June 20, the International Day of Refugees and IDPs, is traditionally celebrated by the Women Fund "Sukhumi" with various activities. For the third year already, the event “The Aroma of Sukhumian Coffee in Kutaisi Boulevard” has been held. Ukrainian refugees were present last year and came this time. The women prepared cookies with Ukrainian theme. A Ukrainian girl danced their national dance. This day was impressive and everyone saw the active work of the Fund.

The Women Fund “Sukhumi” has already provided assistance to 539 people who came from Ukraine. In June, 16 new people were added to our database. Our support was expressed in a following way:

- 28 families (44 people) received products

- We paid the rent for 6 families

- We paid utility bills for 6 families

- Medical costs for one Ukrainian woman were reimbursed

- We bought a bus ticket with $220 to Ukraine for Lyubov Maksimenko and she returned to her country.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

In April, we added 10 people, at the moment there are 480 people in the database.

This month, the City Hall issued personal travel cards to our new beneficiaries. Each registered family received a 100-GEL food voucher for the store “Carrefour”.

We assisted 6 families. Housing rent was paid for one family that is in a difficult situation - a woman with three children lives in Kutaisi, her husband is fighting near Bakhmut and has not been in touch for more than a month.

Representatives of our organization working with Ukrainians actively participated in the meeting organized by UNHCR, where the problems of refugees from Ukraine were discussed.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

The Department of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) organized an information meeting with the participation of local governmental and non-governmental organizations. Together with many other issues, the meeting discussed the services offered to Ukrainians and their rights.

Since April 2022, the Women Fund "Sukhumi" is actively working to provide humanitarian assistance and other necessary services to Ukrainian refugees in Western Georgia.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

Fund “Sukhumi” is an organization that knows the value of peace and the face of war. People who work here are able to empathize, sympathize, understand our pain and needs, our traumas, tragedies. I am grateful from the bottom of my heart for kindness, empathy and free psychological support,” these are the words of one participant of psycho-rehabilitation meetings held by psychologists of the Women Fund “Sukhumi”.

Manana Gotsiridze and Ukrainian psychologists Marina Stepanenko and Anna Shalimova worked with Ukrainian refugees in March.

Primary consultations, courses of psychotherapy were held. Some individual consultations were final, and they summed up the joint work of the client and the psychologist.

Ukrainian psychologists also held a group meeting on the topic "How to identify violence".

Psychologists give clients information that they can use in life to further support themselves.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

The war in Ukraine further aggravated illness of Polina Minulina. From the day of arrival, our organization has helped a cancer patient in communication with doctors and in paying the required amount for a course of medical treatment. She was grateful, but unfortunately she died in March. The family faced an even bigger problem, and the Women Fund “Sukhumi” helped to pay for the cremation.

This is one example of our support.

Our information database contains the names and surnames of 470 refugees from Ukraine. This means that kindness of the Fund "Sukhumi" has reached everyone.

In March, 35 families received assistance (food, hygiene products) - 78 people. We paid utility bills for 6 families.

Ukrainians also actively participated in several events held in March.

Ukrainian psychologists Marna Stepanenko and Anna Shalimova conducted a training for Ukrainian women on the topic "How to identify violence" in the office of the Women Fund "Sukhumi"

The following topics were discussed at the training: the manifestation of violent relationships and skills to combat violence. The trainers spoke about the support of the state and the Fund "Sukhumi" during emergencies.

According to the participants, it was special to conduct the training in their native language. Topics have been chosen correctly and this is a good opportunity to empower women.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

The campaign "Kutaisi for Dnipro" has finished.

30 000 GEL was collected in a month! The amount was fully transferred to the account of the social service of Dnipro City Hall.

The final event was held in the courtyard of Kutaisi University. An exhibition and sale of paintings was held. The Women Fund “Sukhumi” organized the participation of Ukrainian women who brought their culinary and confectionery products for sale. It was also a kind of advertisement for their work.

Our organization transferred 300 GEL to Dnipro Fund. Concrete members of the organization also transferred money.

Peace and victory for Dnipro and Ukraine is the desire of our organization and all participants of the campaign.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)

- An Ukrainian child was taken from Poti to Kutaisi hospital. While the child was in intensive care, the mother lived in our Rehabilitation Center. In those days, we took care of both the mother and the child. We bought everything that the baby needed: diapers, baby food, medicines. Now he already left the clinic and feels better,” says Sophie Tsirghava, an assistant for working with Ukrainians.

The Women Fund “Sukhumi” provided such assistance to several other people: two cancer patients were compensated 375 and 370 GEL from the amount of medical examinations. We helped one woman to get referral funding for chemotherapy.

Assistance continues in matters of renting an apartment (provided to 19 families) and paying utility bills (5 families received this assistance). Particular attention is paid to the distribution of products. This month, 20 families received food and hygiene products.

In February, 15 people were added to our information base and now there are 467 people.

One difficult year has passed since the beginning of the war in Ukraine. The Women Fund “Sukhumi” once again expresses solidarity with Ukrainian women and their families!

During a year, we helped and continue to help Ukraine, refugees from this country:

In first days of war we collected 10000 GEL and sent parcels.

On March 8, we held an action of solidarity in Kutaisi and other municipalities.

We prepared video clips.

We have helped the women from the occupied city of Melitopol. We sent them 55800 UAH (hryvnia) and there, women volunteers bought food and medicines for the citizens.

In April, when the first refugees from Ukraine appeared in Georgia, we have created a support group and started helping them.

We have distributed packages with the necessary products and hygiene items to 465 beneficiaries (226 women, 170 children and 69 men). 23 families received assistance in payment for accommodation, 11 families received payment for utilities. We help in paying for the cost of surgery, medical procedures, in the purchase of medicines.

Dnipro is one of the cities affected by Russian aggression. On January 14, as a result of a rocket attack on a 9-storey residential building 44 people died and 75 people were transferred to the hospital.

The Ukrainian city Dnipro is a friend city of Kutaisi. That is why the group “Kutaisi for Dnipro” was created. The first online communication with Dnipro on the Ukrainian side was represented by Yulia Dmitrova, director of the charity fund “TAPS Ukraine”, which is in close coordination with the City hall structures. Along with representatives of various organizations in Kutaisi, the meeting was attended by Tea Torinava, executive director of the Women Fund “Sukhumi”.

Our organization, which provides serious assistance to refugees from Ukraine, is actively involved in this large-scale campaign: members of the organization distribute information about the campaign, bank account numbers and transfer money to assist Ukrainians.

The project is implemented with the support of the organization Brot

 für die Welt - Evangelischer Entwicklungsdienst (Germany)