Ukraine
Emmaus in Ukraine
Emmaus has had a presence in Ukraine since 2001 thanks to the creation of an Emmaus communities in Lviv. The group takes an active role in the fight against homelessness in the local area and welcome in companions to live and work within the community.Origins
The Oselya community was set up in 2001 in Lviv, in the west of Ukraine, to help the homeless as no-one else was doing so. They distribute food, work in the streets, set up tents in the winter, edit a street newspaper and defend the interests of the homeless amongst the local authorities. Inspired by the Emmaus model the companions then developed income-generating activities: organising collections, repairing furniture and setting up a second-hand shop. The Oselya group became a member of Emmaus International in 2010 and is supporting the creation of new groups in Ukraine.Main Activities
- Welcome, providing accommodation, reintegration
- Collecting, reusing, recycling and selling on objects
- Political campaigning and awareness raising
- Local, european and international solidarity initiatives
Secondary Activities
- Repairing furniture
- Social hotel for former companions
- Daytime welcome centre
- “Doing the rounds”
- Publishing a street newspaper
Key numbers
1 member group
28 companions
33 volunteers
90 people involved in Emmaus
Overview
Grigory Semenchuk
National delegate for Ukraine
The Challenges in Ukraine
“NGOs in Ukraine were not allowed to run economic activities so we have had to come up with solutions to get around this. Our stores accept “voluntary contributions” for the second hand items we have on offer but we are not allowed to sell these items. We cannot sell goods donated from abroad either – this is why we do not accept transports of material from other European Emmaus groups as some communities do.”
With pictures
© Emmaus Oselya
© Emmaus Oselya
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