Home Repairs in Ukraine and Moldova
A major WJR-funded project provides home repairs for older people and single-parent families with poor living conditions in Zaporozhye, Lvov and Kiev in Ukraine and Kishinev in Moldova.
Poorly insulated homes increase heating costs that many already struggle to afford and make winter unbearable. Elderly people whose mobility is limited for health reasons can quickly become isolated from wider society if their homes are not easily accessible or if their dilapidated condition stops them from welcoming any guests. Homes with no or inadequate sanitary facilities and with damp and mould are hazardous to residents’ health, increasing cases of illness and injury as well as making residents more prone to depression.
For these reasons, improving the daily living environments of elderly members of Ukraine and Moldova’s Jewish communities, raising them to a safe, acceptable standard, has a huge impact on enhancing quality of life.
Each home is individually assessed and renovations are made in accordance with need. The finances of those selected would not ordinarily be enough to pay for these necessary repairs. Renovations will be made to 85 homes in Moldova and Ukraine in 2011-12, and aim to improve both living conditions and resident’s physical and emotional health.
Home Repairs Film
Semion's story
Semion lives in Kiev. Suffering with a number of serious ailments including respiratory problems, he has to spend much of his £90 monthly pension on medication. The little money he has left over he must spend on food which means that his home is literally falling apart. As the winter sets in, it became clear that without the emergency repairs to his home, he would struggle to survive the coming months. The walls in the kitchen were covered in mould, the floor was uneven and covered with holes and the oven was faulty and potentially dangerous to use.
His home was also disconnected from the main water supply due to faulty pipes which also meant that the sewage system was non existent. Since all the repairs have been completed, Semion has reported that his respiratory problems hugely improved leaving him to believe that the damp and mould in his home was a major contributor to his suffering. Semion is absolutely delighted with the work that has been carried out on his home and would like to thank you for your generosity and for giving him back his dignity and sense of pride in his home.
For our clients, living in dignity is just as important as the financial and welfare support that they receive. It is the aim of World Jewish Relief to provide solutions and not just a temporary solution to a growing problem.
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© 2010 World Jewish Relief
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Charity Number: 290767 | Tel: +44 (0)20 8736 1250 | info@wjr.org.uk
