Website 2017–2018

"Urgent. A child is dying!" — rarely does an editor react negatively or refuse a request for a publication or a story when a matter of life and death is at stake. At least, I do not recall any such editors.

Any heart would tremble here, and all decent people are ready to meet them halfway.

Yet such a reaction — and this needs to be stated clearly — is the personal will of particular people: journalists, editors, and the heads of newspapers, magazines, and television newsrooms.

For the media, such content is mostly uninteresting, because it is uninteresting to the audience; perhaps that is why journalists themselves informally and dismissively call such materials “aid pleas,” “begging notes,” or “social filler.”

That is why the attitude toward checking requests of this kind is careless.

Management and staff find it in themselves to place charitable materials, giving way. It is like their own contribution to a good cause, like alms. On the one hand, it seems good when it happens at least this way. On the other, with this attitude journalists do enormous harm to the development of civilized charity, simply holding it back.

More than 12 thousand charitable organizations are registered in Ukraine.

Only a few hundred of them run open public fundraisers and report to the tax authorities and to donors, maintain websites and social-media pages, and always respond quickly to inquiries about how charitable funds are spent.

There are few of them, but they exist. They are professional fundraisers, and the result of their work is enormous in scale: thousands of lives saved and annual fundraising in the millions for a variety of purposes.

Reliable charitable foundations with a high level of trust can be found in these lists:

https://ubb.org.ua/ua/operators/

http://ufb.org.ua/rating/blago-list

Yet the wards of these foundations rarely become the heroes of charitable materials, and even when that happens, the names of these aid organizations do not appear in the texts.

Although legally it is the intermediaries who organize the aid from "a" to "z".

Most often editors are against mentioning the foundation, voicing what is, in my view, an extremely absurd argument. They say it is advertising. Advertising on which no one makes money except a sick child.

There is a persistent stereotype that a foundation is something where money is spent without oversight, that this cannot be checked, and that it is therefore easier to “transfer it to a private card.” This is where the greatest danger lies. Most media give in to appeals from social networks without checking the information.

Unverified information and an advertisement for a private individual’s personal card are going on the air.

A strange logic: advertising a personal card is normal, while an organization whose nonprofit activity is regulated by law is a crime. Then journalists film and write about the fraud that they themselves produce.

I know of cases where charitable money collected thanks to publications and stories was spent on renovating an apartment, because the parents decided the child could not be cured, and they still had to live. There were times when the state paid for the treatment, yet the family went on collecting money in reserve. It is impossible to hold a private individual liable if the money is spent for other than its intended purpose.

And charitable foundations are obliged to report quarterly to the Tax Service, the Ministry of Justice, banks, society, and donors. Every year they are obliged to undergo an audit.

What, then, is the role of the media?

The STB television channel, where I work, took clear steps on this issue 5 years ago. They decided to stop placing private individuals’ aid cards in stories. Millions of people see these accounts — they become live bait for fraudsters and get looted, and then neither the bank nor the media can influence this or protect anyone. In addition, the individual for whose benefit the funds are collected is not accountable. We do not know whether they will actually spend the money collected after the story on treatment, or whether it will go toward something else. This is a matter of the viewer’s trust, a matter of reputation.

In 5 years, “Vikna,” working with the Ukrainian Charity Exchange and aid-operator foundations, produced hundreds of aid stories that made it possible to raise at least 50 million charitable hryvnias.

Although specific children’s stories are at the core, we set ourselves broader goals: not simply to help raise money and help a hypothetical Katia, Vania, or Nastia and save them. That is the task of foundations and doctors. We strive to make charity a way of life for Ukrainians, to teach people to unite, and to show the result of that unity — and it is striking.

So when I see yet another report of one fraud or another involving charitable funds that a television channel or newspaper collected onto private cards, I do not understand why these heartfelt impulses have still not turned into more or less organized activity with an effective result.

It is time for everyone to agree: charity should be the work of foundations, and the media should inform society about their work in a well-disposed way.

And telling a tearful story about each child’s fate, backed by their parents’ card, is a road to nowhere both for journalism and for charity.

Iryna Storozhenko, journalist at "Vikna-Novyny", STB channel

Our future is in our hands; sometimes we forget this and, without realizing it ourselves, harm the environment. Money is not always needed to make the world around us better; sometimes it is enough to make a conscious choice and start living by new rules.

For example, we use a plastic bag for 20 minutes, yet it takes more than 100 years to decompose. By taking a single-use plastic bag, we gain short-term comfort, but at the same time, how much harm do we cause?

- Every second, 160,000 plastic bags are used in the world. Over a year that is 5 trillion bags, which would cover the territory of Ukraine twice if they were spread out.

- Less than 1% of polyethylene bags are recycled; the rest end up in landfills and pollute soil, forests, rivers, and seas.

- Each Ukrainian uses about 500 bags a year. The EU, by contrast, has set a goal of using up to 90 per person a year.

- 1 million birds and 100 thousand animals die every year because of bags, mistaking them for food.Together we can get this situation moving!

We congratulate everyone on the International Day of Families. May harmony, comfort, and well-being always reign in your family

THE HISTORY OF HOW THIS DAY BEGAN

In 1989 the UN General Assembly proclaimed 1994 the International Year of the Family, in order to deepen understanding of family issues and to unite the capacities of all countries in addressing serious and important questions related to this institution. The introduction of this day was prompted purely by the world community’s concern about the contemporary situation of the family and its importance in raising new generations coming of age.

So, on 20 September 1993, in accordance with a resolution of the UN General Assembly, the International Day of Families was established, and it is observed every year on 15 May, after Mother’s Day.

The family, as the basic element of society, was and remains the foundation of human values, culture, historical memory, traditions, stability, and development. Thanks to the family, the country grows stronger and develops, and the people’s well-being increases.

In every age, a country’s development was judged by the attitude of the state and by the position of the family in society. That is because a happy union of the family and the state is a necessary guarantee of the prosperity and well-being of its citizens.

A person’s life begins with the family; it is here that they are formed as a citizen. It is a source of love, mutual respect, solidarity, and affection — that on which any civilized society is built, and without which a person cannot exist.

EACH YEAR FAMILY DAY IS DEDICATED TO A PARTICULAR THEME:

2018 — “Family, and inclusive communities”,

2017 — “Families, education and well-being”,

2016 — “The family, a healthy lifestyle, and a sustainable future”,

2015 — “Men in charge? Gender equality and children’s rights in contemporary families”,

2014 — “The importance of the family for achieving development goals: International Day of Families +20”,

2013 — “Advancing social integration and intergenerational solidarity”,

2012 — “Achieve a balance between work and family”,

2011 — “Confronting poverty in families and social exclusion”,

2010 — “The impact of migration on families around the world”,

2009 — “Mothers and families: challenges in a changing world”,

2008 — “Fathers and families: responsibilities and challenges”,

2007 — “Families and persons with disabilities”,

2006 — “Changing families: challenges and opportunities”,

2005 — “The impact of HIV and AIDS on family well-being”.

Today nearly 160 thousand Ukrainian children live in residential institutions. Only 8% of them have a status that allows adoption. On leaving a residential institution, 90% of graduates are not ready for independent life. They often end up at the bottom of society and become a threat to others. Statistics show that a significant percentage of their children also end up in the same institutional facilities.

Mentorship is organized professional volunteering that is being prepared for introduction in Rivne.

Thanks to the state and sponsors, vulnerable children have food, clothing, and a roof over their heads. But they lack what money cannot buy — A CLOSE PERSON who can teach basic life skills: how to cook, keep a budget, manage their own money, fill out documents, get a job — ordinary things for us and unknown to children from residential institutions.

A bridge to real life — that is what these children need. Charitable aid is, of course, very good, but it cannot fully replace individual human support. A mentor’s role is to help children feel like individuals, identify their interests and abilities, help them choose a profession, teach them genuine life values, teach them to act thoughtfully, solve everyday problems, and the art of communication. Thanks to a mentor, a child gets a CHANCE at a new fate, not the one statistics have laid out for them.

On 5.10.2016 the President signed the Law on Mentoring, which makes mentoring an official lawful form of help for a child in a residential institution.

Mentorship is effective help for orphaned children from residential institutions, for socialization and adaptation to independent life.

Mentorship is a friendship between an adult and a teenager that involves regular meetings.

A mentor is a person who wants to become a friend to an orphaned child or a child deprived of parental care, who is ready to devote their time to that child, share knowledge, help, and support.

TO BECOME A MENTOR YOU NEED:

1. Apply to the Center of Social Services for the Family, Children, and Youth nearest to you, or to a civic organization that provides mentoring where you live.

2. Attend an information meeting and a consultation with a psychologist.

3. Gather the required set of documents:

- Application;

- Passport copy;

- A certificate of no criminal record from the Ministry of Internal Affairs;

- A medical certificate on the state of health. You need to see the following doctors: a dermatovenereologist, a psychiatrist, a phthisiatrician, a general physician, and a narcologist, and also have a blood test (the Wassermann test and HIV infection).

4. Complete a 4-day training for mentors (on the social adaptation of children and preparing them for independent life) and obtain a conclusion from the Oblast Center of Social Services for the Family, Children, and Youth stating that you may carry out mentoring activities.

5. Sign a tripartite agreement (with the child’s consent): mentor - Center of Social Services for Families, Children and Youth - head of the children’s institution.

For detailed information you can contact the Rivne City Center of Social Services for Families, Children and Youth:

45 Shevchenka Street, Rivne

(0362) 63-63-92, 26-17-82:

We warmly wish everyone a joyful EASTER!

On this Sunday we want to wish everyone blessings and kindness.

May the soul always be warm and at peace, may there be a peaceful sky overhead, and may loved ones and happy family and close people be nearby.

May the day to come bring understanding and happiness. We wish everyone harmony, the comfort of family, and that a feeling of bright joy may stay in the soul for as long as possible.

CHRIST IS RISEN!

On the eve of the Bright Resurrection of Christ, residents of the Klesiv territorial community in Sarny Raion received another round of aid.

Volunteers of the Andriuk Foundation (МБФ Олександра Андріюка) distributed food packages to families in the settlement of Klesiv who need help and support. Packages were issued first of all to large families, people with disabilities, single mothers, and displaced people, and then in order of the queue. There was enough aid for everyone who wanted it, since the total value of the humanitarian cargo exceeded 91 thousand UAH.

This was the second large-scale campaign, and, as the head of the Foundation notes, not the last:

"I am very happy that the Foundation’s staff and volunteers managed to organize and hold a campaign for Easter. After all, it is important that every family have a festive mood and positive emotions. I am convinced that these campaigns are only the start of the Foundation’s large and intense work. We strive to help even more, the people who need it. I always say that one should not wait for good from others, but should create it oneself, and then the world will become kinder and better."

The event was held with the support of the Kyiv charitable foundation "Futbenk".

When people find themselves in emergencies, they behave differently. It depends on a person’s temperament; for example, someone may behave like a phlegmatic person in everyday life, but when they find themselves in an extreme situation, their true inclinations come out and they may show themselves as a true sanguine person (a leader who can gather people around them and lead them in the needed direction), or the opposite.

In emergencies, when you need to take a deep breath in and out and start moving toward the exit, a child does the opposite: most often they get lost and panic, which is unacceptable, because precious minutes that can save a life are lost. Many of us were once taught in life-safety classes how to behave in one situation or another, how to use a gas mask, or how to give first aid. An understanding of how important such lessons are comes with time, yet in the modern education system such classes are not taken seriously. And that is a pity!

So, here are important rules of conduct that parents should tell their child if the child suddenly finds themselves at the center of a fire.

1. WET SCARF

This is the first rule for getting out of a burning or smoke-filled room. We take any clothing: a scarf, a T-shirt, a sweater, the hem of a skirt. If there is a bottle of water, we wet the clothing; if there is no water, you need to urinate on the clothing. And we breathe through the wet fabric. Strange as it may sound, urine filters smoke and toxic substances much better than water.

Children usually laugh at this, but they agree that in an emergency, when you want to stay alive, there is no shame in doing it. By the way, this “no shame” mood needs to be created in conversation, and the child needs to have all the risks explained if this is not done in time.

2. TEACH CHILDREN THE GAME "FIND THE EXIT"

We never stop to think about how to find a way out during a fire. Yet this can be instilled in a child quickly and cheerfully, in the form of a game. By training a child to look at identification signs, we ourselves will learn to pay attention to them and to think rationally. So, whenever we enter any premises, for 2–3 weeks, we cheerfully and instantly look at where we would run if a fire suddenly broke out.

3. GET AWAY FROM A PANICKING CROWD

In emergencies it is important to know how to get out of a crowd, because a crowd sometimes carries risks to life no smaller than a fire. So this section has three important rules:

- we move only in the direction the crowd is moving; we do not stop, even if loved ones are left behind. You will meet after you get outside.

- we carefully go around sharp corners, poles, and any obstacles we meet. To do this you need to look carefully ahead and around, walk with your arms crossed in front of you, elbows slightly forward, and hold your shoulders with your hands. In that case, if the crowd presses you, you will be able to breathe.

- if you fall: no “curl up.” You have three seconds to get up at any cost. To do this, grab “with a death grip” onto the legs, jeans, and so on of the person in front and, like a monkey, pull yourself to your feet. Remember that the person in front will not be glad of such behavior, so you must act quickly, carefully, and with understanding.

MAY YOU NEVER NEED THIS INFORMATION! BUT EVERYONE NEEDS TO KNOW IT!

The national contest “Charitable Ukraine,” whose founder is the Association of Philanthropists of Ukraine, is a nationwide project recognizing the country’s best volunteers and patrons and the most effective charitable initiatives.

The aim of the contest is to develop charity in Ukrainian public life.

Representatives of the public, institutions in the humanitarian and social sphere, recipients of charitable aid, and donors, volunteers, and patrons themselves are invited to take part. Based on the results of the competition, the best charitable initiatives are honored with a unique award — the “Angel of Good.”

The deadline for applications to take part in the National Contest "Charitable Ukraine - 2017" is 15 February 2018.

Detailed information is available on the website of the contest Organizing Committee www.blagoukraine.org.

Contact person: responsible director of the Association of Philanthropists of Ukraine, Oksana Lobko, contact tel. 067 16 404 11

From materials of the Rivne Oblast State Administration press service

Two Ukrainian women — volunteer Yana Zinkevych and writer Oksana Zabuzhko — were awarded the distinction of Blessed Hieromartyr Omelian Kovch.

The award ceremony took place on Saturday, 27 January 2018, at the Greek Catholic Cathedral of Saint Sophia in Rome. Distinctions were presented to only five people whose good deeds are known to the world. The Ukrainians Yana Zinkevych and Oksana Zabuzhko received awards for a life example of sacrifice and humanism and for mutual understanding among nations.

The award was also received by German philanthropist Bryhita Veber, who for the past 20 years has devoted her life to helping Ukrainian children and people with disabilities; American historian Timothy David Snyder, “for opening the truth about Ukrainian history to the world”; and Polish diplomat Yan Tombinskyi, “for faithful work to establish democracy in Ukraine and Europe.”

Omelian Kovch was a simple Ukrainian Greek Catholic priest who became one of the Righteous Among the Nations. During the German occupation of Galicia he saved more than five hundred people. However, in ’42 Omelian Kovch was arrested and later sent to the Majdanek concentration camp, where he died.

As a reminder, the Committee for Honoring the Memory of Blessed Hieromartyr Omelian Kovch was founded in 2010. Its Honorary Chair was Cardinal Liubomyr Huzar. The committee’s work is carried out under the patronage of the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church, His Beatitude Sviatoslav Shevchuk. The Omelian Kovch distinction is awarded annually for a personal lifetime contribution as an example of sacrifice and humanism, for heroic deeds in service to people, and for reconciliation and mutual understanding among nations.

The Government’s economic reforms, rising utility prices, and inflation of 11% have noticeably affected Ukrainians’ well-being. According to the UN, 9% of Ukraine’s population needs humanitarian aid.

In this connection, the Director of the International Charitable Foundation of Oleksandr Andriuk (hereinafter the ICF), together with Volodymyr Ivanov, Head of the Kyiv charitable foundation “Fudbend,” as part of a targeted aid program, organized a charitable campaign for Christmas. This was the first large-scale campaign of the Andriuk Foundation (МБФ Олександра Андріюка). In two weeks, material goods were collected, the bulk of which consisted of food.

"Thanks to the support of Volodymyr Vitaliiovych Ivanov, household chemicals and food with a total value of 58,861 UAH were promptly sent to us from Kyiv," says Foundation Director Oleksandr Andriuk. "On site, it was decided to divide all the humanitarian aid into two parts. The first was given to municipal institutions and kindergartens of Sarny Raion, and the second to residents in need in the settlement of Klesiv."

On the eve of Christmas, volunteers of the Andriuk Foundation (МБФ Олександра Андріюка) distributed food packages to more than 350 families who needed support and care. Aid was given to large families, people with disabilities, participants in the Great Patriotic War, and displaced people.

In turn, household chemicals worth more than 12 thousand UAH were handed over to the municipal institutions of the Klesiv territorial community. Five kindergartens and the same number of municipal institutions received humanitarian aid from the Andriuk Foundation (МБФ Олександра Андріюка), among them:

We note that all the products handed over to people and institutions meet the standards in force on the territory of Ukraine, sanitary and epidemiological norms, and are confirmed by the relevant documents.

We sincerely wish everyone a Happy New Year 2018 and a Merry Christmas!