“Home is where you are” project in Dobrovelychkivka
In the summer of 2022, the head of the Dobrovelychkivka local community, Volodymyr Osievskyi, asked the Fortechnyi Charitable Foundation to help with housing for doctors who fled the war, stayed in Dobrovelychkivka, and currently work in the hospital there. From that moment until now, we held discussions, contacted the authorities, waited, collected the necessary funds, prepared the documentation, and worked on the project.
At last, in January 2023, Charitable Foundation Fortechnyi purchased a 4-story building with 8 apartments in the center of Dobrovelychkivka, in the Kirovohrad region. The aim was to provide housing to the families of displaced doctors and wounded soldiers. Now we plan to create the project estimate under the new state building regulations, choose a reliable contracting organization, and select the future apartment owners in collaboration with the local community. The final stage of the project is repair works and handing over the building, so new owners could settle in the next day.
We plan to finish all activities by the end of 2023, so the families can move into their own apartments, and live and work in comfort.
The other day, the Fortechnyi team met with the community head of Dobrovelychkivka, Volodymyr Osievskyi, and his expert group. Together they discussed the stages of the project implementation. The improvement works planned: to lay down facilities, renovate the facade and corridors, and install windows and doors. Future apartment owners will decide about the repair works in the apartments. Ownership rights are going to be transferred to them free of charge after the owner has been working as a doctor in Dobrovelychkivka local community for 10 years.
The Foundation team met with the local community head, the chief doctor and the relocated doctors who work in the Dobrovelychkivka District Primary Health Care Center.
The hospital will discuss the Foundation's project, the specialist doctors will also discuss this joint opportunity from the Foundation and local community with their families. All those who want to get an apartment will have to fill in a questionnaire about the composition of their families, the availability of housing in their hometowns, the desire to stay in Dobrovelychkivka as a doctor, and other things. The local community will provide the Foundation with the approved lists of future apartment owners. Next, the Foundation team plans to collaborate with each future apartment owner about their needs for repair works and furnishing.
At the meeting, everyone could express their opinion about the project.
Andriy Yurkov, the chief physician: “When I moved here to live and work, I found an empty apartment worth 100,000 hryvnias. My family and I made it for ourselves, our preferences. Here, future apartment owners will also have the opportunity to make the design the way they want. Time passed, and my family grew. 54 square meters for 3 rooms is not enough for our family of 4 now. This chic building for doctors will have two-room apartments of 86 and three-room apartments of 115,4 square meters each! Replanning is also available if the family composition requires it: they will base the design on the future owners' wishes, and adjust to their needs. You live and work in comfort, knowing you have your own home. This is exactly what the Foundation project offers. I had to spend my own money to make repairs, and here they provide support from a charitable foundation. The benefits are huge!”
Olena, a doctor from Zaporizhzhia: “Two months ago, we came here with my husband, who is also a doctor. We are currently renting an apartment, and everything suits us so far. We do not have any plans for the future, situation will tell. For now, it is difficult to think about tomorrow.”
Pavlo, a doctor from Kharkiv: “I agree to stay here. I have a home in my home city, it has not been destroyed. We moved here when the shelling started. My 91-year-old grandmother could not go down into the bomb shelter every time. Then I decided to save my grandmother, my mother, and myself. We applied to the “Shelter” program and settled here. We lived here together for 3 months, my mother and grandmother returned home, and I stayed. In Kharkiv, there were problems with transport, and some medical institutions received partial funding only. And here, in Dobrovelychkivka, people and work were waiting for me. I'm not married. So I need an apartment to plan a family life here.”
Natalya, a doctor from the Donetsk region: “Most likely, my home is gone. I have a family. But I can't say for sure whether I will stay here or not. You can’t plan anything now. I will still think about the Foundation’s program. I will consult with my husband. He is not a doctor, but I have to respect his opinion.”
Iryna, a doctor from Rubizhne, Donetsk region: “My home did not survive, it was destroyed. The local hospital gave us a two-room apartment, we live there. We understand the Fortechnyi project looks promising for those who plan their future here, who do not want to leave, and who love Ukraine and Ukrainians. My husband and I have adaptable professions, we’re in demand everywhere. I am a therapist and a teacher. I can work online. My husband is also a doctor, and he is not tied to any place. On the one hand, it is good that we are free. So, unfortunately, we don’t own any home, but here they offer it to us. Why not? Why do you think we went here? In March, we were looking for a job all over Ukraine, using all our connections, and only here we found a fixed salary. This is a big advantage. We were offered two full-time jobs. And we have two small children, we need to feed them. Andriy Yakovych (the chief physician) offered the official accommodation. So we thought it was great for us. Even if you imagine the victory is tomorrow, we don't want to leave this place. We lived in big cities, our life followed the route of work-kindergarten-home. With the Foundation’s offer, we are not losing anything, but we're gaining! We can visit Kropyvnytskyi 100 km away, if necessary. We don't want to change our location, because we already know our work here. People here trust us, and they are very kind. The attitude towards us is excellent. Life is going to be more expensive there, but here we have a decent standard of living for our salary. My husband has already set up a bee house here, so we see our future on this land.”