As part of the Winter Program, the Maltese Relief Service has provided more than 500 generators of various capacities to the frontline and near-frontline regions of Ukraine, as well as the Lviv region. These generators help residents to charge their phones, stay in touch with their families and keep up with the news, stay warm, turn on electrical appliances, and ensure the functioning of pumping stations in some settlements or entire social institutions. We have collected several stories about how generators helped Ukrainians live during the power outage.
Throughout the fall and winter, russia has been systematically launching missile strikes against Ukraine and its energy facilities to deprive Ukrainians of electricity and heat. The most recent massive attack took place on March 9, leaving millions of people across the country without power once again. Both cities with populations of millions and small villages were left without electricity, heat and, in some places, water for the winter. Ukrainians call this winter the most difficult in their history.
The Maltese Relief Service, thanks to its partners, has delivered almost half a thousand generators to the frontline and near-frontline regions of Ukraine to provide them with backup power sources. One of them was delivered to a family-type orphanage in the village of Pisochyn, Kharkiv region.
Pisochyn is located in the frontline region. This settlement often suffers from enemy shelling. As a result of rocket attacks on energy facilities, residents of the Pisochyn community, like most Ukrainians, are forced to survive without electricity, communication, warm water, and heating.
The Pisochyn family-type orphanage is home to 12 people, ten of whom are children. Oksana, a mother and educator, tells us how difficult it is to take care of the children due to constant power outages: “In the beginning, the electricity was cut off very often. You see, we have an electric house, everything depends on the electricity supply. That is, nothing worked. There was no heating, no warm water, no way to cook or heat food.”
In winter, the frontline regions received power supply for 2-3 hours a day. At the end of February, the situation began to improve, but half a million Ukrainians are still without electricity in the Kharkiv region. That’s why Oksana’s large family uses the generator all the time.
“The generator is used every time there is a power outage. A week ago there was power, yesterday there was no power, now there has been no power for two hours. And, what is most difficult, we don’t know when it will be turned on,” Oksana explained in early March.
Fortunately, she said, there are gas stations in the village, so there are no problems with fuel to keep the generator running.
Now that Ms. Oksana’s large family is no longer dependent on unstable electricity, she says: “We are very happy. The generator is working properly. Despite everything, we are doing well.”
It should be noted that the generators were provided with the support of Malteser International and Neighbor in Need and funded by the Austrian Development Agency.