This year Community of mutual aid Oselya had a great loss
– sudden death of our founder, true friend and unchangeable leader Olesya Sanotska.
With all our actions we are continuing Olesya’s work.
It was a sense of her life and it give sense to many other people.
She will always live in our hearts!
The main activity of Oselya is organization of life and work of the Community of former homeless people. Living and working together our companions solve their life problems and help people that are more poor. During the 2016 there were 30 adults and 3 children living in the Community. In Oselya companions solve their problems with the help of psychological and therapeutic assistance, receive new professional and communicative skills, participate in cultural events and solidarity actions. Companions can be sent for medical treatment, receive pocket money and help with renewing lost documents. This year we have completed works of improvement living conditions of our companions with the support of Abbe Pierre Foundation. We have completed repairing of the rooms and dining room, repaired roof, constructed closed terrace, basement and a boiler room. The house is fully warmed up by solid fuel.
For improvement of work with addicted companions we were continuing the project supported by Dutch foundations – Henri Nouwen Stichting and Kerk in Actie (ICCO). It was a special rehabilitation program that included social and psychological support of companions, therapy of addictions. At the end of therapy our companions participated in therapeutic camps in Yazlivets (April) and Hoshiv (August). For active rest our companions are playing football, go to theater and opera, organize different celebrations. We all will remember a visit to our peer organization’s “Nasha khata” 7th anniversary.
Emmaus-Oselya collects from people goods they do not need anymore but can be used by others (furniture, clothes, appliances, books, dishes, toys etc). Every day two trucks collect things from Lviv citizens. We also collect goods through containers that are located on the OKKO gas stations and near the Churches of Lviv. At the end of 2016 we have 20 containers in different locations. Ecological part of this activity is very important, especially now when we have a huge waste problem in Lviv. Things that are in bad conditions we sell for recycling where companies produce felt, polyester and other materials out of it. In 2016 around 200 tons of clothes was sent for recycling.
Ecosystem degradation and climate change are increasingly becoming issues in the Emmaus Movement because the poorest people are and will be the first to be affected by these catastrophic phenomena. That is why as all the other Emmaus groups we are following the idea launched by Abbe Pierre that by restoring things we are restoring people’s lives. Collecting and recycling are very important activities for Emmaus Movement. By this we promote responsible attitude to ecology and solidarity economy.
Сompanions and volunteers sort, repair and sell сollected goods in charity shops or give out to the people in need in social support center, poor families, refugees. In 2016 Oselya provided material help to almost 1500 people in need and to several organizations: Community “Nasha khata”, Ukrainian Youth for Christ from Horodok, Charitable foundation “Mercy of StarySambir”.
In 2016 Kofoed’s Social Support Center continued its work. In 2016 we have provided services to 758 people, gave out 7836 lunches, people took the shower 2183 times, had 145 haircuts, 1033 laundry services. Work of the Social Support Center is possible due to the earnings of our companions, financial support of Social Service Department of Lviv City Administration.
Thanks to the grant from European Commission in Ukraine and Association of Samaritan workers of Georgia we were able to improve material equipment of the Social support center: purchased 2 washing machines and 1 dryer. Now we are able to provide better services and pay attention to elderly people on the street.
Charity shop is one of the directions of Oselya’s work. Here for donations people can purchase furniture, clothes, household items. Shop is the main source of income for the Community and for solidarity actions. We also promote ourselves as a cultural center. We organize different workshops and other activities for our clients and for people of Vynnyky. This year we were singing Christmas Carols together, watched Christmas performance of one of the workshops of L’Arche, presented a book “Through the eye of a needle” – life stories of disabled people, organized master-classes of making Easter eggs and a “Second life of plastic bottle”, watched movies.
Within the Docudays program we are demonstrating documentaries that are covering social topics. This year we had 4 films watched and discussed. At our Literary and artistic meetings, that are moderated by a famous author Halyna Vdovychenko, we had met many interesting authors and poets. In November we have started the Club for elderly in our Charity shop. Due to the project “Social services by joint efforts” granted by European Commission in Ukraine, Association of Samaritan workers of Georgia and Ukrainian Independent Center of Political Research we will be inviting elderly people for different activities, so they do not feel excluded and lonely, have a chance for communication and feeling important for the society. We have watched several films together, reminded of Ukrainian traditions for the days of St. Andrew and St. Nicholas.
Furniture workshop is one of the main Oselya’s activities. It is a place for work-therapy, education and earning money for Community. Citizens of Lviv know about our good reputation in this work and very often ask to repair their furniture. Some people just donate their old items which we repair and sell in our charity shops. We also provide a transporting service, our specialist can come to the client’s place and do consulting if necessary. In 2016 17 companions were studying and working in the workshop. They gained skills in furniture repairing, sewing.
During May – December special project Organization of professional training for young people out of orphans and those that are in difficult life situation was implemented. It was supported by Lviv Education Foundation. 12 young companions of Oselya participated in different training where they developed their personal skills, learned how to work in team, how to plan your business and how to work with furniture. Due to the support of Henri Nouwen Foundation and Lviv Education Foundation we were able to purchase equipment for furniture workshop.
For Christmas and Easter our Community invites almost 500 poor people to celebrate together Christmas and Easter. In 2016 we were organizing these events in Lviv Art Palace in the city center. Small performance and traditional food help homeless people feel the atmosphere of Holiday and family. Community feels solidarity with those that are still on the streets. We can help them through the street work. Every Thursday we give out hot soup in the city center. During our street work we encourage people to use services of Social Support Center, inform about other possibilities to get help.
In the periods of severe frosts in January we let people stay in our Social support center through the night. Some nights there were 25 people staying. We have organized 10 expeditions of social patrol, gave out warm clothes and hot tea and food. In September Oselya was an coordinator of Charitable mission of optometrists Evidente in Vynnyky. 120 villagers were examined, 49 glasses were given out. 40 glasses were later made in Holland and sent to Vynnyky two months later.
During November 2015 – July 2016 Oselya was co-organizer of the project for internally displaced children Responsible teenagers – stable country. 29 teenagers took part every Saturday in so called Leadership school. Participation of local children and IDPs helped them to get integrated to the local community easily. Children learned how to communicate, reach their goals, plan social projects, visited different social and cultural organizations. At the end of the school 2 groups of children implemented their own social projects. This was the way how we tried to develop social responsibility among young generation. Financially project was supported by Henri Nouwen Foundation.
A new stage of re-socialization after staying in community is our social hostel. Former companions of Community look for work independently and live in our social hostel. Presently two IDPs families also live there – one from Donetsk and one from Crimea. At the basis of our social hostel social enterprise is being developed. One of our former companions Sashko Horondi is designing and producing bags. Charity shop Emmaus accumulates funds for the needs of social hostel and Oselya’s solidarity actions.
We continue publishing the socio-cultural street magazine “Prosto neba”. This project has two goals – possibility to homeless person to earn money and leave an active social life, and attraction of society’s attention to the problem of homeless. Famous journalists, writers and civic activists are engaged into work in the magazine. In 2016 we published two editions with the support of Emmaus Europe solidarity funds. We are in a deep sorrow because of the death of our most famous vendor Volodymyr Hilenko. For many years he was a face of our magazine. Oselya will be continuing to publish our magazine and help homeless people through this.
Since 2010 Lviv city employment center is sending unemployed people for civic works in our organization. In 2016 there were 20 people working and receiving money from the State. They were engaged in different activities – clothes sorting, charity shop, Kofoed’s social support center.
On July 9, 2016 we have organized traditional garage sale.This year it was in American style with the help of the volunteers from Minnesota, USA. Image-theatre of Pani Kurazh, was creating a very special atmosphere as usually. We were able to raise 15 900 UAH for the Kofoed’s social support center of Oselya.
Oselya took part in different fairies and exhibitions during the year. Excursions and visitors that attend our organization help us spread and promote the ideas of International Emmaus Movement and spread the values that are important for us.
In 2016 Oselya continued it’s participation in the Regional Council of Emmaus Europe. In April 2016 Emmaus World Assembly took place. It is happening once per four years. Representatives of 37 countries from 4 continents came to Jesolo, Italy and discussed challenges of the nowadays society and a role of Emmaus movement in solving problems of poverty, exclusion, migration and ecology. Our National delegate, Natalya Mysula, had a chance to present political situation in our country and took part at the panel dedicated to the role of the Emmaus in the countries with the war actions.In January two Oselya representatives, Olya Biyanska and Sashko Horondi had a chance to visit and work in the community in Annemasse, France. Our companion Stas Denysenko has been twice in the group of Cologne, Germany, working and studying German language. Our staff member, Oksana Buchkovska, participated in Emmaus working camp in Belgium.But the biggest event of this year was a visit of our companions to Rome and participation in the international meeting of homeless people with the Pope Francis, organized by international organization Fratello. They all came back full of impressions, inspired by Rome and openness of the Holy Pope. And our companion Myron Holender brought to the group a blessing that he personally received from Francis.
INCOMES OF “EMMAUS – OSELYA” IN 2016 3416929,09 UAH
EXPENDITURES OF “EMMAUS – OSELYA” IN 2016 3968620,90 UAH
PARTNERS OF “OSELYA” IN 2016:
International Emmaus Movement; Abbe Pierre Foundation; Lviv city council; Henri Nouwen Foundation; Kerk in actie – ICCO Foundation; Lviv Educational Foundation; Ukrainian Catholic University; Ukrainian Leadership Academy; Ukrainian Independent Center for Political Research; Association of Samaritan workers of Georgia; Lviv city employment center; Vynnyky city council; NGO “Vynnyky golden youth”; Vynnyky state boarding school; Image theater “Madam Kurazh”; NGO “Museum of ideas”; NGO “Narodna dopomoha – Lviv”; “!FEST Holding of emotions”; L’Arche; Registration centre for homeless people; NGO “Nasha khata”
LOCAL DONORS OF «ОSELYA» in 2016:
Charitable Foundation «Pivdennyy»; Yar-Step Company; «Lvivkholod» Ltd; «Druk service» Ltd; «CFT Ukraine» Ltd; Kulykiv traditions Ltd; Shuvar Ltd, Ranevytski sausages Ltd; Rotary club “Lviv-zamok”; Restaurant «Vyshyvanka»; PE “Carlsberg Ukraine”; Company “Comel”; PE Matvijishyn; PE «Matvol»; PE Hileta; Company «Stepter»; «Vynnychanka» Ltd; “Rayduha” Ltd; “Medviana Rosa”; PE Voytovych; PE Pozdnyakov; PE Lytvyn; Monastery of Univ laura; Andriy and Oksana Mykhalyna; Svichado publishing; Private donors; Lviv Parishes of UGCC.