We are beginning to expand our efforts in Ukraine. Our first visit to Ukraine was in October of 2016 with the purpose of assessing the needs. We made contact with someone in Ukraine who was willing to assist us in visiting places and finding those needing our humanitarian assistance. The situation in Ukraine was similar to our early visits to Belarus, both countries being part of the former Soviet Union.
We met Anya in the city of Kremenchuk, which is located in the central part of Ukraine. Because she has been assisting people in Ukraine for years, she is a real blessing to our efforts there. She in turn was very grateful to have us join with her in helping the helpless. We have been able to visit the orphanages, shelters, poor families and children with disabilities that she has been assisting on a regular basis.
We have been asked to upgrade a shower facility at an institution that provides care for children who have been exposed to tuberculosis. This is primarily a school where children stay until they can return to a healthy home environment. The existing shower facility is located in the basement where outdated conditions provide only limited lighting and an inadequate supply of warm water. We have been asked to remodel an existing large storage room, which is located on one of the upper floors, and convert it into a modern shower room.
The orphanage is very old, but it is home to over 100 children. A new shower room would be a nice blessing!
Pictured: Our local contact Anya (L) speaking with DCHA Team members Charlie, Denya and Alan. Anya is talking about some of the needs to be addressed. Deputy of the TB Orphanage, Lubov, is at the right.
The DCHA Team took a tour of the basement area of the school to see the shower area. The showers are in bad shape and need to be renovated. Suggested improvements include new tiles, lighting and improved accessibility to warm water.
DCHA Team member, Alan Marshall, points out the current condition of the existing shower.
The construction has begun with the demolition of the new location for the shower on a upper floor. This will move the showers out of the basement to a space where there is natural light and less dampness than the previous location.
