Japanese Red Cross delegation visits Vinnytsia

As part of the visit, representatives of the Japanese Red Cross met with staff from the Interregional Support Office of the National Committee for the Central-Western Region and the Vinnytsia Regional Branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross.

A key part of the meeting was a presentation of the Ukrainian Red Cross Community Center planned for Vinnytsia, including discussions on its areas of work and the opportunities the space will provide for people in the community.

The delegation also met with Serhii Hlukhenkyi, former Head of the Vinnytsia Regional Branch of the Ukrainian Red Cross, who dedicated 53 years of his life to the organisation. Serhii shared his personal experience of volunteering in Japan following the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake. His story offered a unique insight into how individual experiences become part of an organisation’s history and legacy.

On the second day of the visit, a round-table discussion was held on the provision of the Home-Based Care social service, bringing together representatives of local authorities and civil society organisations from across the Vinnytsia region.

It was particularly important to discuss the challenges involved in delivering this service, as its quality directly affects the support available to people who require daily assistance. Participants discussed gaps in coordination between different service providers, the need to incorporate a medical component into the service, challenges related to training social care workers, and the accessibility of the service.

The discussion focused on strengthening collaboration among experts, identifying solutions, gaining a better understanding of people’s needs at community level, and jointly finding ways to respond.

We thank the Japanese Red Cross delegation for the visit, open dialogue and commitment to continued cooperation.