“Survive, I don't have another plan,” says Ukrainian Ludmila. People in Need repair her home.
Published: Oct 29, 2014 Reading time: 2 minutes
Sixty-six-year old Ludmila Ostrouch, from the village Semjonovka near Slavjansku in Eastern Ukraine, doesn’t like to recall the start of the fighting. "It was terrible, we were afraid," she says, as a pensioner, who worked once as milkmaid cows.
Semjonovka is stuck between two hostile military bases, and so her home took a heavy blow. Most homes are damaged. "We've even stayed during the fighting," says Ludmila Ostrouch. Fortunately, her house didn't get a direct hit.
“The roof and walls were damaged a lot of it was shrapnel bombs that exploded in the vicinity," she says with a sad looking at walls of her house. "Some of them came back here, but there are a lot of houses which are still abandoned," adds at the sight at the village.
I cannot handle the repair on my own
When half the queue moved on, started Ludmila address, how would be her house without any damage fixed, be able to ride out the winter. "I got on the list, which has prepared the local Office, and People in Need took the initiative and approached me. At the earliest, however, there have been investigations to determine the condition of my house," says Ludmila.
Last week the truck stopped near the house and the men carried out from the track a few corrugated plates for repairing the roof. "I cannot handle the repair on my own, my husband is also retired and we can't physically work. Of the four children were only two and they’re living far away," says Ludmila. To people who cannot repair their houses ony by their own, People in Need offers a team of workmen.
Ludmila lives with her husband of only modest pension, but they have plenty of food to survive. "Schools, hospitals and banks are still working, but they are far away," the pensioner says. And what are the plans for the future? "Survive, wake up the next morning, otherwise I don't have any other plans," she says.