On February 24, 2022, Russian forces invaded peaceful Ukraine and began levelling its cities to rubble using internationally illegal bombs.  Within the first two weeks, 2.7 million Ukrainians fled to Europe as refugees. Some of them stopped in one of our eight IDP & Refugee Centers in Uzhhorod, Ukraine where we currently have nearly 750 beds for those looking for a place to rest and eat before heading on to Europe.  It costs nearly $4000 a day just to feed that many people. Thankfully, local restaurants have opened their doors to provide free meals.  But that may end as soon as their funds run dry.

 

Some families, though, are staying in Uzhhorod. Some are not ready yet to flee their country, others cannot because men between the age of 18-60 are not allowed to leave Ukraine unless they have three or more children.  Sometimes the women and children head on to Europe leaving their husbands and sons behind.  Others decide to stay together in Ukraine.  So, we are now in the process of developing longer-term housing for these families who are staying.  We can build a Tiny Home for $10,000 for each of these families.  When the war is finally over and the IDPs have returned to their homes, we will then sell or rent these Tiny Homes out to raise funds for our other community transformation projects.

 

You can visit our website www.UkraineCollective.org to keep track of what is being done to help these families and to make donations to assist IDP families and refugees rebuild their lives.