IDP Children Painted a Tree near Investohills Shelter
On International Children’s Day, Zaporizhia Social Services Center hosted a festival for kids living here with their relatives in Investohills Shelter, Industrialka news portal informs.
Adults and children came to Zaporizhia from the areas that were either shelled constantly or occupied by invaders.
Uliana Ilman, an employee of Zaporizhia City Social Services Center, said, “We wanted to bring more happiness to children as the times are so hard for them, so we invited animators to give kids an opportunity to play, forget about the current situation, and not to grow up too early.
The festival program also included painting on a tree. We want to present this tree as Ukraine that has roots but no green twigs and flowers. Children, moms, dads, and everyone else will paint the tree as a call to rebuild Ukraine. If Ukraine is rebuilt, our families will be rebuilt as well. That was the idea.
Zaporizhia ladies from a charity team, Zaporizhia Confectioners, also came to greet the children. They prepared sweets and distributed them to the kids. They also brought a pack of strawberries and clothing for the displaced persons.
“Investohills Shelter is hosted in an office building owned by Investohills Vesta Financial Company. Andrii Volkov and Mykhailo Bakunenko, Investohills Group’s shareholders, provided UAH 2 million to convert the office space into a shelter.
“We have about 115 residents, including 26 children,” Mykola Horodenskyi, Manager of Investohills Shelter, tells Industrialka, “We purchased beds, installed eight shower cabins, four hot-water boilers, and kitchens with stoves. We also bought refrigerators and washing machines. We’ve completely redesigned the office space to accommodate people. It is like a hostel. Once the war is over, we will reconvert it in offices.
We also beautified the site near the Center by cutting unnecessary bushes, cleaned the area, and installed drying racks for laundry. It looks nice now.
According to Mykola, the first resident was accommodated here on April 28. She came from Melitopol. Currently, residents of Zaporizhia, Luhansk, and Donetsk Oblasts are accommodated in the shelter.
Most people come from Zaporizhia Oblast – from Orikhiv Raion, Vasylivka, Huliaipole, and Berdiansk. In addition, some families came here from Mariupol and Lysychansk.
Some people have lived here for more than three weeks; others have moved on. And some people were requested by the management to leave for violating the house rules. People are directed to the shelter by Zaporizhia City Social Services Center. No walk-in residents are accepted.
The management took care to set up a playing ground for children, as there are many of them here. They installed three pull-up bars and a swing.
The shelter’s manager says, “I coach children there regularly, and they are doing pull-ups. Everyone is trying to be the best.
We have many kids, and more can come later (the shelter is designed to accommodate 200 people), so we would like to set up a sports ground to ensure they spend more time outside.
We ask for help with organizing the sports ground. For example, it can be a professional fitness ground with several fitness machines. Or you can sponsor the materials – we have many handy people who will make a wall bar, parallel bars, and pull-up bars.
Please call Mykola Horodenskyi at +380953372260 if you want to help the shelter.
Photos by Oleksandr Prylepa