Caritas Ukraine is the leading Ukrainian charitable organization that helps people in need, regardless of their nationality, age, sex or religion. For more than 20 years of our activities in Ukraine, hundreds of thousands of Ukrainians received financial, social, psychological and legal assistance through our numerous projects.
Since the beginning of the humanitarian crisis in Ukraine, more then 380 000 people received our support. Funds for humanitarian projects of Caritas provide benefactors from around the world – including not only state organizations of various countries but also international charitable foundations, religious communities and private donors. During three years of conflict, considerable resources were involved – a hundred times exceeding budget of Caritas before the crisis. In 2014 we expanded our geography and opened new branches in eastern Ukraine, including Zaporizhzhya, Mariupol, Kamyanske, Poltava, Kreminna, Melitopol, Kryvyy Rih.
However, Caritas Ukraine is aware that raised funds are not enough for covering the needs of all people affected by the crisis. In Ukraine the UN estimates nearly four million people in need. Caritas Ukraine as one of the members of the National Working Group for Humanitarian Affairs coordinated by the United Nations follows general humanitarian principles. In particular these principles are applied to the selection criteria for beneficiaries of our projects. We try to cover the needs of the most vulnerable groups of society. Our selection criteria are based on principles developed by the working group and recorded in ‘Humanitarian Needs Overview’, besides they take into account the specific of each program. Caritas Ukraine is trying to make the selection criteria the most transparent. We realize that our help cannot come to everyone, but we are ready to give a helping hand to the neediest and those who cannot support themselves.
First of all Caritas gives material and financial assistance to:
- Families reside in the buffer zone, especially in the areas under regular shelling;
- Families have only one breadwinner;
- Pregnant women and mothers with babies up to one year;
- Large families;
- Families with disabled members;
- Families with chronically ill members;
- Families have no source of income.
Primarily within the projects, families that are not ready for the cold weather receive support in preparation for winter. Financial assistance for house restorations can get households that meet the following conditions:
- House is located in the buffer zone;
- House has been damaged as a result of armed conflict;
- House is the main and permanent residence of the family.
Caritas Ukraine developed a special mechanism for selecting recipients for cash grants. It is used by all regional centers. It consists of two phases:
Registration is the first step for further participation in the selection process. At this stage, there is no need of supporting documents. Applications are filled due to the beneficiaries’ statements. Social workers put the assessment of vulnerability (in a scale from 1 to 5) and leave comments if some further consideration is necessary.
The selection of beneficiaries according to the following criteria
Score table:
| The number of points according to graduation: | ||||
| Large family (3 or more children) | 1 point | |||
| Chronic diseases | 1 point | |||
| Single parent | 1 point | |||
| Pregnant woman or infant in the family | 1 point | |||
| Person with special needs in the family | 1 point | |||
| IDP status | + 0,5 point | |||
| State of preparation
to cold weather |
0 | 0,5 point | 1 point | 2 points |
| Добр | Almost prepared
|
Not well prepared
|
Unprepared | |
| Income per family member | 0 | 1 point | 2 points | 3 points |
| More than 1500 UAH | 1000 – 1499 UAH | 500 – 999 UAH | 0 – 499 UAH | |
The selection is carried out by a special program on the basis of summarizing points (three or more criteria must be present) and the evaluation of social worker.
To avoid re-issuing of cash grants information is verified with special database.
If there are no enough points, but there is a comment of social worker about difficult life circumstances of a person (for example, need of expensive treatment), the case is discussed by special commission.
In the second phase of registration, selected beneficiaries must provide the necessary documents, including a certificate of IDPs, medical documents confirming the diagnosis and so on.
Each program has different requirements. In some cases, beneficiaries are eligible for more than one grant for a specified period while within other projects assistance is provided only once. In this case, information about beneficiaries is verified in order to avoid repetition and issuing more than one grant per household. The social worker must give the information about the conditions of the grant program.
Besides, Caritas Ukraine is implementing a number of projects that do not provide material support but aimed to improve the psychological condition of people affected by the humanitarian crisis, develop their business skills, employment and integration of IDPs from Eastern Ukraine to new places of residence. Information on such projects is published regularly. All interested persons can contact one of the closest offices of Caritas and receive the necessary advice and support.
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