ADRA Ukraine Steps Up to Help Families Prepare for Winter

As temperatures drop across Europe, we all feel blessed if we can put on a warm jumper or switch on the heating at home. But how do children and adults cope in Ukraine? Facing the cold is going to be a challenge for many. This is where people’s donations help the Adventist Development and Relief Agency (ADRA) network to step in, so children and adults will experience a warmer winter.

Winter Aid for Children and Adults

Hanna Bakanovska, program director for ADRA Ukraine, explains: “During this late fall season, winterization, preparation for imminent low temperatures and potential blackouts caused by missile strikes is of utmost importance both for our charitable organization and for all people in Ukraine affected by the hostilities,” she said.

Currently, ADRA Ukraine is implementing several winterization projects to provide the most vulnerable population with winterization nonfood items such as heaters, stoves, thermal cups, warm blankets, and power banks, Bakanovska said. “At the same time, we are distributing fuel briquettes in the areas where solid fuel is not available for sale, and namely in the recently reclaimed territories, where forests are heavily contaminated with landmines,” she said. “ADRA Ukraine also offer shelters to internally displaced people (IDPs), who have lost their housing, to help families survive this difficult winter season in [a] comfortable environment.”

Bakanovska also explained that another component is cash assistance. “This fall, over 780 beneficiaries have already received the Cash-for-Rent assistance, while 40,054 people have received the multipurpose cash assistance since the beginning of 2023. In the areas where no functional markets are available, such as in remote areas and areas in the immediate vicinity to the frontline, the food assistance continues to be highly relevant,” she said.

Besides that, as part of ADRA’s winterization activities, the agency is focusing on heat insulation of residential buildings and shelters. “Currently, ADRA Ukraine team performs repairs of damaged private houses, including window replacement, roof repairs and heat insulation,” Bakanovska said.

The ADRA Network project is another winterization project that started in mid–September and will continue until late April 2024. “The project includes the distribution of fuel briquettes in Sviatohirsk community of Donetsk region, where ADRA has already registered 750 households. Also, it is planned to distribute of construction materials for households capable of performing repair works either through their own efforts, or with support of the local authorities,” Bakanovska said.

Assistance activities will be implemented in the Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions, Bakanovska added. “Those who are not able to do the construction works themselves, can apply for participation in another activity, where ADRA Ukraine team assess the damage, select the most damaged households, and make agreements with contractors to do the repairs,” she said. “One hundred and thirty households are expected to be covered in Zaporizhzhia, Kherson, and Mykolaiv regions. These are the recently liberated territories and the areas where there are no active combat engagements. In total, this project plans to provide support to 2,240 beneficiaries.”

The original version of this story was posted on the ADRA Europe news site.