Dignity and сare for the most vulnerable people
Published: Nov 17, 2025 Reading time: 3 minutes Share: Share an articleThe war in Ukraine has endangered the lives of thousands of people with mental disorders, for whom evacuation and adaptation are particularly difficult due to their health condition.
Because of shelling and the advance of hostilities, dozens of social institutions in Ukraine were forced to relocate to safer regions. One of them is the Popasna Regional Psychoneurological Boarding House.
Originally from the Luhansk Oblast, the boarding house found refuge in a picturesque corner of Bukovyna. However, the staff had to start from scratch, as all their property remained in the occupied territory. Thanks to the support of a private donor from the Czech Republic, Ivo Lukačovič, we purchased modern kitchen appliances and equipment for a rehabilitation room. This will significantly improve living conditions for people who need special support and care.
Former noble estate, cozy park, vast apple orchard, healing air — it would be hard to find a better place for the recovery of patients with intellectual and mental disorders. But the journey of the Popasna Regional Psychoneurological Boarding House to this picturesque corner of Bukovyna was long. For nearly eight years, the staff and patients lived practically on the front line. In March 2022, the boarding house came under fire. Amid flames and destroyed buildings, an urgent evacuation took place.
“We didn’t have enough transport, so we evacuated only the residents. All the equipment and inventory were left behind. We evacuated 127 people from Popasna, including four women. The age of our residents ranges from 30 to 90 years,” says the boarding house director, Oleksandr Kolesnikov.
At first, the patients were given temporary shelter in a hospital in Chernivtsi. Later, the boarding house moved to a former tuberculosis sanatorium in the village of Krasnoilsk. The building was in good condition, but everyday living spaces had to be arranged from scratch — places for sleeping, eating, and hygiene.
“When we arrived, almost all the existing equipment was out of order. In the kitchen, there was only one electric stove and a wood-burning oven. We appealed to many organisations for help, including People in Need,” adds the director.
In the kitchen, lunch is being prepared. The residents help peel apples for compote — picked right here in their own garden. The smell of fried cutlets drifts from the kitchen. It’s not easy for the women: they have to cook for 88 residents. Many processes — such as kneading dough, peeling and cutting vegetables, and washing dishes — are still done manually.
Thanks to the support of private donor Ivo Lukačovič from the Czech Republic, we purchased new equipment and household appliances that will greatly ease the staff’s work.
“Instead of three shifts, we only have two working in the kitchen. Most of our cooks are local women, and there’s a shortage of qualified staff. The new equipment will make their work much easier. Our dietitian is delighted — now we can diversify the residents’ menu,” says Oleksandr Kolesnikov.
We also delivered equipment for physical rehabilitation. Various exercise machines, a functional table, balls, dumbbells, and a couch will form the basis of the rehabilitation room.
The boarding house also conducts social rehabilitation. This year, three residents became students of a technical school, proudly shares social worker Yuliia Bachuk.
“For more than two months now, our residents have been studying to become plasterers and painters. They live in the school dormitory and cook their own meals. At first, we helped them, but now they’ve become independent.”
Education gives these men a chance to find work and start a new, independent life.
Changes are also happening within the boarding house itself. Four couples have formed among the residents. There’s an opportunity to create supported housing for them in a separate building — but it still needs renovation.
