“Together we can help”

Mission Statement

It is the mission of British Humanitarian Aid (BHA) to actively seek and prompt monetary and material donations in order to ease the suffering of people in Chernihiv Region, Ukraine, where the collapse of The Soviet Union, and the disaster at Chernobyl, have led to the impoverishment of families, and to cancer and sickness in both children and adults. No donated goods are re-sold.

AID

REPORT 2007/8

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BRITISH HUMANITARIAN AID

The end of the summer break found the Charity in even better health.  C P Charitable Trust funded a second lorry and, much to our surprise, John Bushby informed us that he had managed to get two free lorries from Gist.  Apparently, the co-operation of the work force at Gist had persuaded M&S to give them a ten year contract and this had raised the spirits somewhat even though the men are still on short time working. John and three colleagues donated their time to fill and deliver these lorries and we owe them a huge debt of gratitude. Three lorries sent out in three weeks cheered us up considerably as it also did the people in Ukraine.

The directors of BHA made four trips to Ukraine, funding two of them themselves.  These trips are vital as they enable us to assess the increasing needs in the Region and to monitor our operation through the Aratta centres, the various Social Services and the other organisations.  Ukraine is in the grip of a Presidential Election campaign. The people are heartily fed up with the politicians’ promises that always seem to offer help tomorrow, which of course never comes. The Aratta centres continue their valuable work both in their own communities and throughout all the districts in the region. Thanks to people’s generosity we were able to buy the building at Gorodnya and purchase the materials for finishing the re-roofing of Shchors Aratta where they are as active as ever. Vova Smolyak the director has constructed additional storage for the aid and above this store is working on a games room. Chernihiv Aratta as well as the usual activities has had a particularly successful year with the “able bodied and physically handicapped drama group” who thanks to gaining project funding were able to travel abroad to festivals. They also ran a summer camp for members’ families by the river at Makosheno. While this was on Makosheno Aratta were running their annual summer camp for children based on the Aratta centre. In addition to their normal activities they have won funding for an interesting project where the elderly and the young are brought together to share/collect reminiscences of the history of the district before it is lost forever.

The work of the Aratta Centres is summarised in the following table:-E1

However, it would be wrong to think that all is well at the Aratta’s. In Chernihiv we have been forced to give up one floor of the Kindergarten building that we have been renting. It is not the rent that has forced this action but the exorbitant increase in the services, of which the “town heating system” costs have seen the greatest rise.  We are not able to justify meeting these costs when during the week many of the rooms are unused.  The reduced space will impact on the available activities at the weekends, although this may not be as noticeable because of the Government’s policy of making up for “epidemic” closures of the schools by instituting Saturday school.  While children are normally happy to come to Arattas on both Saturdays and Sundays if they only get the one day off they are more reluctant to attend.  Because of the increased birth rate and the shortage of the state kindergarten places, following the sell off several years ago of many of the redundant buildings, there will be a shortage of places soon and Chernhiv council is keen to turn us out altogether.  We are working with others to achieve alternative premises as soon as possible.

Gorodnya, where we had purchased the building from the local council during the summer at a shock auction, has had limited activities during the renovation and while the building was awaiting repairs.  Just before our last visit in November the roadside wall of the building (the one awaiting the repairs) collapsed. Ironically this has turned out to our benefit. Since the purchase of the building the council had transferred the ownership of the land to Aratta making the site considerably more valuable.

Because of the high costs of the repairs we had already considered selling the site. Now there is a business man interested in purchasing the site that is made even more attractive as the council are also selling the adjoining building and its land. The emergency services were very helpful and all aid and Aratta possessions were retrieved from the building.  Tanya and her mother, the directors of Gorodnya Aratta were overwhelmed by the offers of help they received from the community.  The council, worried that we might take them to court for selling us an unsuitable building, have already found alternative buildings for us at the exorbitant rent of 10p per annum.

As ever, we were entirely dependant on the businesses, schools, churches, charities and private individuals who support us. Thanks to their backing we have survived a tough year and have continued to make a difference for many in Ukraine.