Médecins Sans Frontières - We are still here Valentyna

Unique Identifier Code / URN MSB111326

Date taken / Date Recorded 15/09/2021 12:00 AM

Country Ukraine

Commissioning section MSF-SWITZERLAND

Photographer / videographer / producer Lilia Rarog

Copyright Lilia Rarog/MSF

Usage Rights (MSF) External Media, MSF Fundraising, MSF Publications, Social Media

Formal Consent Copy available no

Editor's rating ★★★ (F)

Video format h264 (High) (avc1 / 0x31637661)

Duration 2m51s

Maximum Size 1920px × 1080px 278.00 MB

Additional Information / Shotlist Orlovske village, Ukraine

Valentyna Naumovych
volunteer
My name is Naumovych Valentyna Viktorivna. I came to Orlovske in 2014 when the conflict started. I came here on vacation.

We rented a house for a month to have a holiday in the countryside .

But the conflict started... And I felt some sort of urge to help people through volunteering.

Valentyna founded an NGO ‘Budemo zhyty’ (We will live). Now her team consists of nine people who run a Recreation and Assistance Center in the village.
[This scarf] indicates that I am here, that we are working. It flares in the wind... and [shows] that we are here, we exist.
This house was almost destroyed. There used to be a furnace but it was dismantled.

We entered here and started to get it into shape and renovated the house.
This building is all-in-one. It serves as a recreation center, sewing workshop, hairdresser’s, laundry and [a place for meetings] with organisations working here.

This is where MSF taught me how to use a blood glucose meter and tonometer.
Valentyna is a village health team volunteer working with MSF.
MSF supports her to share health information and help people get to hospitals or pharmacies.
The bus runs early mornings at 5 am and back at 5 pm. If people go somewhere, they have to wait all day [to take the bus back].

Also, our elderly people and people with disabilities are not mobile. It is difficult for them to get into a bus. We help them with this! Sometimes we drive up to ten people.

Our transportation is free for them, as well as fuel.
Twice a week Valentyna runs sessions for people in the village. Among other things, she organizes “gymnastics” for them.
We have six sticks but many more elderly women. They have their own sticks. Some stand. Those having sticks mostly sit.
We exercise in a sitting position. Our elderly women do it with great pleasure. They sit, lean on their sticks... They are happy that [the sticks] are bright. I tell them, “Let's...!” They reply, “No! Give us that [stick]. It’s brighter. This one is more modern!”
Volunteers like Valentyna provide a crucial lifeline for vulnerable people. With MSF’s support, they make it possible for people in villages close to the conflict to get the health care they need. In just three months 500 people were assisted to get to doctors’ appointments and hospitals in Donetsk region.

We are still here Valentyna - ENGLISH

We are still here Valentyna - ENGLISH