With the help of U-LEAD with Europe experts, an NGO from the Irshava municipality prepared a grant application for arranging a shelter for IDPs. They won the competition and received a grant for about UAH 800,000.

The Irshava municipality hosts about 3,000 internally displaced persons from different parts of Ukraine. Some of them live free of charge in educational institutions, while the rest found housing in the private sector. The number of people in need of housing is not decreasing.

According to Vira Hlushko, Head of Irshavski Promeni NGO, they decided to set up a shelter in one of the educational institutions. The premises had to be renovated and connected to the heating system, sewage and other utility networks.

U-LEAD experts held a number of consultation sessions for Irshavski Promeni to discuss project details and analyse grant competitions.

“Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Zakarpattia municipalities have hosted hundreds of thousands of IDPs. They try their best to create comfortable living conditions for our guests. We are glad that we have the opportunity to help municipalities attract additional funds,” said Mykola Siusko, Head of the Regional Office of U-LEAD.

In October, Irshavski Promeni won a grant and attracted about UAH 800,000 to renovate the premises, which will later accommodate a shelter for internally displaced persons as well as a community educational and art space for educational events, training classes, workshops and film screenings. The project partnered with the Irshava City Council, which is willing to take on part of the work using budget funds.

“U-LEAD is doing something very important. Thanks to them, we learned about the project competition by the Carpathian Foundation. We held extensive consultations with them on how to prepare the grant application at its various stages. Thanks to this cooperation, we learn and get new opportunities, which later bring results,” says Vira Hlushko.

The future shelter will be able to accommodate 70 IDPs. The project was officially launched on 15 October 2022. Since then, the NGO has already managed to purchase part of the equipment and discuss the start of repair works.

“We have established a partnership with civil activists from the German city of Linden. A shipment of furniture and household appliances for the shelter will arrive in Irshava from Germany soon,” says Vira Hlushko.

Back in May, they received emergency aid packages from U-LEAD that included generators, water tanks, sleeping bags, sleeping pads, beds and wool blankets.

“It is important that the municipality does not stop at receiving resources from one source but actively works with other partners to create decent living conditions for the internally displaced people,” says Mykola Siusko.