The US Embassy, which presented the support provided by the US government in more detail on Tuesday, says that more than 30 organizations participated in the competition announced in March, and applications from nine operating in Kaunas, Klaipėda, Telšiai, Šiauliai and Vilnius were selected.
The House of National Communities will organize free Lithuanian language courses for Ukrainian refugees in order to help them integrate and find employment.
The Lithuanian Refugee Council will organize entrepreneurship, digital and cyber security training, networking events and Lithuanian language courses, while the “Frida” Charity and Support Fund will provide individualized legal, social and psychological assistance to refugee women with small children.
At that time, the Alliance of Lithuanian Trade Unions will organize the integration of Ukrainian refugees into the labor market, focusing mainly on disabled, socially vulnerable refugees and persons who are vulnerable to sexual and labor exploitation due to human trafficking.
“These organizations have done incredible work since the early days of the war to support those who have fled Ukraine and are living in their communities. These grants will help ensure that the vital work will continue,” Tamirs Vaseris, charge d’affaires of the US Embassy in Lithuania, said at the press conference.
Having received funding from the US, the Lithuanian “Caritas” in Vilnius and Klaipėda regions will aim to meet some of the most essential needs of refugees and provide social, legal, health care, psychological and employment assistance.
Lithuanian Scouting intends to give boys and girls the opportunity to participate in scouting activities and programs created according to the accredited youth program of Lithuanian Scouting.
The organization “Save the Children”, in turn, will take care of meeting the emotional and community support needs of Ukrainian refugees, applying a child-centered approach, cooperating with specialists and providing boxes of emotional support to homes.
The charity and support fund “Telšiai su Ukraina” will help provide housing through mediation with real estate owners, provide social services, and provide counseling on issues of employment, social integration, and psychological rehabilitation.
Ukrainian Ambassador to Lithuania Petro Bešta emphasized that over 80,000 people have arrived in Lithuania since the beginning of the war. Ukrainians, the Government of Lithuania and the society itself openly accepted them, provided assistance in ensuring their basic needs, supported their aspiration to get a job, integrate in Lithuania, take care of their children.
According to him, this US-supported activity of non-governmental organizations will allow to satisfy even wider interests: learning Lithuanian and English languages, improving existing and acquiring new professional skills, receiving psychological help after the tragic experiences of the Russian war in Ukraine, nurturing one’s own culture.
“Although more than 30 thousand Ukrainians found work in Lithuania, many were unable to find a job corresponding to their specific field. Therefore, these additional tools and skills will be very useful for them,” the diplomat noted.
It is noted that the commission that selected the projects relied on the conclusions of needs analyzes conducted by various organizations, including the United Nations Refugee Agency (UNHCR).
From 90 to 250 thousand will be allocated to the projects themselves. US dollars (85-236 thousand euros), they will last from one to two years.
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2024-10-03 00:26:23
