December 15, 2025
News
The war forced two-year-old Evelina and her parents, Yevhen and Marjana, to flee their hometown of Marganets in the Dnipropetrovsk region. The family settled in a rural house, where the only source of warmth in winter is an old wood-burning stove. Due to unemployment and the rising cost of solid fuel, it is extremely difficult to heat the house throughout the winter, so the family is grateful for the help provided by Caritas Czech Republic and the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund.
The war drove the family into poverty
Yevhen and Marjana are an internally displaced couple. Their town of Marganets is located in the Nikopol district of Dnipropetrovsk region, less than 10 km from the combat zone. To save their little daughter Evelina, they moved away to a village. Almost a quarter of their new community's population are evacuees. These are mainly women with children, elderly people, and people with disabilities.
A young family faces a number of challenges in their new home. Due to the war and the proximity of the front, there are no jobs, and the infrastructure has been damaged. They had to renovate and furnish the village housing themselves. The households here have no gas supply, and the population depends on solid fuel, which has almost doubled in price due to the war. Besides, Yevhen says, it is unrealistic to bring gas to the village.
“The firewood stove is our lifeline: it cooks our child’s food, heats water for bathing, and warms the house. Last winter we bought fuel briquettes, but this year we can’t afford them,” explains Marjana.
According to her, during the cold season, the family needs at least three tonnes of solid fuel, but this year the household budget does not even cover the essentials.
Warmth restores hope
Evelina's family is one of 740 households near the front line in the Dnipropetrovsk region who receive solid fuel as part of our lifesaving winter response. This initiative is funded by the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund and run in partnership with local authorities and the Egida-Centre NGO. Our volunteers deliver 3.2 tonnes of fuel briquettes to each yard.
“I want to thank you for this help. It is very important to us. It will be enough to heat our home in winter,” says Yevhen, lighting the stove.
Meanwhile, little Evelina is already falling asleep, rocking in her warm bed.
“The briquettes keep us warm, and my daughter is wearing a T-shirt,” comments the young mother. Despite the difficult conditions and the war, Marjana is confident that together they will overcome all obstacles. “May every home be warm!”, she says.
