Warmth for the Family: The Story of a Rybalske Household That Received Cash Assistance to Prepare for Winter
In this photo are Lidiia Dmytrivna and Anatolii Leonidovych from the village of Rybalske in Sumy Oblast.
And behind this image lies a small story of its own.
The retired couple began preparing for winter as early as the beginning of September. Several times a week, they would ride their bicycles together to the forest, looking for anything that could be used to light their old stove. They brought back as many dry branches as they could carry.
“We need a lot of firewood. Our relatives and grandchildren visit us. We’ve lived in this home for many years; it’s old and has no gas heating. We keep warm and cook on the stove, and it needs firewood. So we decided to take the opportunity to apply for assistance,” Lidiia Dmytrivna explains.
They learned from their neighbors that at the NGO “Responsible Citizens” they could apply for cash assistance from JERU, supported by the German Federal Foreign Office. At that time, registration had just begun in the communities of Sumy Oblast for support to cover people’s urgent needs.
The funds were transferred to the family’s account promptly. Lidiia Dmytrivna says that she and her husband immediately used the money to purchase high-quality firewood for the winter—so they would no longer have to cycle to the forest during the cold season.
“We are very grateful for this support. Winter is ahead, and we need a lot of firewood to keep warm. But now we’ve built up a good supply, and it will last us a long time—we won’t need to go to the forest anymore,” she adds.
The family of Lidiia Dmytrivna’s adult daughter also received cash assistance. The woman has internally displaced person (IDP) status, as she was forced to relocate from Okhtyrka after her home was damaged. Now Olena, her husband, and their two minor children are settling into a new place. Thanks to the funds received, she was able to undergo costly MRI examinations to check her spine and blood vessels. Doctors have already identified the issue and prescribed the necessary treatment.
The winter cash assistance program is implemented by Responsible Citizens NGO in partnership with JERU (a joint initiative of the international organizations Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide) with funding from the German Federal Foreign Office (AA).
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