BULLETIN № 40
National Committee of the Ukrainian Red Cross Society (URCS)
March 2018

On March 20-21, Kyiv hosted the fourth Partnership Meeting of the URCS. The participants discussed the problems URCS faces in providing assistance to its beneficiaries and the possibilities to cover their needs to the fullest extent possible and in the most effective way. The event was attended by representatives of the URCS, the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC), the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), 13 partner National Societies, state bodies, non-governmental and diplomatic organizations. In order to carry out its humanitarian mission effectively, the URCS, together with its partners, is currently implementing more than 20 projects which involve, inter alia, distribution of food and pharmaceutical vouchers, hygiene products, reconstruction of damaged housing, psychosocial support, treatment and rehabilitation of victims of the conflict.

The URCS received recognition for its philanthropic activities from experts of Ukrainian philanthropy when it became the winner of the National “Charitable Ukraine-2017” Contest. On March 22, at the solemn awarding ceremony in Kyiv, the URCS leadership received a special award from the organizing committee of the Contest for assistance in solving social problems in Ukraine. The “Charitable Ukraine-2017” Contest has been held by the Association of Ukrainian Philanthropists since 2012. The purpose of the competition is the development of effective socially-oriented philanthropy, charity and volunteering in Ukraine through public stimulation of the best philanthropists, patrons and volunteers, their organizations, and practices.

According to CoreStone and GFK Ukraine research, the URCS is the most trusted and recognizable organization among domestic nongovernment and charity organizations. The URCS is the most well-known organization that collects donations. 46% of the responders to the research know about the URCS. Most of those who know about the Society trust it. In general, 74% of responders trust the URCS, and 78% of those who have made charitable donations( monetary or in-kind) trust the URCS. You can see the extracts of the research with this link (in Ukrainian).

On the 3rd of March, the training on the methodology of the IFRC "Youth as Agents of Behavioural Change" ended. It was held in Kyiv region for volunteers from Donetsk, Kyiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporozhye and Kharkiv regions. Its goal is to prepare young people for various kinds of activities aimed at developing such skills as active listening, critical thinking, empathy, non-violent communication, negotiations, mediation, inner harmony and psychological stability. This is the second time the training is taking place in Ukraine. 35 URCS volunteers received full qualification as facilitators of the program. The event took place within the framework of the project "Increased capacities for better protected, safer and resilient communities and population in Ukraine", which is being implemented with the support of the Danish Red Cross.

The Emergency Response Teams (ERTs) of the Red Cross continue to operate in Ukraine. On March 3, the ERT of National Committee of the URCS provided first aid to 14 civilians and two police officers who were victims of clashes near the Verkhovna Rada (Ukrainian Parliament) in Kyiv. The people sustained craniocerebral and head injuries, trauma to the limbs, burn injuries and gas poisoning. On March 8, the Kherson ERT accompanied the women's march against gender-based violence. On March 24, the ERT of the Red Cross of Lviv region were on duty during the mass climb to Hoverla, the highest mountain in Ukraine and placed the flag of the Red Cross on the top.

On March 7, Luhansk regional branch and Severodonetsk city branch held a joint event to visit the families of servicemen who died during hostilities on the territory of Donetsk and Luhansk regions. Each of the five families that were visited was presented with a set of dishes, bed linen, blankets and stationery for children. Such campaigns enable the community to combine efforts to help vulnerable groups of the population, understand their needs, and show sympathy and care.

The URCS’s instructors continue to educate the population on first aid (FA) skills. Particularly FA skills are important for those whose work directly involves people. On March 6, 37 teachers of Donetsk region took part in the basic FA training. On March 12, similar skills were gained by employees of Bakhmut Technical Center for Children and Youth (Donetsk region). In Chernihiv, there were three 12-hour training sessions for drivers of urban and intercity transport. On March 25, a master class for members of the All-Ukrainian Federation of walking of Olexander Shimko took place in Taras Shevchenko Park. The participants gained knowledge about the most relevant aspects of FA for them, such as a safe approach to the person in need of FA, restoration, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, the Heimlich maneuver and actions to take in urgent conditions.

On March 8, volunteers and workers of the Red Cross prepared a series of events for vulnerable groups of the population. Odessa regional branch of the URCS gave the families of internally displaced persons the opportunity to visit the concert of the famous Ukrainian band “Bez obmezhen”. In Odessa, Zaporozhye, and Pryluky (Chernihiv region), volunteers held master classes on quilling (creating volumetric paper ornaments) for internally displaced children and demobilized servicemen. Such events create a festive atmosphere to distract the children and parents from life's difficulties and help to return to peaceful life.

On March 18, international humanitarian law (IHL) trainers were certified in Zaporizhzhya. Trainer-candidates, along with master trainers, conducted a two-day training, following which three volunteers became certified IHL trainers. After months of training and examinations, they obtained the right to hold lectures and information sessions on IHL. The project is being implemented by the URCS with the support of the Finnish Red Cross and is aimed at enhancing the capacity to disseminate IHL and humanitarian values.

On March 21, the Red Cross marked the International Day of People with Down Syndrome. There are around 15 thousand people with Down Syndrome in Ukraine. Employees of Chernihiv regional branch of the URCS gave gifts to some beneficiaries with Down Syndrome.

Every year, the URCS organizes events dedicated to the World Tuberculosis Day, which is marked on March 24. For example,  street events took place in Chernihiv, Nizhen (Chernihiv region) and Lutsk on March 23-28, where representatives of the URCS gave information about TB and its prevention and distributed educational literature. On March 20, an informational event took place in a museum in Krasnograd (Kharkiv region). Volunteers at Luhansk region conducted lessons for schoolchildren about Tuberculosis.