Other relevant sites (mostly Dutch only)

Hands & Feet

Hands & Feet was an initiative of two Dutch couples Frank & Ellen and Joost & Renate who served at several Oekroe summer camps during earlier years. As off August 2009 the two couples from Rijnsburg have been sent out to Ukraine for one year initially, in order to provide practical help and to evangelise. Both couples stayed much longer in Ukraine. As it turned out Frank and Ellen returned to The Netherlands in June 2011 while Joost and Renate stayed until the end of 2011. Hands & Feet originated from the vision that a Christian should 'work with hands and feet' (Dutch saying) in order to create a value add for his/her fellow citizens. Joost & Frank were both 5 times while Ellen & Renate were both 2 times at a Oekroe Foundation summer camp. Partly because of this they decided to work for a longer period in Ukraine. This is also why Hands & Feet is a rsponsibility of the Oekroe Foundation. Bank account Oekroe "Hands & Feet" IBAN: NL78 ABNA 0427 1973 41 BIC: ABNANL2A.

You are more then wlecome to visit the website of Hands & Feet: www.handsnfeet.nl

UkraineMoves

“UkraineMoves” is an initiative from "Hands & Feet" which creates job opportunities for people with a physical disability in Ukraine. By means of a special developed tricycle people with a disability - in particular wheelchair users- sell products of Ukrainian companies in the city centers of western Ukrainian cities.

3 February 2011 “UkraineMoves” has officially been launched in in Lviv. Uzhgorod and Mukachevo will follow soon. UkraineMoves is offering job opportunities for ten entrepreneurial ‘koliasochnyki’ (wheelchair users) or people who have serious walking impairments.

People who work for “UkraineMoves” improve not only their own situation, but also the attitude and opinion of the public towards other people with a disability!

Website: www.ukrainemoves.org (English and Ukrainian)

Working group De Ruijter Foundation

For more then 20 years Working Group De Ruijter (based in Rijnsburg, The Netherlands) has been providing help to the poorest regions of Eastern Europe. Since the last 10 years this charity is mainly concentrating on Ukraine. The working group frequently organises transports of material. Those road transports contain basic needs such as clothing and food, but also for example, educational material for schools. Much is collected under the local population of Rijnsburg. However some of the goods are purchased as well.

Website: www.werkgroepderuyter.nl

Commission Ukraine

Commission Ukraine is a humanitarian volunteer organization under the responsibility of the reformed parish ‘Maranatha’, part of the protestant church The Netherlands (PKN) at Katwijk aan Zee. The activities started in September 2002 with a child project. During 2003 and 2005 approx 35 Ukrainian children, in a poor state of health, came to Katwijk for a period of 7 weeks to recuperate, amongst others by long walks on the North Sea beach. The last projects were the refurbishment of a laundry facility and the construction of a play yard for kids. The commission found a new project at Buderazh, a retirement home in a very poor condition. Also transports of medical supplies are organized. The committee cooperates with the Baptist congregation of Zdolbuniv and Rivne.

Website: http://www.commissieoekraine.nl/

Foundation Armenhelp

The Ukrainian foundation 'armenhelp' (Dutch for poverty relief) of the Rev. Sándor Kóvacs acts as an intermediary between those who need help in Ukraine on one side and donor organisations in The Netherlands on the other side. The support workers employed by this foundation speak both Ukrainian and Dutch. In several parts of Ukraine the foundation is in contact with regional mayors as well as with the top management of several of the largest (agricultural) companies. Within Transcarpatia the foundation is looking after several hundreds of the poorest families. Foundation Oekroe cooperates closely with Foundation Armenhelp regarding renovations as well as medical relief.

Website: www.armenhelp.nl/

Helping Eastern-Europe Foundation (HOE)

This foundation was already active within Easten Europe as off 1983. After the collapse of the Soviet Union around 1990 the foundation no longer needs to operate anonymously. The import of bibles and other Christian lucture is no longer a problem for most countries, while assistance with building up and equipping Christian communities is more than welcome. Tangible assistance in many forms is often urgently needed. The objective of foundation is to provide spiritual support to churches and individuals in Eastern Europe. The orphanage "The Good Samaritan" in Nagydobrony has for instance been established by this foundation. Dutch Camp Ukraine participants visit this orphanage almost every year after the summer camps are finished. The excellent guesthouse facility is occasingly being used during Oekroe Working Hands preparatory trips.

Websites: www.hulpoosteuropa.nl and http://en.wikipedia.org

Shidno-Evropejska Misija (SEM)

Shidno-Evropejska Misija (SEM) is the Ukrainian translation of Eastern European Mission. The mission exists since 1995 and is an independent, interdenominational organisation, with its office in Beregowo, Zakarpatska Oblast, West-Ukraine. Corine van der Kooi (Oekroe point of contact in Ukraine) as well as Hands & Feet are associated with SEM.

The vision of SEM is two-fold: (1) spread the Christian message, the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the outmost, based on the great commission written in Matthew 28: 18-20 and (2) helping needy people living in Ukraine in our neighborhood practically by manifold programs to the best of our ability and possibility.

Our mission statement is: “Mission with heart & hands“, which shows our Christian fundament in combination with our practical approach.

Website: http://www.sem.org.ua/

NCDO

For several 'Working Hands' projects foundation Oekroe has received a subsidy from the “Nationale Commissie voor Internationale Samenwerking en Duurzame Ontwikkeling” (abbreviated to "NCDO" and Dutch for “National Committee for International Cooperation and Sustainable Development ”). NCDO is part of the Dutch Ministry of  Foreign Affairs.

NCDO subsidies are dependant upon the financial funds Oekroe is able to raise itself within the Dutch local community. However thanks to those supplemental subsidies, Oekroe has been able to provide more help in Ukraine then would have been possible by fund raising only. Also for future projects Oekroe aims to ask NCDO for a subsidy. In order to achieve NCDO subsidy, the details of future Working Hands projects need to be available no later then 1 October every year, so 7 - 8 months before the project budget could be spend and the actual work on a project itself is started.

Website: http://www.ncdo.nl/aboutncdo/About_NCDO