BULLETIN №37 National Committee of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS) December 2017
The Center for Health and Social Care of Brovary city-district branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society was opened on the 30th of November, in Brovary city (Kyiv region). Due to the support of local government, an old building has become a modern center for the providing of medical and social assistance, especially for veterans of the World War II and labor. The Center has a physiotherapy office with modern equipment, a physician's office, an operating room where procedures can be performed according to the doctor’s prescription (injections, drips), a training room where doctors conduct sanitary-educational meetings, and the Red Cross volunteers conduct First Aid training, etc. There is a laundry in the Centre; social workers of the Territorial Center use it for washing clothes and linen of bedridden patients. In the case of emergency, the population of the district will be able to use the warehouse’s stocks, which is situated in the Centre: clothes, warm things, food, medicines. There is also a phyto-bar in the Center, where elderly guests can improve their health with herbal teas and oxygen cocktails.
On the occasion of the World AIDS Day, which is celebrated on the 1st of December, employees and volunteers of the regional branches of the URCS held a number of events. For example, in Ternopil, our student-volunteers at Ternopil State Medical University conducted a large-scale campaign "Safe Sextone (Cupcake)". Having prepared cupcakes and biscuits with the emblem of the Red Cross and the symbol of the fight against AIDS, volunteers sold them among the students and professors of the University. There was no fixed price for desserts - everyone paid for it at their own discretion. The money earned for cupcakes (UAH 4290) will be used to help children living with HIV/AIDS in Ternopil. In addition, volunteers have traditionally provided information to the public about HIV prevention and tolerant attitude towards HIV-infected people and people with AIDS. Volunteers spoke about the disease, causes, mechanism of transmission and methods of prevention. All interested persons were given the opportunity to take an anonymous HIV test in a mobile clinic on a city square for free.
On the 3rd of December, the branches of the URCS celebrated the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which is aimed at attracting public attention to the problems of people with disabilities, protection of their dignity, rights, and well-being. An event for children "Believe in yourself" was held in the comprehensive school № 6 in Severodonetsk (Lugansk region). More than 40 children with disabilities from different city schools were present at the event. The children took part in a talent contest and then received gifts: the volunteers handed them sweet prizes. Also, as an example, a festive dinner was organized in Poltava region at the veterans' house for the elderly and people with disabilities, where the Red Cross instructor conducted a master class on self-help during emergencies and an information session "How to take the medicine". In addition, greetings and food kits were received by 12 patients with disabilities in the district hospital.
On the occasion of the International Volunteer Day, staff and volunteers of the regional branches of the URCS held a series of events on the 5th of December to congratulate volunteers from regional branches. Volunteers from Zhytomyr regional branch attended the “Volunteer Fest” festival on the 2nd of December. They talked about the activities of the Red Cross, held a First Aid master class and distributed brochures on Restoring Family Links (RFL). The Kyiv volunteers held a meeting where they congratulated each other on the Volunteer Day and handed gifts to stably active volunteers. At the meeting, the volunteers learned about the possibility of joining the activities in Kyiv, talked about the VII National Youth Assembly, shared their new knowledge and planned their activities for the near future.
On December 6, the URCS and KFC, a network of fast food restaurants, launched a charity campaign "St. Nicholas Boot”. Customers will help children by buying boots at KFC's restaurants. The collected funds will be transferred to purchase the vacuum aspirators at the National Children's Specialized Hospital "OKhMatDit". The cost of one aspirator is UAH 30 000, and the hospital needs at least several devices in each department.
In the secondary educational institutions of Ukraine, the course "Investigating humanitarian law" will return. A working group meeting on this issue took place on the 7th – 8th of December. The working group includes experts from the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, the URCS and leading educational institutions. Representatives of the working group discussed the content of the course and made an action plan for 2018. During the course, students will be able to study the basic concepts of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), its interrelation with international human rights law, learn how to define the boundaries of IHL violations, and develop skills in assessing situations of violence from the humanitarian perspective. The course will help students to understand the need to adhere to the rules of armed conflict, teach them the use of humanistic values in their everyday lives and in their professional activities.
At the initiative of the Chief of Police Protection in Zhytomyr region, a First Aid training was organized for police officers to increase the level of preparedness for action in emergencies, including those with possible traumatization. The trainer of Zhytomyr regional branch of the URCS simulated various extreme situations when it is necessary to act in a coordinated, fast and professional way. The theoretical and practical knowledge and simulation of emergencies have enabled police officers to master the basic principles of first aid.
On the 11th – 13th of December, a meeting was held between some URCS employees from 15 regional branches, the Tracing Service and the Protection Department of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to sum up the results of the RFL activities in 2017 and to discuss a joint plan of action on tracing and RFL for 2018. The participants of the meeting identified the priorities for further work of the All-Ukrainian RFL Red Cross Network. Analyzing the results of the work in 2017, it should be noted that the URCS, within the framework of its mandate and statutory tasks, meets the needs of the country's citizens in the tracing and RFL. Every year, following the requests from citizens of Ukraine and requests from partner tracing services from abroad, work begins on thousands of new tracing cases.This activity of the Tracing Service is not duplicated by any of the state structures in Ukraine.
Representatives of the charity organization "One World - High-Austerly Assistance to Fellow-countrymen" from Linz (Austria) visited the Tyachiv district branch of the URCS in Transcarpathia. Employees and volunteers met 45 minibuses at the border, accompanied by 105 volunteers from Austria. The guests brought eight thousand gifts for socially disadvantaged children, boarding school children and children with disabilities. This is the 17th successive charity campaign for children of Transcarpathia. Children of Austrian schools collect and pack gifts: toys, stationery, detergents, sweets, clothes. The gifts are collected by the volunteers of Austria, brought to Transcarpathia and distributed among children. This year, the humanitarian cargo was accompanied by Austrian Ambassador to Ukraine Hermine Poppeller, who was pleased to take part in the distribution of gifts to the children.
On the 23rd of December, volunteers from the Emergency Response Team (ERT) of Lugansk regional branch of the URCS took part in First Aid training. The next day, the 24th of December, the volunteers attended the second (practical) part of the training - they worked out the practical skills of providing First Aid to injured people during an emergency. According to the narrative of the exercises, a domestic gas cylinder exploded in the basement and the conditional "victims" had different injuries. The volunteers of the ERT had to work in a dark room, with loud sound effects and a "light show". After the exercises, the participants received certificates.
