Ukraine
Mandela Day proudly hosted in 5 regions across Ukraine
The enthusiastic team from Aspen Ukraine arranged 5 projects in 5 regions across the country and hosted Mandela Day activities in Kiev, Sumy, Lviv, Poltava and Odessa.
Kiev Office
Kiev supports St Egidio Society
The South African Embassy in Ukraine once again participated in our activity in Kiev and Ambassador André Groenewald, his family and 12 employees from Embassy joined the team together with our business associates from the Rost Group to support the St Egidio Society for the first time.
We dedicated Mandela Day to providing food to the needy. As our inspiration has no limits, the planned sharing of food quickly became so much more and turned into a festive picnic for the elderly with ice cream, music and a winning lottery!
St. Egidio Society is a global organisation that addresses inequalities, helps those in need, and supports healthcare initiatives. In addition to supplying food to the poverty-stricken citizens of Kiev, St Egidio also focuses on assisting destitute children.
Kiev’s Mandela Day campaign in numbers:
- 3 partners joined Aspen’s initiative
- 27 people were involved in arranging and hosting the picnic:
- 4 Aspen team members
- 12 representatives of the South African Embassy
- 3 members of the Rost Group
- 8 St. Egidio Society representatives
- 125kgs of food was purchased
- 7 people spent 4 hours making sandwiches
- 180 sandwiches were made
- 160 winning lottery presents were prepared
- More than 150 hungry people received food
- Each person present won a prize!
An important detail of our event was to focus on environmental awareness and ensure that there was zero wastage! Disposable plastic tableware and polyethylene was replaced by reusable mugs and cutlery and all other items provided and used were from recyclable materials such as wood, paper and starch.
Central Region
Preparing a facility for gastroscopic treatment for children
The St Zinaida Symy City Children’s Clinic was built in 1896 and was converted into a Children’s Clinic in 1926. The historical buildings have not been maintained and desperately need restoration and repair.
Recently the clinic received a donation from a foreign charity organization to purchase gastroscopic equipment. Due to a lack of funding, the clinic was however not able to prepare the facilities for the installation of the equipment.
Aspen Ukraine’s Central Region team heard of this dilemma chose to change the situation by restoring the consulting room where the equipment would be used. They removed outdated and disused equipment, thoroughly cleaned the room, treated it against mold and painted it. This consulting room is now ready for the new equipment to be installed and all that’s still needed are the young patients who can benefit from gastroenterological treatment.
Western Region
Keeping company with elderly, lonely, ill patients
The team from the Western region of Aspen Ukraine spent their Mandela Day helping patients at the City Clinical Hospice.
This hospice provides palliative care and symptomatic treatment to 30 patients with cancer and other chronic diseases.
Most of the patients are elderly and they have no relatives. They need assistance with basic necessities such as toiletries, medication and most importantly some company to stave off the loneliness that they experience.
The team spent quality time talking to the patients and giving them the attention that every elderly person so justly deserves. They also donated medicines and sanitary products to the Hospice and assisted staff where possible.
Eastern Region, Poltava
Refurbishing a children’s playground in Poltava
Aspen Ukraine’s Eastern Region team spent Mandela Day at the Poltava Oblast Children's Tuberculosis Dispensary.
This facility has exceptionally limited funding and its budget barely covers their needs for medicines and medical equipment. The conditions at the dispensary have deteriorated extensively and need urgent maintenance and extensive repairs.
The Aspen team dedicated their time repairing the playground at the Dispensary so that young patients being treated at this facility could enjoy being outdoors when they were well enough to play and have some fun.
Eastern Region, Odessa
Love and care for Odessa’s orphans
A second team from the Aspen Ukraine’s Eastern Region focused on the children who live at the Odessa city orphanage.
This orphanage cares for some 90 children from birth to 4 years. Some 60% of these children have pathology of the central nervous system, 20% are babies with HIV and 10% are severely disabled.
As none of the children have any parental care, they are desperate for affection and attention. The team understands this need so well, and spent the day playing games with children, drawing together and sharing presents and sweets with them. As the orphanage has a dire shortage of funds, the team also provided donations of household goods and hygiene products.
