We do not leave people to face hardships alone
Published: Feb 17, 2025 Reading time: 2 minutes Share: Share an articleKramatorsk in the Donetsk Oblast, Ukraine, is just 20 kilometres from the frontline, yet more than 80,000 people still live there. Long-time residents do not want to leave the homes where they have spent their entire lives. Likewise, many internally displaced people have sought refuge here since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine. However, the price of staying is extremely high: people live under constant shelling and at continuous risk. With the European Union's support, we are helping these resilient people repair their damaged homes.
The village of Bilenke, in Kramatorsk, was shaken by the explosion of an aerial bomb, which left a large crater near the road. The crater has since been filled in; however, traces of the attack scar the surrounding houses. Shattered roofs, broken windows, destroyed fences, and, in some cases, even collapsed walls paint a grim picture of the destruction.
"The blast wave was immense," recalls Svitlana. She moved to Kramatorsk from a village that has been almost wiped off the map. Now, she lives in a private house with her son and grandson. The house belongs to other people who fled and allowed Svitlana's family to stay there.
"The boys were in the garden when it happened. They had just come inside to rest. I had stepped outside to feed the dog when I heard a plane flying. The moment I bent down for a second, I heard the explosion. The windows shattered, and my boys came running, shouting: 'Mom, where are you?'" Svitlana recalls the terrifying moment.
Not a single window remained intact in Valentyna's home either. She used to live in Horlivka, but when the fighting began in 2014, she moved to a safer place. And now, war has caught up with her once again.
"It happened in just a second. We had just finished lunch, my son was home, and his friend had stopped by. Suddenly, the window frame was ripped out completely. Everything was blown apart. The chandelier fell as if it had been cut down," Valentyna describes the moment of impact.
Both families were lucky to escape unharmed. But after seeing the damage, they felt hopeless. Replacing the shattered windows is vital to keep houses warm, a necessity in Ukrainian winter. However, glazing is expensive and beyond the reach of families fleeing war. Valentyna was astonished by how quickly our team arrived in Bilenke and offered assistance.
"As soon as it [the attack] happened, People in Need representatives came to assess the damage and evaluate the work needed. They assured us that our homes would be repaired," Valentyna recalls.
With funding from the European Union, we have repaired 38 homes in Bilenke. Our team is working tirelessly to restore nearly 300 homes by the end of March.
