From Ruin to Renewal: Supporting Ukraine’s Rebuilding

Izium/Chernihiv — As communities across Ukraine grapple with the devastation wrought by years of war, reconstruction efforts are essential for the nation’s hope for revival.  Rebuilding shattered houses and infrastructure empowers Ukrainians to reclaim their homes, their communities and their futures. 

Valentyna, 78, remembers the serene days before the war, when she and her husband settled into a peaceful retirement in the quiet town of Izium, Kharkiv region. When the full-scale Russian invasion erupted, they refused to abandon their home, weathering the storm of uncertainty and destruction.

"We spent our whole life here. We continued to live a quiet lifestyle of retirement," she recalls. "When the war broke out, we did not leave: this is our home, our land." 

The couple’s resilience was tested as their city was besieged, and their home was damaged by rocket fragments: "One morning, rocket fragments fell on our house. At the time, I thought a plane had landed on the roof: it was so loud and strong, I was sure the house would collapse. Due to the damage caused by the debris, the roof, of course, started leaking. There were buckets of water everywhere in our apartment."  

IOM renovated over 20 apartment buildings in Izium, including Valentyna’s, which were damaged as a result of hostilities. The repairs involved installing new doors, windows and roofs. Valentyna says that due to financial difficulties they would not be able to repair the damaged roof independently, putting their house at risk with prolonged leakage damage.

In Chernihiv, Andrii found himself grappling with similar hardships. The shells spared him injury but left his home and garden severely damaged. 

Andrii was in his garden when the shells hit his backyard in Chernihiv region, some two hours from Ukraine’s capital of Kyiv. His garage, greenhouse and home were all badly damaged. 

“I repaired a lot myself, but it is impossible to do everything. I did what I could, but you can't do everything yourself. The roof was lifted when the explosion happened.” 

IOM repair teams were able to install a new roof for Andrii’s house. Such efforts ensure that those affected by the war can shift from merely surviving to actively rebuilding and envisioning a future filled with hope and progress. 

Although Andrii is happy to soon have a proper roof over his head again, he admits that his favourite part of his home is not inside his house but behind it, in his garage.“My favourite part of our home is my workshop. I like to tinker with electronics, it’s my hobby” says Andrii, who repairs anything that needs fixing from a phone to a washing machine. 

Andrii’s nine-to-five is working as a dispatcher for the largest rose producer in Ukraine.  Before the war, Andrii would regularly bring his work home with him in the form of pink and cream roses for his wife, her favourite. Today, he is alone in their home. His wife is currently in Poland with their nine-year-old daughter and fifteen-year-old son.  Andrii is hoping that the repairs, coupled with improved security in his village, will mean that his family can soon be reunited.     

“My family are waiting for me to finish repairing the house before returning. They have been living in Poland for more than a year,” he added. As Ukraine navigates the arduous path to recovery, Valentyna, Andrii, and countless others show the importance of the return to normalcy and a sense of security that homes provide. 

In the wake of a war, there is an immediate and obvious need for essential relief – food, water and medical aid. But the significance of reconstruction and recovery efforts for Ukraine cannot be understated. Homes do more than provide shelter; they restore a sense of normalcy, security and dignity to those whose lives have been upended.

Every brick laid, every school reopened and every home restored is an important and needed step towards recovery for a post-war Ukraine. 

IOM’s assistance to Valentyna and Andrii was made possible with the financial support of the European Union.