Returning childhood to a Zaporizhzhia community shelter
With 22% of the population being internally displaced and over 5000 of them living in community shelters, the city of Zaporizhzhia is in dire need of accommodation. Those that had to leave everything behind are not picky, but the need for improvements is felt in most of the temporary accommodations housing internally displaced people with nowhere else to go. The “Patriot” shelter – once a building of business – is located on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia is home to 33 displaced people. Thanks to the cooperation of World Vision, ACTED, USAID and Hungarian Interchurch Aid (HIA), life at the shelter is becoming more comfortable. Looking for ways to support local civil society organisations involved in the care of displaced people, the Ukraine Response Consortium supported the “Patriot” shelter with a brand new playground and kitchen equipment.
“The shelter’s courtyard used to resemble a war zone – potholes in the asphalt and dust from nearby garages left children with no opportunity for play and active recreation.” -says a mother of two little girls, themselves IDPs from Mariupol. The area where the shelter is located, on the outskirts of Zaporizhzhia, also offered no playgrounds for children within a 1.5 km radius. “The nearest and still overcrowded playground is so far that you have to take a half-hour bus ride to get there.” However, today, the courtyard of the “Patriot” shelter, which hosts IDPs, has transformed into a vibrant oasis of joy and laughter, where every child, regardless of age, can find something for themselves.
This playground has become a real event for the shelter’s residents. With the support of the Ukrainian Response Consortium and partner organizations ACTED and World Vision, Hungarian Interchurch Aid was able to renovate the courtyard and create a comfortable space for children. Now, one can see bright carousels, swings, benches, and other elements that ensure active and fun leisure.
Among the young visitors to the playground is the son of Lyudmyla, an IDP from Berdyansk. He, along with other children, enthusiastically runs around in a bubble show organized by the shelter administration. She and her son overcame a difficult journey, escaping occupation of their hometown. “My son experienced the horrors of war at such a young age; I worry so much about him,” she shares. Here, on the playground, chasing soap bubbles, nine-year-old Viktor can regain a bit of the carefree childhood he lost. Now they are trying to rebuild their lives under new circumstances. “While my son is on summer vacation, I’m looking for a job,” says Lyudmyla.
Life in the shelter has also become more comfortable thanks to new modern kitchen equipment. In the shelter, which currently houses 33 IDPs (8 of whom are children), a new induction cooktop and exhaust hood have been installed, significantly improving the conditions for cooking. This may seem like a small thing, but for people who have left everything behind, such details are of enormous importance. Olena, another IDP from Berdyansk who shares a room with Lyudmyla, notes that the new equipment not only makes cooking faster and more convenient but also helps maintain cleanliness and order in the kitchen.
These two women, as it turned out, are both from Berdyansk, and now they live together in the same room. “We stayed together because we are from the same place,” they say, holding hands. Along with them, other IDPs and their beloved pets also live here. The “Patriot” shelter is known for its policy of supporting IDPs with animals. More than 12 cats and 5 dogs have found refuge here along with their owners.
“We can’t imagine separating pets from their owners,” say the shelter’s administration. This modern and humane policy helps keep families together even in such difficult conditions. Olena Kovachova, who, along with her black fluffy dog named Sonya, endured all the hardships of six months of life under occupation and passed through checkpoints while fleeing, is convinced: “I wouldn’t have survived without Sonya. She helped me keep my sanity.” Now she is also saved by her favorite hobby – creating crystal mosaics on canvas. One of these bright pictures has found its place on the wall of the shelter’s community room. “I made it with hope for a quick arrival of peace on our land,” shares Olena, showing an image of a hand holding the world, which in recent years has been shaking from conflicts and hardships. “We all long for peace.”
The “Patriot” shelter in Zaporizhzhia has become more than just a temporary refuge; it has become a true home for many people forced to leave their native cities. Thanks to the efforts of benefactors and caring people, this home is becoming more and more cozy and comfortable for living. The new children’s playground, modern kitchen equipment, and support for pet owners are small steps that help people return to normal life and restore their faith in a better future.
Within the HIA-implemented small grants programme of the Ukraine Response Consortium, 23 local, grass-root organisations in Zaporizhzka, Dnipropetrovska, Kharkivska and Mykolaivska oblasts have received grants to help those who suffer the consequences of war.
This story was made possible by the generous support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) under Grant Agreement “Ukraine Response Consortium: Providing Multi-Sectoral Humanitarian Assistance to Conflict-Affected Populations in Ukraine (2023-2024)”
