Welcome to the website of Transcarpathian Charity Foundation “Family”!

Welcome to the pages of our Foundation. Here you will be able to learn about our activities, review reports on our present activities and share with us our  future activities.

In the link “About us” you can find some extra information : – our goal and a  short history of our foundation, together with official information concerning our address, contact details, bank details and how you can interact with us.

In the link “Projects” you will find photographs and information of our Foundation activities and the work we are involved in and also about our future projects; we hope that this section grows and becomes more interesting as we develop.

Please see the links “Partners” and “Appreciations” that shows the photographs and information about those people who made a strong contribution in the Foundation development.

We would be happy to invite you, and grateful for your acceptance as a volunteer or a partner of the Foundation,
please leave your comments in the lower part of every link

Transcarpathian Charity Foundation “Family”
Ukraine 38000
Uzhgorod
Dostoevskogo Str 20 / 85
tel/fax +30312 650833

Account 2924990001
Name: Kolesnyk Pavlo,
№26257000120553
JSB FORUM – SWIFT: FJSC UA UK
In Europe
ING BELGIUM №Account: 301-0102978-45/ EUR BBRU BEBB010

The humanitarian shipment from Corvallis arrived to Uzhgorod in November 2011!

The humanitarian shipment  has been inspired and gathered due to the great efforts of Mark and Alice Rampton.

OUR GRATITUDES FOR THEIR PERMANENT HELP!!!

PADIUN

Family medicine clinic

Territorial characteristics

Our  Family Clinic is located in Uzhgorod, Street Kapushanskaya 161, and is an intergral  part of the Uzhgorod City Polyclinic. Although the clinic is situated  in the heart of the newly built Uzhgorod district, it is  geographically situated far away from other medical institutions. This we feel increases the importance of our clinic as a real Primary Care Health Service delivering Family Medicine to our community.

Clinic Staff :

At the present time our clinic has:  9 physicians, 7  of whom are family physicians; 1 physician assistant; 8 trained nurses and 2 nursing assistants. The Family Physicians  are specialists in general practice and are responsible for the primary  care of the whole family; they see patients of any age, including infants and senior citizens.

We now believe, as a result of our activities, that the overall population of our new district believes in the concept of Primary Care, and there is a growing confidence in the service that we give . We also believe that as a result of our comprehensive healthcare service, the prestige of our Institution among the patients and the community is  increasing.

Population, attached to the outpatient

At the present time, more than 14 thousand patients (adults, children and senior citizens ) avail themselves of the clinic’s services.  However, there are still more patients who wish to receive services from us but resource and space restricts this at the present time. 

Family clinic as a site for Family Doctor training

Our Family Clinic is the only polyclinic attached to the Department of Therapeutics and Family Medicine, Postgraduate Faculty, Uzhgorod National University. As such, this means that many family physicians within the Transcarpathian Region are trained in our clinic. Practical skills and communication skills training is carried out by Assistant Professor of the Department, docent  Dr Paul Kolesnyk PhD, MD.

Support for the Clinic

At this present time of economical restraint, the primary  medical care provided for the population (which includes infants, children, pensioners, disabled and low-income families) is mostly supported through  the enthusiasm of our clinical team and Family Physicians. It is both a  pleasure and an honour to be able to inform readers of this web site that our clinic is fortunate to receive partial support from the good citizens of Uzhgorod, who see the future in the development of Family Medicine in the Transcarpathian region.

In order to support the future development of Family Medicine in Uzhgorod, the  Transcarpathian Regional Charitable Foundation “Family” was created in 2005.  A parallel programme:  “Support for  the development of modern laboratory diagnostic methods in Family Medicine”  was also developed. In order to fulfill the principles of this programme in 2008, a small  laboratory was developed within the Clinic and opened with the help of charitable funds from patients and partners.

Diagnostic services

In order to improve our outpatient facilities and diagnostic services over the past 3 years, and with  the support of partners and charitable donations, a mini-laboratory service was opened.


This service now  receives requests from around 250 people every month; we expect that number to increase. To facilitate the service, four  agreements were signed  with modern laboratories in Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Kyiv, who now receive our laboratory specimens on a weekly basis. Until new services can be developed locally we expect this agreement to continue.

Special equipment that facilitates Family Medicine care is also present within the clinic:

• ECG apparatus (new)
• Pulse oximeters (new)
• Glucometers (to measure sugar levels in the blood and issued to each doctor and many patients with diabetes)
• Ophthalmoscopes
• Peak-flow meters
• Nebulisers (compressor and ultrasound type)
• Vacuum machines ( breast pumps) for stimulating lactation in young mothers
• Ultrasound therapy apparatus
• Electronic weighing scales for babies
• Binocular microscopes for laboratory diagnosis
• Centrifuges
• Audiometers
• Ultrasound diagnostic apparatus.

Achievements since 2005

• Developed charity representatives from the regional family doctors
• Repairment to the ambulatory
  
• Instalation of a new heating system for the ambulance
• Replacement of the old windows by new metal and plastic ones in the kindergarten and school, under the charity patronage
• Replacement of the electric lights in the ambulatory, kindergarten and school
• Foundation of the only laboratory in the family medicine clinic
• Development of the laboratory in the Family Medicine clinic, according to the programme of “Improvement of the lab diagnostics in the family medicine clinics in Uzhgorod”
• Development of a target list  of group donation recipients within the Region, under the charity patronage ( traditional X-mas distribution of the presents included)
• Development of  the standing of the Charity within the region through the local  media
• Foundation of a store house for the Charity
• Publication of several educational brochures and practical manuals for Family Doctors, written by Dr Paul Kolesnyk and published through his fundraising monies. Recently those books have become ”bestsellers” among the Family Doctors in some Regions of Ukraine.
• Development of a computer programme, facilitating of the development and production  of medical reports in Family Medicine practice. The above programme was developed and introduced to Family Doctors of the region by Drs Paul and Natalie Kolesnyk.
  

RUF-Project: REVIVAL of UKRAINIAN FAMILY

RUF-Project is an attempt to suggest  practical steps to improve the quality of life and social conditions of specific and susceptible  layers of  Ukrainian society, with a help of the local and international charities.

For the last 13 years  the population of Ukraine had undergone drastic negative changes. Previous unknown terms such as inflation, corruption, poverty, criminality, have become commonplace and a huge gap has emerged between the  millions of poor Ukrainians ( the have-nots) and the numerous new Ukrainian millionaires ( the haves), so much so that it has become a reality of everyday Ukrainian life. The present political and economic instability of Ukraine has hurt and damaged  the most sensitive and vulnerable layers in the Ukrainian society.

Target groups for the RUF Project activities:

• Family Medicine clinics
  Family Medicine in Ukraine remains still  a very new branch of medicine and healthcare and certainly not as popular in Ukraine as elsewhere within Europe.  Thus, one of the present RUF Project goals is to promote the concept of Family Medicine in Ukraine. Three regional branches of the Charity “FAMILY” directed by Family Doctors were established in Mukachevo, Vinogradovo and Velikiy Berezniy.
  

 

• Children in kindergarten and schools

The condition of most of the kindergartens and schools have to be improved. Classes are badly lit, poorly equipped, and  often too cold for the children . There is a lack of study and development equipment and furniture in the study rooms is often non-existent.

• Low income families, poorly provided families
• Single parent families
• Those families with more than 3 children
• Disabled and children with learning difficulties

We have mentioned the social poverty gap that presently existis in Ukrainian society  between the minority of those who are extremely rich and the majority of those who can hardly make both ends meet. It is our belief that to help this group carries a high priority.

The aged and single people
According to  recent Ukrainian statistics,  the population of the country is reducing rapidly: the death rate exceeds the birth rate. In general the country is getting “older” and the number of single aged persons has increased. Thus the above mentioned category needs special care and attention, especially now, when the Government is too preoccupied with the future Parliament elections

People with disabilities
Compared to other countries of the world, in Ukraine the rate of disabled and physically impaired people, including the parially sighted and blind,and those with hearing impairment  is high.

Besides the congential causes,  many of these people became invalids as a result of World War II, the Chechen War (when Ukraine was within the USSR), and the nuclear disaster in Chernobyl. Even now dozen of years later the new generation suffers the consequences of those periods that were so tragic for the country. We must acknowledge with  shame that this category of Ukrainians are among the least socially supported  layers of the Ukrainian population. Though, perhaps, the western part of Ukraine has suffered this less.

To carry out the RUF Project we regard the following activities:

1. To make a fund of the REVIVAL of UKRAINIAN FAMILY (RUF) Project from the local and international charity contributions.
2. To establish  contacts with local and international charity foundations.
3. To finance sub-projects. (The RUF project may be divided into several sub-projects. They may be financed separately if required.)

We bear  in mind the following sub-projects for the different target groups:

1) Aged and aged single people

The activities we plan are the following:

• to make a list of the aged and aged single people in need of medical and charitable care with the help of the local authorities;
• to find local charity sponsors through the promotion of the RUF Project;
• to rent or purchase a two storied building which may house the audience hall, studies, computer, TV and video rooms, kitchen, dining room, and office on the first floor and several bed rooms for the foreign volunteers of the RUF Project on the second floor;

In accordance with the previous agreement reached with our American and Dutch colleagues the promotion of the present Project in these countries may awake the interest of some charities and family doctors and may call them to come to Ukraine as volunteers, like it was with the Oosthoek – van Dorps. Besides, to our understanding, the volunteers might come from other countries as a result of our Internet international promotion of the Project.

It is a common knowledge that some aged people hate to lead an idle life. They may want and can be preoccupied in some kinds of activities in which they were very skilled once. Taking into consideration the peculiarities of the region it may include different kinds of folk arts .

• to recruit local volunteers to assist the aged people in shopping, housekeeping, nursing, etc.;
• to recruit volunteers from the local religious organisations for psychological and spiritual care;
• to assist practically and financially in organising funerals;

2) Poorly provided families

The activities we plan are the following:

• to make a list of the poorly provided families in need of the charitable assistance;
• to provide food, clothes, utensils, furniture, medicines, etc.;
• to create jobs within the RUF Project for part-time employment;
• to provide free Internet;
• to provide a free part-time kindergarten for the young mothers;

3) Disabled people including blind people and people with hearing problems

The activities we plan are the following:

• to make a list of the different categories in need of the charitable assistance;
• to provide food, clothes, utensils, furniture, medicines, medical assistance equipment etc.;
• to provide the blind people and people with hearing problems with special equipment;

4) Children in kindergarten and schools

• to help with repairing of schools and kindergarten premises
• to supply with writing materials and utensils, furniture etc.;
• to provide clothes, medicines, vitamins, etc.;
• to supply kindergartens with toys;
• to launch students exchange programmes.

5) Family medical premises

Taking into consideration the recently obtained experience we regard the following activities as to the family medicine development in the region:

• to develop family medicine clinics with computers, faxes and photocopying equipment;
• to design a specialised computer program for the registration of patients, and document and routine report work;
• to supply family medicine clinics with special equipment;
• to help with repairing of the family medicine premises;
• to organize schools for future mothers;
• to establish a system of a “weekend emergency” service.  It is well known that weekends are the most terrifying days of the week for young mothers. To reduce the tension we plan to keep emergency doctors during these days. All we need is: an emergency mobile phone and a time table for doctors.

The REVIVAL of UKRAINIAN FAMILY (RUF) Project could have not only local, but also regional, national, and even international benefits.

Replacement Windows in the Family Clinic (autumn 2009)

From the monies provided through fundraising activities, received from the citizens of Uzhgorod, the replacement of windows in our family clinic was carried out during the autumn of 2009. Now the cold winter is not a danger, neither for the employees nor for ambulatory patients.

“Christmas lights” from Netherlands for Easter (Spring, 2009).

We continue to be surprised by such wonderful gifts– a happy Easter holiday!

Students of Chertez orphanage school waited for the fluorescent lamps from Holland as a gift for Christmas!

A year ago, through the initiative of the Transcarpathian Charitable Foundation, and with the support of our reliable Dutch partners – Family Van Dorp Oosthoek, we organized the action “Christmas lights for the orphanage”. Children from the Dutch school “Anchor” took an active part in this action : within a month they started fundraising: washed cars, cleaned offices and organised many other activities to collect money for the action.

From the money raised by our Dutch students in the Netherlands, we were able to purchase our neon lights.

Sadly, because of a holdup at the Ukraine border Customs, out lights were not able to be transported to us. Fortunately, the Netherlands Consul in Kiev intervened and helped and eventually the problem was resolved, including the waiving of importation taxes.
Finally the students of Chertez orphanage school received their “Christmas lights’ as well as toys and clothing, ready for their Easter hollidays!

Thanks to our Dutch “Anchor” students and the kindness in the hearts of those young students, the orphanage children in Chertez ( many with mental disabilities and learning difficulties) receiveda small miracle that Easter holiday, and no doubt will look forward to each holiday with great anticipation.

Christmas Charity Event for the “Liferoad” school in 2008

The vice-Director of the Foundation, Dr. Paul Kolesnyk, arrived at the disabled children of “Leferoad” organisation dressed as Santa Claus.


Gifts from Santa Claus were received by more than 50 children, with physical and mental disabilities ,who study at the Rehabilitation Center “Liferoad”.

Bags containing  colourful toys, school accessories, sweets, stationery and games for the Ukrainian children were collected by  Dutch students from the school  “Anchor” and from our regular partners in the  Foundation “Family” :- the Dutch family Oosthuk Van Dorp.

Family Clinic Repairment (2007-2009)

From our charitable  money, the repairment of our clinic can now be organised on a regular basis; with annual maintenance of the buildings, facades and surrounding land.

With the help of our Dutch partners in 2007, the family clinic staff were involved in  the repairment of the building. In the photograph, the  Director of the Foundation  Dr Nataliya Kolesnyk is drawing pictures on the walls of the clinic. With many of the walls showing cartoons, the clinic has fast become very popular with our younger generation.

The building of the clinic building was badly in need of   repair!

We attracted  volunteers!

A room for staff relaxation has been implemented  in the clinic.

Thanks to the volunteers and funds raised from the local sponsors, as well as due to the shipment sent from Netherlands and USA , the little room has been repaired and an express lab has been opened in the clinic.

On the photo the chief Doctors of the Municipal Polyclinic and the Children’s Hospital take part in  the ceremonial opening of the express lab in the clinic (2008).

Charitable donations are  coming from the Netherlands, USA and Switzerland to support the clinic.

We appreciate for the voluntary help and activity of Irina Matosova in   yearly maintenance of the  land and gardens.

The repairment of the old-looking clinic building was  made in 2009,  due to the charitable donations  of our patients.

Kindergarten (2008)

Under the supervision of the Foundation is the educational complex “Pervocvit” (it is combination of kindergarten and primary school):

For the kindergarten groups carpets, toys and developing games (sent from Holland) were presented.

The classroom of English has been completed.

Due to the foundrised costs new windows in the bedroom of the kindergarten group was settled.

Fluorescent lamps accepted form Holland were presented to the institution instead of the bed lighted lamps that spoiled the children’s vision. We succeed to enlighten 5 classes and corridors of primary school of the institution.

In the kindergarten the Charity Market “Nokkie” has been held in order to support this project and the involvement of parents to help.

Poster Nokkie okt08[1]