During July and at the beginning of August, interesting and useful meetings within Women’s Club “Beregynia” supported by the International Women’s Club of Kiev have been held for women and girls with health problems from Lugansk and Donetsk regions and for their families — IDPs who live in Kiev and Kyiv region.
Time goes by, and lives of women affected by the conflict who have to constantly move to new places of living, and who face all other problems of people with IDP status are very difficult, especially for women who have relatives with disabilities and children. Despite financial difficulties, difficulties with payment for rent, health problems, there are problems of lack of communication, adaptation, personal development, and acquisition of new vocational skills, lack of health, psychological and legal assistance, and lack of self-expression.
“I am dreaming of an opportunity, together with my children, to come to Women’s Club in order to communicate, get something useful for my outlook and development. It is important that you can come with your children because I have no one to keep an eye on my children during my absence,” – says Olena, a mother of 2 children with disabilities, who came from Luhansk region.
It is especially difficult for women with IDP status who bring up children with disabilities. They often stay together with their children in National Children’s Specialized Hospital «Okhmatdyt» because treatment of their children is in the priority, and there are almost no close people who can be near. The problems of physical and psychological rehabilitation of children who are IDPs remain unresolved in the new community. In majority of cases, relatives of these families live in different cities of Ukraine and such families cannot count on their support. Mothers cannot work and they seeks various opportunities to strengthen their children physically, psychologically, pedagogically — they become both a Rehabilitation Therapist, a Speech Pathologist, and a Teacher. Thus, women have no time for themselves at all.
«….Therefore, I was very joyful to receive an invitation to come to Women’s Club “Beregynia” together with my children! We were gathering and preparing to this meeting. We dressed beautifully and did hair of girls,” – says Olha, the mother of girls with health problems.
The problem of adaptation for girls and women with disabilities who have IDP status, especially with severe musculoskeletal disorders, vision disorders, central nervous system disorders, RW, remains very acute. Thus, special programs, activities and trainings will be created for them that will extend their opportunities for communication, self-expression and acquisition of new knowledge.
Therefore, there were meetings with interesting people, presentation of the publication «UNUSUAL STORIES», master classes for children who are IDPs in July, and in early August there was a photo session of families among picturesque places of Kiev, a master class on health technologies, motivational lectures for women, communication with librarians of Kyiv.
[ngg src=»galleries» ids=»4″ sortorder=»58,38,39,40,41,42,43,44,45,46,47,48,49,50,51,52,53,54,55,56,57″ display=»basic_thumbnail» images_per_page=»14″]Events take place within the framework of Women’s Club “Beregynia” that is created for women and children with health problems in order to provide social, legal, medical, psychological, professional assistance, increase opportunities and provide adaptation in the community of Kyiv. Girls and women with health problems and their families who are Kyiv residents have expressed their interest to activities of Women’s Club “Beregynia”, and we are very pleased to invite them to further meetings and events.
The Project is supported by the International Women’s Club of Kyiv and implemented by LRPYO «AYD-East», the Central Library named after M.O. Nekrasov is a Social Partner of the Project in Kyiv.
Youth and Sports Department of Luhansk Regional State Administration and Municipal Institution «Lugansk Regional Center of Socio-Cultural Adaptation of Young People with Disabilities» (Social Partners of the Project) provide comprehensive support; assist in organization, logistics and support of participants of the Project.
Taking into account interest in organization of such programs, in autumn, Women’s Club “Beregynia” will start its work for women and girls with disabilities and their families in cities and towns of Luhansk region. This direction will be supported by Youth and Sports Department of Luhansk Regional State Administration, Municipal Institution «Lugansk Regional Center of Socio-Cultural Adaptation of Young People with Disabilities» and LRPYO «AYD-East».
Valentyna Uvarova is a Project Photographer — https://www.facebook.com/photouvarova/
“…Women’s Club is not just relevant; it is not just a necessary space for communication, information exchange, motivational meetings, rest, and psychological help. After all, women with disabilities and mothers of children with disabilities feel very serious workload, and only during such meetings these women can switch off from their problems, find friends and get support,” – says Valentyna Uvarova who is IDP and a mother of a child with health problems.
Information and methodological support of National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine.