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For people displaced by the war in Ukraine, the Memory 86 community hub in Zaporizhzhia, in the south-east of the country, has become somewhere to find assistance, meet others and offer support. Older volunteers are at the heart of its work.
But when a Russian drone struck a medical centre across the road in late September, the blast damaged the hub, with consequences for everyone who worked, volunteered or found support there.
For Memory 86, a partner of HelpAge International in Ukraine, the damage affected much more than an office. It damaged a place where people who had lost their homes had found support, friendship and a sense of belonging, and where many had become volunteers themselves.
Today, the windows are boarded up, but the hub remains open. Staff and volunteers are continuing its activities while preparing the damaged premises for winter.
“In March 2022, we welcomed the first people displaced by the war, who were just as frightened and confused as we were. They were families with children, older people from Zaporizhzhia and Kherson oblasts, from Donetsk oblast and from around Mariupol,” recalls Inna Mihulia, Programme Director at Memory 86.
Volunteers came together to distribute humanitarian assistance supplied by donors from around the world.
As people’s needs changed, the organisation began offering psychosocial activities alongside practical assistance, helping people adjust to life in a new community and support their independence.
Inna Mihulia, Programme Director at Memory 86Our headquarters became our home. It is impossible to remember how many people have been here.
The building had been damaged by shelling before, but Inna described this as the worst damage it had sustained.
“It is difficult because equipment has been damaged, and we have lost the place where the team worked together every day, where our beneficiaries came, and where the core of our volunteer team, made up of older people, used to meet,” she said in the immediate aftermath.
Within an hour of the attack, staff and volunteers began arriving to collect broken glass, board up windows and find what equipment had survived.
They have since insulated the window openings and carried out essential temporary work. More substantial repairs are on hold because of the risk of further damage.
Relocating within the city offers little reassurance, Inna explains.
Some people might say that we should relocate. But I would say this: there are no safe places in Zaporizhzhia at the moment.
So we are staying where we are. The people who need support and our volunteers are used to us being here.
The team follows safety procedures during air raid alerts and has access to shelter. But the continuing danger means staff and volunteers cannot be guaranteed safety.
For older volunteers like Ivan and Olha, the offices of Memory 86 remain an important part of daily life, despite the damage.
Ivan, 67, comes every day. He looks after Musia, the hub’s cat, and helps keep the space tidy. Since the attack, he has been sorting through boxes of stationery, souvenirs and other belongings collected after the blast. His wife Olha, 68, often brings homemade treats for the team.
The couple live on a high floor, where frequent air raid alerts make staying at home frightening and exhausting. At the hub, they have company and feel needed. Helping gives them a sense of control amid the uncertainty.
They call it their “headquarters”. The damage has only strengthened their determination to keep coming.
With winter approaching, Memory 86 needs flexible funding to keep the hub usable and support the people working there.
The temporary repairs have left the rooms dark and difficult to heat. The team needs additional heaters, backup power and lighting to make the space warm and welcoming, as well as individual first-aid kits.
For Inna, keeping the office open means preserving the support and connections people have built there.
Our windows are boarded up, but our doors are open. Buildings can be repaired, but people are more fragile, and I am more focused on helping them recover. For me, that is what matters most.
For the wider team, working under constant threat takes a toll. With connections provided by HelpAge, Memory 86 is seeking psychological support other Ukrainian organisations. Older team members also need opportunities to spend time in safer regions, away from the constant pressure.
HelpAge has also offered workspace at its Dnipro office and is working with the ECHO consortium to support measures to improve the team’s safety when travelling.
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