VAN FOR LIFE
Van For Life is a non-profit organisation based in Geneva, Switzerland. It acts independently of any political, ethnic or religious influence. It is recognised as a public interest organisation in Switzerland and therefore acts as a non-governmental organisation (NGO) in several countries.
The issue of migration is at the heart of our concerns, regardless of the context that drives people into exile. Their aim is to relieve these people, who have been severely affected by their journey, by providing support to them, as well as to the volunteers and structures that assist them.
Their priority is to act on the ground, through direct and targeted actions taking place at several stages of the migration process and according to the situation.
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1. HUMANITARIAN DISTRIBUTION AND PERSONAL ASSISTANCE CHAIN
The humanitarian distribution chain and assistance to people, provided by their vehicles, is the main project of the Association. It is at the origin of their actions and links all their projects together.
Initially established in the form of convoys between Geneva and the Ukrainian/Polish border, this chain is now extended on Ukrainian territory, thanks to 3 vans operating in connection with it, from the Polish border to the Donbass region.
An 18-tonne converted bus was added at the end of June, operating between the Kiev region and central Ukraine as a mobile blood collection and primary care medical consultation unit.
The principle of the convoys is as follows: vehicles of varying sizes (mainly vans) travel between Geneva and Ukraine, via Poland. Poland is the hub, not only because of its position on the border with Ukraine, but also because of a strong network of contacts at all levels (political and religious authorities, associations) which enables the supply logistics to be optimised.
The convoys transport humanitarian aid according to targeted objectives, defined according to the situation in Ukraine and the needs formulated by their partners on the spot. On their way back to Switzerland, they repatriate Ukrainian refugees. Some convoys may only carry out one or the other of these operations.
2. VELIKOLYULINSKIY BORADING SCHOOL
The Velikolyunbinskiy state boarding school was created in 1945 and depends on the Ukrainian Ministry of Education.
It takes in children and adolescents aged 7 to 17 from the social services.
Some children are orphans, others have been placed in care for various reasons (abandonment, withdrawal of custody from parents, parents’ military commitment, etc.). Prior to 24 February 2022, 45 children were housed full-time. During a visit in September 2022, 54 children from Mariupol were added, bringing the total to 94 and putting a strain on an already struggling infrastructure.
As a general rule, orphaned children are housed on a long-term basis, while the others stay for a limited period and are then placed with families or, depending on their age, in other institutions. However, this duration varies greatly, depending on availability, and the current war situation has frozen all existing programmes, which were already insufficient before.
Depending on the duration of the war, the management expects to have to take in more children from the east of the country, thus adding to the current number of children, further complicating the logistical and financial situation of the institution.
3. OBJECTIVES IN UKRAINE
- To perpetuate their operational base in Geneva: to stabilise the coordination team on site; to set up an office / storage place; to optimise supplies; to acquire additional vehicles.
- Consolidate their structure in Poland: set up a storage facility in the Krakow region, equipped with vehicles and operating in tandem with our Geneva base.
- Intensify their structure in Ukraine: stabilise the team active there; increase the frequency of aid distribution; increase the density of the distribution network.
