Latest news from Kuknia

Thanks to your help, our friends at Kukhnia have been able to serve more that 25,000 meals, care for 5 shelters and host more than 20 refugees together with 18 volunteers. Aid shipments have also been sent to Bucha, Blystavytsya, Borodyanka, Vorzel, Ivankiv, Kukhari, Kharkiv, Odesa and Uzhhorod.

However, we expect that with the winter approaching and with donations slowing down, it will get harder and harder to maintain this level of support for those most vulnerable. We desperately need your help so that Kukhnia can continue paying for essentials including rent and food.

What do Kukhnia do?

Cook

Kukhnia started as a group of volunteers serving hot food to the masses of refugees at Lviv main railroad station. Now we cook for 120 people daily and our food is delivered to four refugee shelters across the city. We renovated an old restaurant kitchen and now produce delicious (mostly vegetarian) dishes 7 days a week. We pay extra attention to the quality of ingredients and sanitation rules. Many refugees now also help us with cooking. In those shelters where cooking is possible on-site, Kukhnia provides refugees with kitchenware, ingredients and recipes.

Host

In early March 2022, Pidsoma.shelter was established at a former book factory in Lviv. Floor plans and 3D models were designed by an architect couple that recently evacuated from Kharkiv. After settling in, many refugees actively participated in the construction. The shelter aims to provide a sense of personal space and offers separate sleeping compartments for up to 20 people. Our shelter aims at long-time readjustment and no limits are imposed on the duration of stay. Additionally, we rent apartments with basic furnishing for 3 refugee families keen to integrate and find local jobs.

Help

We are sending humanitarian aid to several crisis areas across Ukraine, like destroyed villages in Kyiv and Chernihiv regions. These communities are cut from electricity/natural gas and urgently need food, generators, power banks, construction materials and tools. Housing renovations will take a long time. Additionally, Kukhnia organises food transports to Roma communities in Uzhhorod. The Radvanka neighbourhood became a new home for refugees from across the country but is not given much attention. We also helped provide product packages to the elderly women in Lviv and personal care items for the psychiatric hospital in Borodyanka.

Integrate

We turned the Soma.majsternia dance floor into a space of cultural and physical activities that connects refugees and local communities. A program that combines guided exercise, vocal classes and reading groups was developed with displaced individuals in mind. We believe it to be helpful in overcoming the apatheia and anxiety associated with war and displacement. For example, Morning Preparation is a daily exercise workshop facilitated by instructors from local dance and therapeutic communities. Our singing classes focus on vocal techniques and bodily aspects of Ukrainian folk singing. Most events are free to attend as we want to respect the precarious conditions of our audiences.