Substantial support: 10 journalists from Kherson receive financial assistance from the NUJU

Thanks to the National Union of Journalists of Ukraine (NUJU) within the framework of the Partnership For Victory project, which is implemented by the Ivano-Frankivsk Journalists’ Solidarity Center (JSC) of the NUJU, ten Kherson journalists recently have received financial assistance.

For them, this is a significant support because some, without leaving their homes, are now in the de-occupied territory. In contrast, others have found temporary shelter, in particular, in Prykarpattia.

“Through our JSCs, we maintain constant contact with colleagues – by phone or Skype. By communicating, we know how their families live, what they need, and what problems they face. In close cooperation with the NUJU and thanks to its strong support, we try to solve and help together,” says the JSC coordinator, Viktoriya Plakhta.

Kherson journalists admit that such support from their colleagues during the war is important and necessary for them. They gratefully say: “The most important thing is that we were not forgotten.”

“I sincerely thank the NUJU in general, and the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC, in particular, for the financial assistance provided to me. I am forced to stay outside my home. My city was under occupation, and now, it is a war zone. I lost almost everything if not everything. So, any help is invaluable to me. I am convinced that together, we will overcome all difficulties,” says Maksym Karakoz, a journalist for the national network of hyperlocal media, Rayon.in.ua.

His colleague Oleksii Kosenko said that thanks to the financial assistance received from the NUJU, he was able to solve certain problems.

“I had to leave my home and move to another city, where I currently continue to work in journalism and write about the situation in the temporarily occupied part of the Kherson Region. For me personally, any kind of support is important now. I am grateful for the financial assistance of the Union because I was able to solve problematic issues – pay the rent and undergo the necessary treatment. I also thank my colleagues from the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC for their concern,” says Oleksii.

“In such a difficult time for us, it is important to unite and support each other. I am grateful to the Union for its support. It is thanks to the solidarity of our country’s journalistic community that we have the opportunity to continue to tell the whole world about the events taking place in Ukraine, in its hottest spots, the history of indomitability, and the restoration of our native Kherson Region. Because together we are a force!” says Olena Pimienova, the founder and author of the informational online publication City Of The Sun.

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the territory of Ukraine by russian occupiers, on the initiative of the NUJU and with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists, as well as UNESCO, Journalists’ Solidarity Centers have been created. They are working to help journalists in six regions of our country. In particular, one of the priorities of the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC is to provide assistance to internally displaced media workers who have found temporary shelter in Prykarpattia, journalists from the Ivano-Frankivsk Region who continue to work in the profession, and media workers from the subordinate regions of Ukraine – Rivne, Volyn, Chernihiv and the Kherson Regions.

Call the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC at 066 677 0726 (Viktoriya Plakhta, the Ivano-Frankivsk JSC coordinator). The Center’s address is 25, Sichovykh Striltsiv Street.

ABOUT JSC

The Journalists’ Solidarity Centers is an initiative of the NUJU implemented with the support of the International and European Federations of Journalists and UNESCO. The initiative is designated to help media representatives working in Ukraine during the war. The Centers operate in Kyiv, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk, Chernivtsi, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro and provide journalists with organizational, technical, legal, psychological, and other types of assistance.

ABOUT UNESCO

UNESCO is the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization. It contributes to peace and security by promoting international cooperation in education, sciences, culture, communication, and information. UNESCO promotes knowledge sharing and the free flow of ideas to accelerate mutual understanding. It is the coordinator of the UN Action Plan on the Safety of Journalists and the Issue of Impunity, which aims to create a free and safe environment for journalists and media workers, thus strengthening peace, democracy, and sustainable development worldwide. UNESCO is working closely with its partner organizations in Ukraine to provide support to journalists on the ground.

The designations employed and the presentation of material throughout this digest do not imply the expression of any opinion whatsoever on the part of UNESCO concerning the legal status of any country, territory, city, or area or its authorities or concerning the delimitation of its frontiers or boundaries.

The authors are responsible for the choice and the presentation of the facts contained in this digest and for the opinions expressed therein, which are not necessarily those of UNESCO and do not commit to the organization.

Ivano-Frankivsk JSC