18.01.2024 | People
Meet Mykola, Serhii, Anastasiia, and Olena, residents of a newly refurbished dormitory building at the Lutsk National Technical University.
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- Nefco helps Ukrainian municipalities build capacity for designing local green recovery plans. This support improves living conditions for internally displaced persons.
- Recovery investments made by and through Nefco provide Ukraine with a new and EU-aligned pathway for sustainable reconstruction and a faster green transition by building back better.
- This is the first completed urgent housing project funded by the EU through the Neighbourhood Investment Platform (NIP) and managed by Nefco.
According to estimates by the Ministry for Reintegration of the Temporarily Occupied Territories in Ukraine, there are approximately eight million internally displaced persons (IDPs) within the country. Such numbers have created urgent needs that must be addressed, the foremost being meeting IDPs’ basic housing requirements.
Photos: Destroyed buildings in Kharkiv – Department of Information Work of the Lutsk City Council
Following a directive from the Ministry of Education and Science, the Donetsk National Technical University now operates on the premises of the Lutsk National Technical University. The educational and laboratory building was recently reconstructed into a dormitory to address the housing needs of students, lecturers, employees, and their families. Thanks to EU funds managed by Nefco and in cooperation with the Lutsk City Council, what was once a university laboratory building is now an energy efficient residence for those who have fled other parts of Ukraine due to the war.
Here, four dormitory residents talk about their journey to Lutsk, life in their new home, and their hopes for Ukraine’s future.
Mykola
I am a PhD holder and professor who lived and worked in Kharkiv until March 2022. My district is closest to the border with Russia and from the very beginning, hostilities erupted near our house. After successfully fending off initial attacks, our neighbourhood was shelled and bombed continuously. The military personnel stationed in our vicinity strongly advised us to evacuate.
I want to use my abilities, strength, and experience to make a positive contribution to Lutsk and the university that provided us shelter.
Mykola
My wife and I found refuge in Lutsk, where I currently serve as professor at the Department of Light Industry Technologies of the LNTU. When we moved to the dormitory in early November 2023, we were the building’s first occupants. Our allocated apartment is smart and has all the essentials, including a separate kitchen and a private bathroom. We find the space to be incredibly comfortable and inviting. Additionally, the staff’s warm and welcoming attitude is worth mentioning. They are always ready to assist us or engage in a friendly chat.
As for the cities that were destroyed during the hostilities, I think it will take a while for them to fully recover. Despite this, I remain optimistic and believe in Ukraine’s victory. I want to use my abilities, strength, and experience to make a positive contribution to Lutsk and the university that provided us shelter.
Serhii
I am a first-year master’s degree student at the Donetsk National Technical University; unfortunately, the war came to our homes, affecting everyone’s lives. My alma mater relocated to Lutsk, prompting me to move as well. Lutsk instantly charmed me, giving me not only a new experience but also love—every cloud has a silver lining.
Now that I have moved to a new dormitory, my living conditions have improved significantly. Here, I have everything I need for a comfortable stay. I am sincerely grateful for the opportunity to live here.
I hope and believe that in the long run, Ukrainian cities will recover. The swift transformation of the educational building into a dormitory demonstrates that our country can be rebuilt and made even better than it used to be.
I hope and believe that in the long run, Ukrainian cities will recover.
Serhii
Anastasiia
During the initial days of the war, my child and I left our hometown of Pokrovsk, which had been disrupted by conflict. The Donetsk National Technical University—where I work as Head of the Documentation Department—had relocated there back in 2014. After spending several weeks in safer regions of Ukraine, we learned that our colleagues in Lutsk were prepared to welcome the entire university. Consequently, we came to work in the Volyn region.
I am confident that post-victory, we will all be able to return to a better life in our cities.
Anastasiia
Now, after more than a year of productive collaboration between our universities, we are honoured to be the first residents of the newly renovated dormitory. Thanks to support from the European Union and Nefco, we can now reside in a building in line with European quality standards.
Even in these challenging times, international donors are providing swift, efficient, and unwavering assistance to Ukrainians. I am confident that post-victory, we will all be able to return to a better life in our cities, whose reconstruction marks the beginning of our European future.
Olena
My teammates and I from the Donetsk National Technical University arrived in Lutsk in March 2022. Russian shelling had struck Pokrovsk, where our university had been located since 2014 and where I worked as Specialist of the Economic Planning Department, forcing us to seek safety elsewhere. Upon arrival, we were warmly welcomed by our colleagues at the Lutsk National Technical University.
I look forward to life in a new, revitalised, and fully independent Ukraine.
Olena
As the first residents of the renovated dormitory, we are grateful to the EU and Nefco for caring about the wellbeing of displaced persons. The dormitory has everything we need to live comfortably—new furniture, appliances, and a recreation area.
With the help of international donors, I hope that we will be able to reclaim the occupied territories and reconstruct all the cities that have been destroyed during the invasion. I look forward to life in a new, revitalised, and fully independent Ukraine.
Nefco started its cooperation with the city of Lutsk in 2013 and has since financed five other energy efficiency and wastewater treatment projects in the city and continues despite and due to the war. This is the first completed urgent housing project funded by the EU through the Neighbourhood Investment Platform (NIP) and managed by Nefco.
For further information, please contact:
Iryna Fedorenko, Investment Adviser, Nefco
+380 96 270 9622, iryna.fedorenko@nefco.int
About The Nefco Green Recovery Programme for Ukraine
The Nefco Green Recovery Programme for Ukraine is a multi-contributor programme that comprises individual initiatives from various contributors. Through these initiatives, the programme provides financial and technical assistance to municipalities for their repair and rebuilding in an environmentally sound way and builds capacity for designing local green recovery plans.
Since 2010, Nefco has financed around 350 projects in Ukraine. Read more on www.nefco.int