– Hope in the middle of the crisis
The war in Ukraine has now lasted for four years. Arne Næss-Holm, head of international programs at Norwegian Church Aid, recently visited Ukraine, and the impressions from the trip are powerful. – What hits the hardest is how the war affects women and children, he says.
Arne Næss-Holm (right), Head of International Operations at Norwegian Church Aid, visited several projects together with our Country Director in Ukraine, Peter Bo Larsen.
Widows, traumatized children, families on the run, and people trying to rebuild their lives – these were some of the people the head of international programs met in Ukraine when he visited our office.
It became a journey through war, hope, and reflection.
– It is a special experience to be in a country in full-scale war. Norwegian Church Aid works in many countries affected by conflict and violence, but Ukraine is something entirely different. A war between two countries with strong military forces. Russia can reach every part of Ukraine with offensive weapons. That affects an entire population and everyone living there, says Arne Næss-Holm.
He describes a country of contrasts: European culture, history, and architecture, but also poverty and destroyed infrastructure. Traces of the war are everywhere: shrapnel in gates and houses, and ruined buildings.
Lost everything
Together with our partners and colleagues from DanChurchAid, he visited several projects in different parts of Ukraine. There is no doubt that four years of war have worn down the entire population. Russia’s full scale invasion began on February 24, 2022.
– People are tired of the war. They want it to end but have different opinions on how that should happen. Many have lost everything—homes, water supply, livelihoods. Yet I met an enormous determination to rebuild both homes and lives, he says.
He heard many stories, and two of them made a particular impression. One was a meeting with an elderly woman on a small farm outside Mykolaiv, where Norwegian Church Aid has provided clean water and built water towers in several locations.
– She had cows and chickens but had to evacuate the farm in March 2022. Only several months later could she return. By then she had lost a lot, including several animals, but she received help from us to start again. Being part of that has meant a great deal.
Now that the village has water too, there is room to invest in both greenhouses and strawberry planting. With cash support, they could also secure food supplies from their own garden.
– It’s about giving people the opportunity to live where they have always lived. People want to stay where they belong and where their lives were before the war.
Changing an entire community
Næss-Holm also visited several centers for women and girls, where Norwegian Church Aid works to prevent violence and abuse and provides psychological first aid.
– What hits hardest is how the war affects women and children. We see an increase in partner violence and major mental health challenges.
He visited one of the centers that celebrated its one-year anniversary while he was there. It was incredibly moving to see how a center can create change for an entire community, he explains.
Representatives from the local community, authorities, police, men, women, and children attended the celebration. Since opening, 1,500 women and girls have received support there.
– It was powerful to hear the stories and see how the community comes together to heal wounds, says Næss-Holm.
Proud
Norwegian Church Aid has recently received 90 million NOK from Norway for its work in Ukraine. The funds will go toward various needs such as clean water and sanitation, protection against gender-based violence, mental health and psychosocial support, and energy and heating—including support for district heating systems in Dnipro.
– We are proud of what we achieve together with our local partners. They are strong, resourceful, and motivated. When we work together as a global family, we see how everything is connected—from water supply to the protection of women. That makes me proud, he says.
– What was the most beautiful thing you saw in the middle of the war?
– The most beautiful thing was seeing hope in the middle of the crisis: People planting strawberries, starting small workshops, and rebuilding their lives. It shows the strength of the Ukrainian people and why our work is so important, Næss-Holm concludes.
