Report by Nataliya Grigorenko

This Report was written by the Director of NBH, Nataliya Grigorenko:

I heartily thank you for all your help during the last 23 years supporting „Nikolaiev´s Baby House“ (NBH).

Thanks to the financial support in 2023 two children were sent to Kiev for consultation and treatment.

Maxim, was in Kiev´s children´s hospital „OXMADIT“ from 06.03.2023 till 22.03.2023.

Ivanka, from 11.09.23 till 19.09.23 was at Kiev´s children´s cardio center for examination. On 9.10.23 the girl was operated on (the first step of operational treatment to improve her complicated heart disease). Unfortunately the girl could not recover, on the 27.10.23 the heart stopped, doctors could not help any more and the child died.

Due to our donation expensive medicines for Yuriy were bought.

In November 2022 the Ukrainian Government moved Nikolaiev’s Region from the list of regions where the real fighting actions take place to the list of the regions where the danger of starting fighting actions any time is very high. Already in December 2022 the management of NBH has started the necessary reconstruction works to allow children who were left without parental care and who need medical and psychological rehabilitation to live again in Nikolaiev (NBH) under the conditions of war. In other words reconstruction was started which would allow children to come back eventually from Chernovtsy to Nikolaiev.
Middle of November 2023 there are 9 children living at NBH in Nikolaiev: 8 of them are children evacuated from Kherson’s Baby House (KrBH), and one girl from NBH, who in March 2021 could not be evacuated to Chernovtsy because of her health sate; three of these children need palliative care. There are 24 other children who officially „belong“ to NBH but at the moment live in Chernovtsy.

In 2022 62 children were moved from Nikolaiev to Chernovtsy. Currently 28 children are living in Chernovtsy: some were taken by foster families, some were adopted and some were sent to a boarding school (they were too old for NBH). NBH does not get any new children, as the orphanage in Nikolaiev has been evacuated, the children are sent to other orphanages. Nataliya Grigorenko fears that NBH will soon have no more children left and get no more new children if they cannot return to Nikolaiev.

In January 2023 the rehabilitation department of NBH started working again. Many families who stayed in Nikolaiev or have come back home apply for help and get different rehabilitation courses for their children. Gradually the number of therapists and specialists who work again at NBH in different areas of the rehabilitation branch have been increased. NBH has got special permission (license) from the ministry of health of Ukraine to provide the population with the medical care in the following programs: „Ambulant rehabilitation for grown-ups and children“ and „Medical rehabilitation for the children up to three years old, who were born premature or with disabilities“.
At the moment proper living conditions for the children who need palliative care have been reestablished. With the help of donations NBH managed to buy nursing beds, anti-decubitus mattresses, interactive boards and we are waiting for the interactive floor to be delivered.
Water supply pipes in the basement of NBH were replaced and at the moment the rainwater collection system on the roof of the building is being repaired. In December 2022 a water well was drilled and started working as the source of graywater and already in November this year thanks to charitable help NBH managed to buy and set up a system of water filtration.
In May 2023 the charitable fund „We help Ukrainians“ bought and donated a diesel generator (power 160 kW), and in November 2023 a Tesla power storage station. At the moment installation of the equipment is being performed. It will be operational any moment.

Charitable fund „Vsi Ukrainos dydviriani“ has donated a Mercedes Sprinter minivan to transport children if needed.
The International Organisation for Migration (UN) has donated two washing machines Indesit, 1 drying machine Candy and six water heaters (100L).
Due to the help of donors a system of surveillance cameras to guard the territory of the NBH was installed.
At the moment NBH is awaiting the delivery of the new air conditioners, which will be installed in the rehabilitation rooms and groups for children.

Director Nataliya Grigorenko is very optimistic:
She is planning and wants to achieve a lot. She would like to repair the groups where children live. It is necessary to make some reconstructions and repair works in the main kitchen and most importantly NBH urgently needs to build and equip a bomb shelter in the basement of the building. Without a bomb shelter they cannot bring children from Chernovtsy back to Nikolaiev. Unfortunately at the moment NBH does not have money for this project because the state spends practically all the money for war.