Renovation work has been completed on two buildings of the Vilshany Children’s Orphanage, which was carried out as part of the project "Improving the Protection of Children in Emergencies in Ukraine by Providing Safe Shelters, Food and Non-Food Items, and Psychosocial Support". The project is being implemented by the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya with the support of "terre des hommes Deutschland e.V. " and funding from the German Federal Foreign Office. 

The two buildings that were transferred to the orphanage have different purposes, which was taken into account when developing the design and estimate documentation. The larger building is being prepared for the opening of a facility for minors of the orphanage with severe complex disabilities, while the smaller one will house a "School of Supported Living".

The institution is being expanded due to an increase in the number of its residents – children from evacuated orphanages in several frontline regions have been transferred to the Vilshany Children’s Orphanage. As a result, for example, the physiotherapy room has been converted into a living space.

The renovated facilities (which were semi-ruined buildings from the 1960s) have been completely replaced with modern ones that take into account the specifics of the area and communications, new roofs and windows have been installed, and the walls have been insulated… The infrastructure of the complex fully complies with the principles of inclusiveness, accessibility, and energy efficiency. Each building was designed by experienced domestic architects in collaboration with Swiss specialists who have experience in developing comprehensive facilities for people with disabilities. Therefore, everything has been taken into account in the design and, consequently, in the premises themselves – the width of doorways, the height of windows, the size of showers and toilets, the angle of ramps, and even the direction in which doors open.

Young people with disabilities who are already undergoing training in the basics of organizing their daily lives, cooking, leisure planning, and employment have visited their new building several times. During its construction, the Committee consulted with future residents on the furnishing of common areas, living quarters, and the grounds around the building. All wishes were taken into account.

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Improving living conditions for children in the orphanage is not just about new walls, but also about changing approaches to care and rehabilitation, which become possible in renovated buildings. Thus, every child who will be moving to the building for children with severe complex disabilities undergoes additional diagnostics and works with specialists from the local inclusive resource center. Together with them and invited Swiss colleagues, an analysis of the new space was carried out in order to select the most comfortable rooms for each client, determine the arrangement of physiotherapy rooms and work areas for specialists, locations for leisure activities for children of different age groups, kitchen and dining areas, etc. 

"We know which of our residents can use a wheelchair, who can walk independently or with assistance, who needs special lighting, and we analyze who would be comfortable sharing a room with whom… These and other factors are taken into account when planning the accommodation of our residents. It is important to us that the children also feel the changes that will be introduced. For example, everyone will have not only their own sleeping place, but also a place at the table in the dining room, even if this means installing a reclining chair. As our Swiss colleague Susanna Bernar emphasized, we must provide at least three places where a child spends time – where he/she sleeps, eats, and spends his/her free time meaningfully. We are working on this", says Nadiya Danch, project coordinator of the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya. 

In preparation for the relocation, wheelchairs were adjusted and repaired as necessary, and two electric wheelchairs were made available for use. In addition, a schedule of activities was drawn up for each child, and sets of pictograms were created to help develop the children’s communication skills, including non-verbal ones. Specialists, including a psychologist, speech therapist, physiotherapist, and oligophrenopedagogue-defectologist, have begun their work and will continue in the new building. This systematic approach is already yielding positive results and has a positive impact on the children’s well-being.

As part of the second phase of the project "Improving the Protection of Children in Emergencies in Ukraine by Providing Safe Shelters, Food and Non-Food Items, and Psychosocial Support", a boiler room with powerful boilers was also completed at the facility.

The final steps in developing the territory are ahead. Some ideas have already been tested in the orphanage, where a common space called "Kolo" ("Circle") has been opened next to the workshops.

We have already told you about the work carried out by Swiss specialists at the Vilshany Children’s Orphanage over the course of a week. In a month’s time, another team of specialists from Switzerland will be working at the facility.