Our Minibus Mission
Join us in our ongoing effort to provide a wheelchair-accessible minibus, an essential lifeline for the Internat.
Why the Minibus is a “lifeline”
There’s no person more vulnerable in a conflict, than people who are immobile, some of whom don’t have the capacity to know what’s going on. Nizhyn is close to the Belarusian and Russian border, and was once behind Russian lines. Whilst it isn’t now, it continues to be under direct attack, actively being shelled and drone striked. With the lack of accessibility at the Internat, there is the additional need for the bus to be relied upon for emergency situations – it would be a lifeline for them. The children have been sheltering in place the entire time, and they are still scared.
The minibus would also allow them to receive medical services and daily medical consultations from specialists in various fields within the city and region, as well as establish social and communicative ties of people with disabilities, the process of socialization and increasing the level of life competence.
These service users with disabilities have no stake in the war, and they need protection. They are the most vulnerable people in society.
Our Mission
Our mission is to fundraise £25,000 to donate a minibus to the Nizhyn Internat. Crucially, the vehicle will be left-hand drive with a chair lift to provide wheelchair accessibility. The £25,000 figure would include the purchase of the minibus, the servicing, maintenance, paperwork, tax, import, and export to Ukraine. As we are limited to a left hand drive vehicle, we would likely have to source that from a specialist importer in the UK or continental Europe.
The bus must be serviced to a UK standard as the Internat cannot afford a vehicle that needs maintenance and repairs. They don’t have the resources, and they certainly don’t have the funding to modify it. None of this is cheap, but it also isn’t a reality without Western and British donations.
Any money that doesn’t go towards the vehicle is going to be given to the Internat, which will be a huge benefit for them. The building itself is Soviet-era and needs constant repairs. The welfare of the children has everyday costs, whether it be nappies, food, electricity, gas, water, and the cost of staff. The people there require constant care, constant attention, and that requires constant money.
Friends of Nizhyn Internat 