Help for Ukrainian refugees in Latvia

The aim of the initiative "Assistance to Ukrainian Refugees in Latvia" is to provide long-term support to Ukrainian refugees in Latvia and to involve society in providing assistance. The project "Assistance to Ukrainian Refugees in Latvia" is financed by the European Economic Area Financial Instrument and the Norwegian Financial Instrument for the period 2014-2021 within the framework of the implementation of the project "Bilateral Cooperation Fund 2018-2025", thanks to the involvement and support of the Ministry of Finance of the Republic of Latvia and the Royal Norwegian Embassy in Riga.

The Foundation "Ziedot.lv" (hereinafter - Ziedot.lv) as a social support and charity organization plans to provide its services to Ukrainian refugees on an equal footing with the residents of Latvia.

1) Providing assistance to Ukrainian refugees in Latvia

Ukrainian refugees would have the opportunity to receive assistance within the same programs as those available to local residents. At the same time, we would like to emphasize that the support programs are indicative and support will be provided in accordance with the individual needs of refugees. This includes the following assistance programs:

• Social assistance programme: several projects are being implemented within the program to provide support to various groups of society – poor families with children, elderly people, people in emergency situations – purchase of various household items, etc. Targeted support for children is also planned, providing meals and day care services for those children who continue distance learning in Ukrainian schools and whose parents work every day. A charity warehouse also operates within the framework of the social assistance program, which provides material assistance and temporary assistance with food and basic necessities. Within the framework of the social assistance program, Ziedot.lv cooperates with local municipalities that have received Ukrainian refugees.
• Health programme: assistance in the provision of non-state-paid healthcare services in Latvia – treatment, surgeries, medications, rehabilitation, dentistry, technical aids. The assistance program also includes the treatment of war injuries. Assistance to children with serious illnesses, including autism, cerebral palsy, neuromotor illnesses – payment of specialist consultations, provision of medications or technical aids. The Children's Rehabilitation Center "Poga" provides rehabilitation to seriously ill children and young people, introducing the latest rehabilitation methods in Latvia. Within the framework of the health program, cooperation will also take place with the Ministry of Health, ensuring specific surgical treatment for victims of hostilities in Ukraine, as well as support provided to Ukrainian soldiers in Latvia within the framework of the treatment and rehabilitation process.
• Consultation programme: Ziedot.lv provides support to residents in communicating with state and local government institutions, advising on available assistance and the procedure for obtaining assistance from state and local government institutions. In the case of Ukrainian refugees, this will be an essential component of support, taking into account both the language barrier and the lack of experience. Ziedot.lv provides support from a social worker.
• Non-governmental organization cooperation programme: providing support to other non-governmental organizations that provide support to residents from vulnerable and sensitive groups of society. With the help of cooperating NGOs, material donations from the charity warehouse will be transferred.
• Psycho-emotional rehabilitation, integration and cultural event programme: Refugees from Ukraine will be provided with psycho-emotional support and consultations to reduce post-traumatic consequences. Assistance will be provided by involving Ukrainian specialists who have moved to Latvia due to the ongoing war. To help refugees integrate into local society, regular social and cultural events will be organized, as well as classes/seminars, including Latvian language learning activities. It is also planned to organize camps in Latvia (summer, autumn, winter and spring) for Ukrainian children both from Ukraine and those residing in Latvia. Special attention will be paid to preserving the ethnic and cultural identity of the Ukrainian people.

2) Community involvement in support of Ukrainian refugees

Ziedot.lv provides its services mainly through donations from residents and entrepreneurs. The initiative will include community outreach and engagement activities to raise funds for assistance. Events will be held to promote integration and hospitality. Media and social media platforms will be involved.

3) Adapting Ziedot.lv activities to work with Ukrainian refugees

The initiative will take the necessary steps to adapt the Ziedot.lv organization to work with Ukrainian refugees. First, information on the possibilities of receiving assistance in Ukrainian should be provided, including the development of an assistance application form, assistance provision rules, individual assistance contracts and reporting forms in Ukrainian. It is necessary to integrate the developed materials into the Ziedot.lv website and document management system, as well as additional resources for work with the Ukrainian refugee community. This activity also includes communication expenses, including presentation materials for camps, cultural events and seminars/classes.

The initiative will result in long-term civil society support for Ukrainian war refugees and the integration of refugees into Latvian society.

Project duration: from July 2022 to April 2025. Project funding: 3 397 142,00 euros.

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Additional information on initiatives under the Fund for bilateral relations available HERE