Ukraine. Support for the population. Emergency and rehabilitation

The SUPER project – Support Ukrainian Population for Emergency and Rehabilitation – is a significant initiative co-financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and Caritas Italiana is part of a broader program that aims to provide multi-sectoral life-saving assistance in areas directly affected by the conflict and in the areas surrounding high concentration of displaced people.

Caritas Italiana, thanks to the collaboration with the Salesian Congregation and the SUPER project, is committed to guaranteeing support and protection to internal refugees from the eastern regions who live in the Mariapolis modular camp in Lviv. This camp, located in the Syhiv area, can accommodate up to 1,400 people in prefabricated accommodation donated by the Polish government.

Thanks to the SUPER project, the Salesian Congregation, in collaboration with VIS – International Volunteering for Development – is able to guarantee the distribution of at least one hot meal to internal refugees in the Mariapolis camp, and to organize professional training courses for vulnerable girls and women. These courses are designed to offer economic opportunities and promote safety and autonomy, helping participants regain dignity and resilience.

The training program which ended in August saw the organization of 4 free cooking courses and the involvement of 60 internal refugee girls and women. Courses included baking, pastry making, basic cooking and advanced cooking. At the end of each course the participants had the opportunity to participate in a session with experts and individual consultations to help them enter the world of work. To date, five women have found a job, nine have an internship.

The Salesian Congregation, present in Ukraine since 1991 with the communities of Lviv, Vynnyky, Kiev and Dnipro, has always been involved in projects for children and young people also in the eastern areas of the country. Among their initiatives are the “Pokrova” Family Home in Lviv, which houses 70 vulnerable children, a vocational school with 200 students and a high school with 450 students. Furthermore, they operate the “Arena Bosco” sports arena, the largest indoor sports complex in Western Ukraine.

Updated October 19, 2024