects to create a modern functional space, accessible to the disabled persons. It proved to be an extremely difficult task, because a dormitory for workers had not been designed for people in wheelchairs and immobile patients;
- Engineers for creating a safe energy efficient and maximum energy-independent electric supply system. This was a basic necessity because of russia’s attacks aiming to destroy the energy infrastructure of Ukraine;
- Landscape architects for creating a project of reorganizing the yard of the shelter and connecting it to the green zone and the zone of a natural spring, which are located nearby;
- Specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Services in order to organize the space according to the rules of fire safety;
- Builders who implemented the architects’ projects and transformed ideas into reality.
All of these people worked on the project jointly and achieved a high level of synergy.
As a result of cooperation of such a diverse team of specialists, the building and the area around it were saved from degradation and turned into a shelter for 50 needy citizens and a meeting place for the contributing members of the local community. We are currently planning to expand the building facilities to host at least 50 more people.
- Medics and psychologists to care for the residents and provide recommendations regarding the best way to renovate the run-down dormitory;
- Geologists to research the possibility of improving the state of the walls, which were being damped and partially flooded by groundwater;
- Architects to create a modern functional space, accessible to the disabled persons. It proved to be an extremely difficult task, because a dormitory for workers had not been designed for people in wheelchairs and immobile patients;
- Engineers for creating a safe energy efficient and maximum energy-independent electric supply system. This was a basic necessity because of russia’s attacks aiming to destroy the energy infrastructure of Ukraine;
- Landscape architects for creating a project of reorganizing the yard of the shelter and connecting it to the green zone and the zone of a natural spring, which are located nearby;
- Specialists from the Ministry of Emergency Services in order to organize the space according to the rules of fire safety;
- Builders who implemented the architects’ projects and transformed ideas into reality.
All of these people worked on the project jointly and achieved a high level of synergy.
As a result of cooperation of such a diverse team of specialists, the building and the area around it were saved from degradation and turned into a shelter for 50 needy citizens and a meeting place for the contributing members of the local community. We are currently planning to expand the building facilities to host at least 50 more people.
Methodology used
We tried to unite the community as much as possible: by writing information posts on social media, by creating clear realistic tasks for people to join in. For example, common cleaning up of the yard, painting premises, organizing concerts for the residents of the shelter, common celebrating of the New Year, collecting the funds to buy a big TV set or to purchase a specialized car for transporting the immobile residents. People came for the first time, saw the atmosphere of the place, found out about the current challenges and tasks and joined in the work. They also brought their children and friends.
Our approach is a responsible attitude to work, which people see and value. It inspires them to take part as well. The method of personal responsibility works well as well. When people communicate with a particular resident, they know all their stories and try to solve their particular problem (looking for relatives, bringing them to their home village, helping with documents, etc.).
Therefore, our methods include:
- Spreading the word
- Realistic and doable tasks
- Openness and transparency of all the processes
- Individual responsibility through personal communication
Our approach is a responsible attitude to work, which people see and value. It inspires them to take part as well. The method of personal responsibility works well as well. When people communicate with a particular resident, they know all their stories and try to solve their particular problem (looking for relatives, bringing them to their home village, helping with documents, etc.).
Therefore, our methods include:
- Spreading the word
- Realistic and doable tasks
- Openness and transparency of all the processes
- Individual responsibility through personal communication
How stakeholders are engaged
It’s important to note that state, oblast and local establishments of such type are over-full and do not provide us with any support. This project is solely the effort of volunteers and the local community. People from afar supported our initiative: Germany, the U.S., Netherlands, different regions of Ukraine. They organize auctions, exhibitions and other charitable events to fundraise for our shelter. Some of our residents sew hand-made woolen socks and other items which are sold at these events to raise the public awareness and gain their support.
A huge portion of the money, time and effort comes from ordinary Kharkiv residents. Without out unity, this project would not have been possible. We believe that participating in it teaches our citizens to be more responsible and interact with people of different ages. The elderly get more opportunities for decent living, in particular they benefit from physical rehabilitation, communicating with people like themselves, creating pieces of art in a workshop to express themselves. This is a positive example of involving the population in the life of a community and social interaction. During the war and with a high level of emigration, our experience may be useful for many communities in Ukraine.
A huge portion of the money, time and effort comes from ordinary Kharkiv residents. Without out unity, this project would not have been possible. We believe that participating in it teaches our citizens to be more responsible and interact with people of different ages. The elderly get more opportunities for decent living, in particular they benefit from physical rehabilitation, communicating with people like themselves, creating pieces of art in a workshop to express themselves. This is a positive example of involving the population in the life of a community and social interaction. During the war and with a high level of emigration, our experience may be useful for many communities in Ukraine.
Global challenges
Our project is helping solve a number of problems:
- Assisting the elderly population.
The elderly people who were forced to relocate from the active war zones in the Kharkiv region or city dwellers whose homes were destroyed by the russians are getting the chance to spend their final years in a decent and caring environment. They are given a hope for leading an active life, because many of them are able to get back on their feet with the help of our rehabilitation specialist volunteer.
- Unemployment.
Unemployment is high in the Kharkiv region. Our project has created 11 workplaces, providing jobs for former teachers, nursery school tutors, seamstresses and nurses.
- Transforming postindustrial era dilapidated buildings and areas.
Our project has proved that even with the use of ‘soft investments’, it is possible to adjust the industrial era buildings to tackling modern-day issues. As a result, these areas stay safe from degradation. Furthermore, such approach is sustainable from the environmental standpoint, as old structures are used, rather than new developments, thus reducing the global carbon footprint.
- Social isolation in a modern city.
Working on this project was the moving force for uniting various layers of society. All kinds of people offered their help and assistance: affluent and of modest means, old and young, with multiple university degrees and those without a single one. It has bonded us with others and demonstrated the power of a community effort.
- Mental health issues during wartime.
Many people know about our challenges and try to help. Everyone in Kharkiv has difficulties caused by the war: unemployment, low wages, families split apart, not working schools and nursery schools (the list goes on). There are regular rocket strikes, which only increases the psychological tension. The possibility of helping someone, doing it together, meeting new people, some of whom witnessed WW2, becomes a source of strength, inspiration and unity.
- Assisting the elderly population.
The elderly people who were forced to relocate from the active war zones in the Kharkiv region or city dwellers whose homes were destroyed by the russians are getting the chance to spend their final years in a decent and caring environment. They are given a hope for leading an active life, because many of them are able to get back on their feet with the help of our rehabilitation specialist volunteer.
- Unemployment.
Unemployment is high in the Kharkiv region. Our project has created 11 workplaces, providing jobs for former teachers, nursery school tutors, seamstresses and nurses.
- Transforming postindustrial era dilapidated buildings and areas.
Our project has proved that even with the use of ‘soft investments’, it is possible to adjust the industrial era buildings to tackling modern-day issues. As a result, these areas stay safe from degradation. Furthermore, such approach is sustainable from the environmental standpoint, as old structures are used, rather than new developments, thus reducing the global carbon footprint.
- Social isolation in a modern city.
Working on this project was the moving force for uniting various layers of society. All kinds of people offered their help and assistance: affluent and of modest means, old and young, with multiple university degrees and those without a single one. It has bonded us with others and demonstrated the power of a community effort.
- Mental health issues during wartime.
Many people know about our challenges and try to help. Everyone in Kharkiv has difficulties caused by the war: unemployment, low wages, families split apart, not working schools and nursery schools (the list goes on). There are regular rocket strikes, which only increases the psychological tension. The possibility of helping someone, doing it together, meeting new people, some of whom witnessed WW2, becomes a source of strength, inspiration and unity.
Learning transferred to other parties
The problem our country has faced is a high level of emigration and a higher proportion of the elderly and disabled people being left without support.
The industrial age has ended and left us many buildings and structures which have completely lost their initial function. Territories like this, which are not looked after, are a fertile ground for all sorts of criminal activity. This is why our example of jointly turning an industrial-era building into a functioning modern shelter for the elderly can be useful in many parts of our country and beyond. Special attention needs to be given to such areas near green zones and parks – in order for the elderly to be able to connect with nature, and near hospitals – for easier access to frequently needed medical facilities.
The industrial age has ended and left us many buildings and structures which have completely lost their initial function. Territories like this, which are not looked after, are a fertile ground for all sorts of criminal activity. This is why our example of jointly turning an industrial-era building into a functioning modern shelter for the elderly can be useful in many parts of our country and beyond. Special attention needs to be given to such areas near green zones and parks – in order for the elderly to be able to connect with nature, and near hospitals – for easier access to frequently needed medical facilities.
Keywords
unity
old age
war
support
hope
