Mariupol Women’s Association «BEREGINJA»

(Mariupol Women’s Association «BEREGINJA»)

Our team started its activities in the stormy year of 2015 on a volunteer basis, and less than a year later there was an urgent need to create an official organization. This is how the Mariupol Women’s Association “Bereginya” was born. The organization was created from the number of resettled women and volunteers, who were united by a common desire to help those who needed help and a sense of responsibility for people. We started our activities at a time when thousands of confused people who lost their homes, their usual lives, and loved ones due to military operations were arriving in Mariupol. From the first days, the team started working according to the principle of case management, which quickly proved its effectiveness.

Multidisciplinary teams, consisting of a case manager, a lawyer-advocate and a psychologist, are still working in Mariupol and the administratively subordinate Vynohradny, Pionersk, Talakivka, Hnutovo, Sartan districts, as well as in the Volnovask, Marinsk, Nikolsk and Mangusk districts. The work in each of them has its own specificity, it depends on how close the demarcation line is, whether the settlement is a host community for displaced persons, on the socio-economic situation and even geographical location.

Experience proves that in order to normalize the standard of living, people need comprehensive long-term help from specialists in various fields of activity, which should include four main areas:

Such a complex approach forms a “quadrilateral of assistance”, a kind of alliance that functions more successfully and efficiently, the more its members realize and implement themselves as a multidisciplinary team, are able to quickly and flexibly redistribute the load if necessary and adapt to new challenges of the time.

Despite the fact that the first population categories with which our experts began to work were forced migrants, with whom we are still working, because their problems have not been resolved yet (this especially applies to displaced women), but since 2016, the target categories have increased significantly.

За ці роки, тим чи іншим чином наша організація допомогла більше ніж 30 000 осіб, з яких 80 % це жінки. Жінки які живуть на лінії розмежування, жінки-переселенки, жінки з приймаючих громад, жінки які змушені були залишатися на непідконтрольних територіях… Кожна людина зі своєю історією, своєю проблемою. Кожна людина – особлива.

Advocacy work, legal consultations and full support, social support and psychological support, trainings, webinars, master classes… We have many tools to solve the problem with which a person comes to us, thousands of successful cases prove that the impossible is possible!

Numbers that matter

In the period from 2015 to the present, specialists of the “Mariupol Women’s Association “BEREGINJA”” (English. “Mariupol Women’s Association “BEREGINJA”)” conducted 27,126 individual legal consultations, of which 3,011 legal consultations were online. Secondary legal assistance was provided to 828 persons. Including representation in courts of various instances. Psychologists of the organization provided 4,222 individual psychological consultations and provided psychological support to 214 people – mainly during the work of mobile mobile teams.

211 “Legal lectures” and other trainings and webinars on legal topics were held, which were attended by 3,431 people, most of them in settlements on the demarcation line.

26 “Political Science Workshops” were held, attended by 152 people, which contributed to the creation of 11 public organizations, 8 of which were created by women who are ready to change their lives and the lives of their communities.

28 business trainings were held among forced migrants and residents of settlements on the demarcation line, which were attended by 290 people. As a result of these trainings, almost 80 grants were received, with various funding – both by international organizations and local authorities, including through the program initiated by the administration of the Donetsk Regional State Administration – “Ukrainian Donetsk Kurkul”.

216 psychological trainings were held, attended by 929 people, 240 art therapy classes with children and 119 art therapy classes with women.

The team contributed to the restoration (repair work, equipment of premises) of 9 objects of social importance in communities that suffered during military operations.

“Bereginja” in the media

In the period from 2015 to the present, specialists of the “Mariupol Women’s Association “BEREGINJA”” (English. “Mariupol Women’s Association “BEREGINJA”)” conducted 27,126 individual legal consultations, of which 3,011 legal consultations were online. Secondary legal assistance was provided to 828 persons. Including representation in courts of various instances. Psychologists of the organization provided 4,222 individual psychological consultations and provided psychological support to 214 people – mainly during the work of mobile mobile teams.

211 “Legal lectures” and other trainings and webinars on legal topics were held, which were attended by 3,431 people, most of them in settlements on the demarcation line.

26 “Political Science Workshops” were held, attended by 152 people, which contributed to the creation of 11 public organizations, 8 of which were created by women who are ready to change their lives and the lives of their communities.

28 business trainings were held among forced migrants and residents of settlements on the demarcation line, which were attended by 290 people. As a result of these trainings, almost 80 grants were received, with various funding – both by international organizations and local authorities, including through the program initiated by the administration of the Donetsk Regional State Administration – “Ukrainian Donetsk Kurkul”.

216 psychological trainings were held, attended by 929 people, 240 art therapy classes with children and 119 art therapy classes with women.

The team contributed to the restoration (repair work, equipment of premises) of 9 objects of social importance in communities that suffered during military operations.