Residents of the Illinivska community of Kramatorsk district in the Donetsk region are finally able to reach the center of the community due to the new social transportation of ADRA Ukraine. The first bus was on the road on May 31, 2022. The new transportation route is the result of cooperation with the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.
When hostilities increased in February 2022, the transport connection with its center – Illinivka village – was stopped in most settlements of the community. Residents of thirteen remote villages and settlements were almost completely cut off from basic social infrastructure, such as medical, social, and administrative services. Furthermore, part of the community is under almost constant artillery fire.
“Due to social trips organized by ADRA Ukraine and the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund, it has become possible to get to Illinivka. It was very difficult for us to get there on our own because it is too expensive to ask car owners to pick us up. The vast majority of the population cannot afford to rent a taxi due to the low pensions. However, we all need to go there – to the social protection services, to the village council, or to the hospital, especially retired people. And someone needs to go to the shop. Here, I’ve even bought ice cream for myself,” Larysa Volodymyrivna, a resident of Novopoltavka, smiles.
According to Volodymyr Marynych, a village head, the work of social transportation is more important today than ever. “Taking into account that refugees arrive in safer regions and every penny is important to the community budget, this assistance from ADRA Ukraine is extremely timely and necessary.”
Interested people can register for a social trip with the mayor to the relevant settlements.
Starting this week, three social bus routes will be running in the community. The bus will run once a week: every Tuesday from Tarasivka village, every Wednesday from Popiv Yar village, and every Friday from Kalynove village. Due to the periodic aggravation of the security situation, the latter route may take place irregularly.
