Helping a community through difficult times

For eight long months, the Shyrokivska community endured constant attacks. One of its villages was occupied, and another found itself in the grey zone, forcing all its residents to flee.

"The hardest hit was the community centre – the village of Shyroke. 95% was either damaged or destroyed. When a commission began assessing the destruction after liberation, they found only four undamaged houses. All the rest were partially damaged, severely damaged, or completely ruined," says Serhii Peresunko, Head of the Shyrokivska Territorial Community.

Before the full-scale invasion, nearly 800 people lived in the village of Shyroke. During the intense fighting, only 21 residents remained. Most were forced to flee to save their lives.

Only one of the three schools in the community withstood the shelling. Over time, the educational process was restored, and children from Shyroke are now studying in the surviving part of the building. A reconstruction project was also developed for one of the destroyed schools.

66-year-old Oleksandr is one of the few who stayed in the village during the intense fighting. He evacuated his family to a safe place but remained behind to care for his cow and pigeons, to whom he had devoted his entire life.

"In June 2022, I counted 186 explosions in a single day. Many people left, but they asked those who remained to care for their livestock – feeding dogs, cats, chickens, and ducks. For every 20 households, there was only one person left. I learnt how to milk a cow, delivered milk and eggs to people, and even fed the cats with the milk," Oleksandr recalls.

Oleksandr endured the most terrifying moments alongside his village. One day, an explosion happened nearby, and he narrowly escaped into a ditch for cover. Unfortunately, his neighbour wasn’t as fortunate – she died in the blast. That day, Oleksandr began showing signs of a stroke, but he was reluctant to go to the hospital until others convinced him to seek medical attention.

Rebuilding the infrastructure and homes shattered by shelling has been incredibly difficult for the people. That's why we have provided the community with a wide range of support. Thanks to the financial support of the European Union, we delivered emergency repair materials to those affected, along with more than 340 hygiene kits. In collaboration with the U.S. Agency for International Development, we repaired homes for 17 families and installed a water tower in the village of Novopetrivka, providing a stable water supply for nearly 600 people. Thanks to the support of the Czech people , we delivered a solar power station to ensure the uninterrupted operation of a well in Shyroke village, which provides water for 500 people.

Today, around 60% of the community's residents have returned home. People are gradually rebuilding their houses, planting gardens, and tending to their orchards. Oleksandr cleaned up the flowerbed and tidied the yard as soon as the snow melted. Spring is strengthening people's belief in justice and brighter days ahead.

"I’ve been waiting for victory and will continue to wait. It can’t be any other way. My children keep inviting me to Cherkasy, where housing is available, but I won’t go anywhere. I’ve built all this with my own hands. How can I leave it all? We’ve overcome so much, and we will overcome this too," he exclaimed.