ERC team visited families in the town of Smila in Cherkasy region who received assistance from the Estonian Refugee Council in Ukraine through the Emergency livelihoods programme.

Oleksandr, his wife, and their one-year-old son live on the outskirts of the town. Their family used the ERC’s grant of 27 000 UAH (approximately 615 EUR) to purchase chickens, poultry feed, and straw. Now they can supply eggs to a local store, as well as sell them to neighbors. The support provided has allowed them to cover their basic food needs and receive a small but stable income. Oleksandr plans to gradually expand his farming activities to provide his family with everything they need.

Olena was forced to relocate from Kherson due to the war and now lives in Smila. She is raising her daughter alone and also needs expensive treatment, which significantly complicates the family's financial situation. Olena has mastered the specialty of a hairdresser and dreamed of developing in this field. With ERC’s grant of 36 000 UAH (approximately 820 EUR), she was able to purchase professional equipment to open her own cabinet. "My first clients were girls from the hairdressing school," says Olena. At the same time, she has to adapt to difficult conditions, including power and water outages, which affect her work schedule. Despite everything, Olena is gradually developing her activities and also volunteers at a local center.

Emergency livelihoods programme is implemented as part of the Ukraine Response Consortium, led by Acted, and funded by USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).