Last week, representatives of the charity organization “Shchedryk,” together with the World Food Programme (WFP) and European Union Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid, visited de-occupied, demined territories in the Mykolaiv region.
Their goal is to help local residents restore the land for productive use, support households and their owners on the path to self-sufficiency, and reduce reliance on humanitarian aid.
Participants in the “resilience” project share their stories:
“When everything around you is destroyed, you feel lost and don’t know where to start. But here, thanks to this support, you realize that everything can be restored and made even better,” says Oleksandr Varaksa, a resident of the village of Pavlivka.
“Our family used to grow vegetables in greenhouses before the full-scale invasion. Unfortunately, due to bombing and occupation, they were destroyed. And in 2023, our village suffered from flooding caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka Hydroelectric Power Plant. We lost not only our crops but also the ability to work. Additionally, because we couldn’t leave the village, we faced numerous shellings, evidenced by the numerous missile remnants in our yard,” shares Mr. Oleksandr.
Now, after the demining of Snihurivka, the Varaksa family strives to restore their activities to the pre-war level. For this, they need a new greenhouse, as the old one is damaged and unusable.
Victoria Khomyakova, the director of the Snihurivka Vocational School, talks about how the war has forced women to rethink their lives.
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