In the summer of 2023, with the support of "terre des hommes Deutschland e.V." and funding from the German Federal Foreign Office, the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya launched a large-scale project "Improving the Protection of Children in Emergencies in Ukraine by Providing Safe Shelters, Food and Non-Food Items, and Psychosocial Support". The infrastructure part of the project involved the development of the Vilshany Orphanage.

Throughout the project, buildings that were new to the institution but old in terms of age (since they were built in the 1960s) underwent major renovations. The communications systems were completely replaced with modern ones that take into account the specifics of the area, a new roof and windows were installed, and the walls were insulated… The infrastructure of the complex fully complies with the principles of inclusivity, accessibility, and energy efficiency. The design of each building was developed by experienced domestic architects in collaboration with Swiss specialists. 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. 

On the other side of the Tereblya River, new residents already live in the buildings renovated by the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya – adult wards continue to learn to live independently, and comfortable conditions have been created for the youngest residents in rooms for 2-3 people. The new buildings, like living organisms, are not impersonal – they have names, "Iris" and "Narcissus", they echo with the voices of children, and they interact harmoniously with the surrounding landscape. But still, the main people there are the wards, the staff, and their assistants.

In the additional buildings of the orphanage, social services are provided to the residents – both the institution’s specialists and involved specialists work with them. For example, individual development plans for the children were prepared by employees of the Drahovo Inclusive Resource Center, which also serves the village of Vilshany. In their home, the older wards are already putting their own house in order – tidying up their rooms, settling into their new lives, and learning to cook new dishes. All this is the result of hard but necessary work, and it continues. We are supported in this by our partners from Switzerland – the Association "Parasolka". Recently, Swiss specialists Claudia Leu and Annette Schiess worked at the institution, helping us to furnish the living quarters, rehabilitation room, classroom, dining room, and other rooms, setting up assistive devices, working with the younger wards, and, together with the older residents, prepared the Swiss dish Rösti (you can now ask our Edita for the recipe). 

In the context of the continuation of the project, renovation work has begun on a third additional building, which will be used to develop the system of providing social services in the community and create suitable conditions for the residents of the Vilshany Orphanage. 

The advantages of the facility in Vilshany, including its new infrastructure, are the surrounding landscapes of the Carpathian Mountains and mountain rivers, the temperate climate, and the friendly community. The disadvantage remains logistics, complicated by sections of broken road surface. These are aspects that neither the institution nor the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya can influence. However, it is within our power to contribute to improving the conditions for the development of the wards, their living conditions, care, and education. The Committee has been working long and hard to implement this idea, which has become even more urgent due to the transfer of evacuated children from other orphanages in the combat zone to the facility.

HERE you can learn about the activities that the Medical Aid Committee in Zakarpattya has been implementing at the Vilshany Orphanage since 1997.