DHM is privileged to be supporting a smallholding called The House of Mercy (it’s part of a wider project addressing homelessness in Kyiv – the ‘Time of Good Changes’ Project) Here, our partners, Dima and Olha, provide accommodation, work, and social, emotional, and spiritual support for single homeless men. All of the men living here have suffered from a series of traumatic life experiences which means they do not have the safety, security and support networks of family and friends. Left on the streets they were vulnerable to abuse, crime, exploitation, and violence.
We’ve received this heartwarming update and wonderful photographs from our partners, Dima and Olha:
‘Meanwhile, things are going well …. wheat is growing, greenhouses are prepared for planting, the vegetable garden is also ready. We will start planting on May 5 …. We have already planted radishes, parsley, various herbs, and strawberries near the house. The guys laid a path near the house because the road is boggy when it rains. We repaired the fence near the cellar and started renovating our buildings with whitewash …. we plan to buy potatoes, barley, and alfalfa for planting. Barley and alfalfa are for the animals.’
Each of the men living and working here has a story. You can read them below. To protect the privacy of individuals, names have been changed.
Please pray for the men who live on the smallholding, they want to improve their lives for the better. They may have a long journey ahead, but living in this supportive environment, developing new skills, and using old ones, supported by people who care, they have made a good start. If you would like to help, please donate to https://www.dniprohopemission.org/donate/ and ref: HofM.
You can read our earlier blog about Dima, Olha and the House of Mercy here: https://www.dniprohopemission.org/helping-the-homeless-in-ukraine/
Here are some of the men’s stories. They have all suffered from difficult life events which have pushed them into homelessness: grief and loss, family breakdown, ill health and/or an accident leaving them unable to work, addiction…all made worse by the trauma of living in a country at war.
Arsen was born in 1980 in Russia but has lived in Ukraine since 2005 working as a builder and a handyman. He was married for about 22 years, but he had a stroke which left him with muscle weakness and speech difficulties. His wife kicked him out of the house because of his disability. Arsen found himself on the streets and then in two different rehabilitation centres. Thankfully, he received support from our partner Dima and is now living on the smallholding.
Fedir was born in 1975 in Sevastopol, Crimea. When he was about 12 years old, his parents divorced, and his father left. Mom died. After serving in the army, he was married for three years, there were no children. Then he lived with his second common-law wife for ten years, they had a daughter. In 2013, he moved to Dnipropetrovsk for work, and in 2014 to Kyiv, where he worked as a handyman and lived on construction sites. In 2016, he lost his documents, and their recovery was difficult due to military operations in Sevastopol since 2014. In 2021, he left work and ended up on the streets. Once, passing by, he saw a woman who was trying to help a man in a drugged state. Fedir offered his help, and when the woman contacted the rehabilitation centre for the drugged man, Fedir asked to be taken away too. Since then, he lives and serves with us.
Artem was born in 1964 in Kyiv. His father died in a car accident, and his mother died after surgery. Artem was married and had two daughters, but due to the mistakes of his youth, the marriage broke up, and now he does not maintain relations with his children. He is a carpenter by profession, but he worked as a handyman for most of his life. He lived in temporary accommodation in different cities, then on the street. He spent four months in a rehabilitation centre in Kyiv region, but after leaving the centre he found himself on the street again. On the advice of an acquaintance, he came to us.
Danylo was born in 1991 in the village near Kyiv. He lost his parents, and the house he lived in no longer exists. He has one son, but his wife filed for divorce and he ended up on the streets. He has been living in various temporary places for the past 9 years. He was recently hit by a car, after which he underwent three operations on his leg with the installation of a plate. When it was time to be discharged from the hospital, the question arose of where he would be able to go, because he has difficulty moving around on crutches and cannot take care of himself on his own. The medical staff looked for different options for help, and thanks to several people and recommendations, he was brought to the House of Mercy.
Denis was born in 1982 in a village in the Kyiv region. As a child, he played sports and studied to be an economist, but he struggled when his father died, and he was unable to finish his studies. A few years later, his mother died of cancer. He started drinking alcohol to help him cope with his grief. Denis lived in a civil marriage for three years and has a son. He ended up homeless, living on the streets. He continued to drink heavily. He developed speech and coordination disorders because of injuries received when he was sleeping rough. He really wants to change his life for the better and has undergone rehabilitation in rehabilitation centres four times. We hope and pray that he can build a new life.
Thank you to all our supporters who have made it possible for us to support Dima and Olha as they provide these men with a home, a hope and a future.
