Support Host Communities & Refugees in Ukraine

At the end of March 2025, during a three-day business trip to Ukraine, I visited the construction status of the welfare facility in Berehove, the planned site of the new kitchen point. Last year, due to the high cost of living, the weak yen, the lack of manpower, and the fact that the construction workers that were finally secured were no longer available due to the draft, there were many headaches, and construction was delayed significantly, but since the beginning of this year, construction has been progressing steadily.

In Japan, it is normal for construction to proceed as planned, but something always happens in Ukraine, and when a project is progressing smoothly without any problems, it makes me feel uneasy. Just when I was on the alert that something might happen soon, an unexpected intervention came in from an unexpected source. President Trump's closure of USAID and other major increases in tariffs on countries around the world are certain to have an impact on the situation in Ukraine as well. Of course, it will not be a positive impact.

If humanitarian aid is delayed and inflation accelerates, the situation of vulnerable people, such as refugees who are struggling to make ends meet, elderly people left behind, and single mothers fleeing from the front lines to the western region, will surely worsen. Considering their circumstances, the kitchen of the welfare facility and the chapel, which will serve as a place of spiritual comfort, must be completed at all costs.

The workers are highly motivated, continuing construction on weekends with the goal of having the kitchen up and running in September. Insulation of the roof and exterior walls, electrical work, water, water, and heating systems have already been completed, and now they are working on the interior of the kitchen. Once the tiles are laid, they can visualize what the building will look like when it is completed, and their expectations are high.

As a side note, from the end of February to the beginning of March, storks from Africa move into the center. A couple of storks near the center have already completed building their nests, and the mother bird is warming her eggs.

“By the time the little birds leave the nest!”

I have been envisioning the pattern of the local aunties' hearty cooking and delivery of the food to each of the beneficiaries in the neighboring villages.

Links:

• Three Years since Russia's Invasion of Ukraine
• Ukrainian Bishop Visits Construction Site
• Progress and Challenges as of September 2024

On February 24, 2025, a full three years passed since the start of the Russian invasion of Ukraine. On that day, schools in Ukraine were suddenly closed and hospitals and clinics were notified by the government to stay open at night, creating an atmosphere of disquiet.

Because of fears of a large-scale Russian airstrike, Terra Renaissance Hungary (hereinafter referred to as TRH) decided to abandon its plans to enter Ukraine and stay in Nyíregyháza, in eastern Hungary, to see what would happen in case of an emergency.

Father Péter, Greek Catholic Caritas representative from Zakarpattia, with whom TRH has a partnership in the Ukraine relief project, came to the border area to pick up relief supplies. He is a Ukrainian national who is subject to the draft, but because he is the head of a charitable organization and the head of a large family with three children, he is exempt from military service for now and can cross the border.

In Hungary, three years after the invasion, donations of daily necessities such as clothes, blankets and bedding are still being collected for Ukrainian refugees and internally displaced persons who are struggling to make ends meet. On this day, TRH was able to hand over enough relief supplies to fill the trunk of a wagon.

On the following day, the 25th, after confirming that there had been no change in the situation in the Ukrainian project areas, the Author visited the city of Berehove, Zakarpattia Oblast, Ukraine, to inspect the progress of the project to construct a comprehensive welfare center currently being implemented by TRH.

The construction of the welfare center, which began last year, has now passed the halfway point and is nearing completion. The construction of the roof and wastewater treatment system has been completed, and about two thirds of the construction is now complete, according to the Contractor, Mr. Yurchenko. The entire workers of the Contractor shall make every effort to complete the construction in the summer of 2025.

Three years after the Russian invasion, the people of Ukraine have not been able to return to a normal life. While the situation is not improving, the scale of international aid to Ukraine is being scaled back, with newly inaugurated President Trump suspending U.S. foreign aid programs, and people's lives continue to deteriorate.

What we can do is to never forget the problems in Ukraine and continue to support Ukraine to the extent that we can. Your warm support is the driving force behind our activities. Thank you for your continued support.

Links:

• Ukrainian Bishop Visits Construction Site
• Progress and Challenges as of September 2024
• The Arrival of Spring and Easter