SOCMED Program Activity in 2017
Green Cross projects keep being implemented in Ukraine thanks to the coordination and financial support of Green Cross Switzerland, under the leadership of the International Socmed Program Director Maria Vitagliano and the GCCH Team.
The relevance of the implementation of the International SOCMED Program in Ukraine is determined by the constant need of the population for social and medical assistance, which is subject to negative environmental impact due to the Chernobyl accident and other unfavorable factors.
To implement the SOCMED Program in Ukraine, the universal methodology is used that includes the program management on the ground, the coordination of human and material resources, planning activities and arranging events. All actions are aimed at the successful achievement of the goals set; obtaining estimated quantitative and qualitative results. Nevertheless, external factors, such as the political, social and economic situation in Ukraine, as well as unresolved internal military conflict in the East of Ukraine affects the implementation of the activities (many families of internally displaced persons need social assistance, medical and psychological support, rehabilitation and adaptation). In this regard an important factor is the development and expansion of the SOCMED Program to enable providing quality assistance on the ground.
Starting this year main activity was directed to the interaction with families within the framework of partnership and implementation of the Green Cross projects under the International SOCMED Program in Ukraine, as well as assistance to families and children thanks to the Family Clubs in the regions (increase in radiation-hygienic literacy, necessary knowledge and practical skills for everyday life taking into account the living in ecologically unfavorable areas); scheduled field visits and medical examinations of children as part of the medical module, as well as preparatory work with partners to implement further activities; environmental education and upbringing (dissemination of knowledge about healthy lifestyles, proper nutrition and environmental protection; jointly with the NENC publications in the magazine "Parostok" about the activities of the SOCMED Program).
This year Green Cross Therapy Camps were traditionally held within 21 days in August and hosted 155 children who have status of Chernobyl affected and reside in the III-IV Chernobyl zones in Zhytomyr region, in the city of Slavutych, Repki district in Chernihiv region, in Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky and Bila Tserkva areas. The camp participants had the opportunity to undergo medical examination and receive complex therapies using natural curative resources on the base of the sanatorium ”Ukraina” and health resort “Vorzel” under the Security Service of Ukraine both located Vorzel, and also on the base of therapeutic sanatorium center “Denyshi” in Zhytomyr region. Different ecology-related activities were organized for children and all needed conditions for recovery and recreation were observed. Therapy Camp project is realized in conjunction with Ukrainian partners due to commitment of the Coordinators in the regions.
Educational Camp was organized within the framework of the All-Ukrainian Young Ecologists Forum on base of Children Center “Young Guard” in cooperation with the National Ecology and Nature Center and in partnership with the Odessa National Humanitarian Center on Out-of-school Education and the Chernomorsk Ecology and Nature Center for Young Students. 145 children from all over Ukraine took part in the Camp.
This year traditionally due to support of Erasmus+ Program Green Cross Switzerland initiated and organized Green Cross Youth Exchange project which eventually was successfully implemented. Project “Youth for the Green Future” brought together 50 young people from Belarus, Moldova, Russia, Ukraine, Japan, Italy and Switzerland. Various cultural events, excursions, meetings and training seminars were held for the camp participants. Especial attention was paid to healthy nutrition and recovery. As last year participants prepared a theatrical performance to show the relevance of actions to preserve the environment, peace and healthy life. The theatrical performance was presented to the audience in Wimmis, Zurich, Winterthur and Thun.
For the third year in a row due to the invitation and support of GHS Nonprofit Közhasznü Kft. and SENAT Aktiengesellschaft Vaduz children's camp was organized in Hungary for 37 internally displaced children from the Eastern Ukraine. Within the framework of the project 39 children had the opportunity to recreate and recuperate both mentally and physically in ecologically clean area on the territory of children's recreation center «Kinderdorf Senti» (Gyulakeszi, Hungary).
As part of the medical projects, in Chernihiv region we continue carrying out healthcare and educational activities aimed at prevention the incidence among children and work with families on the issues of healthy lifestyle. Also preparatory work was done in Bila Tserkva area to organize trips for the provision of medical consultations and examination of children in the localities.
Since the beginning of 2017 there were 6 organizational trips and 7 filed visits to the districts. 1’360 children and 154 families were examined during the visits of the medical team. On the base of the Zhytomyr Regional Pediatric Clinical Hospital (ZhRPCH) 2’615 children were examined and 1’463 were treated. Ultrasonic, laboratory and functional examinations were made. Thanks to common actions 58 operations were carried out on the basis of the ZhRPCH for the purpose of the project.
The “Mother and Child” Clubs keep performing their efficient activity in six regions of Ukraine where Green Cross is active. The Clubs conduct regular events to provide comprehensive support to people who live in ecologically unfavorable regions of Ukraine and also Chernobyl affected territories. The “Mother and Child” Clubs are focused on improving the social status of the population, providing assistance to the most vulnerable segments of the population – children, teenagers and mothers with young children, as well as environmental education and upbringing in order to spread knowledge about healthy lifestyle, proper nutrition and environmental protection. Training sessions were also held, volunteers were involved in the projects.
This year, along with the main scheduled events, Club members had a chance to participate in therapy and educational camps. With the support of the SOCMED Programme in the Chernihiv region, the school camp “Smile” was organized in the village of Repki. Thanks to the Coordinator Lubov Onoprienko children from Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky district who participated in the action “Let`s make Ukraine clean” tripped to the International Children`s Center “Artek” as well as to other sanatoriums in Ukraine. Also tent media-camp “Berendey” was held in the village of Spivakovka, Izum district, Kharkiv region where teenagers, among whom those Chernobyl affected, low income, from single-parents families and internal migrants from Gorlovka and Bakhmut had rest and recovery.
We continue working on opening new cooperatives to improve the social status and well-being of families. This year six additional cooperatives were established in Zhytomyr region, Pereyaslav-Khmelnitsky and Bila Tserkva districts. The relevance of social cooperation and new directions in the work within the framework of this project was considered.
Since the beginning of the year Green Cross Ukraine has been actively strengthening cooperation with local government institutions, authorities, medical institutions, educational institutions, establishing new partnerships, searching for potential sponsors and donors for effective implementation of existing Green Cross projects, and strengthening and expanding the SOCMED Program on the territory of Ukraine.
We express special gratitude to all the Coordinators in the regions Nelia Palamarchuk, Lubov Onoprienko, Tatiana Boyko, Elena Germanovich, Elena Ivanova, Nadezhda Opaliuk and Irina Shevchenko, as well as Lyudmila Kravchenko and Vitali Zaremba, volunteers and involved specialists for the work and inputs into the activities within the SOCMED Program in the regions of Ukraine.
GCU
