Modular Homes for Ukraine’s Displaced Families

During a recent visit to Ukraine, Jordan and Imogen, representing Kent With Ukraine and UK Friends of Ukraine had the privilege of spending time with families whose lives have been irrevocably altered by Russia’s war of aggression and who are now beginning to rebuild thanks to the extraordinary work of the Pelican Live Foundation and Citi Bank of Ukraine.

Together, they have delivered high-quality modular homes for families forcibly displaced from Mariupol, Donetsk, Luhansk, and Kherson, communities that have suffered some of the heaviest consequences of the war.

Meeting these families left a profound and lasting impression on the Kent With Ukraine team. Parents spoke of having lost everything: their homes, their livelihoods, their sense of safety and, in the most devastating cases, loved ones.

Yet as the families walked through their new homes, it was the joy and excitement in their children’s eyes that most clearly demonstrated the impact of this project. In those moments, the extraordinary resilience that defines the Ukrainian people was unmistakable.

In total, nine families were visited that day. Each shared harrowing accounts of occupation, displacement, missing relatives, and the cruelty endured at the hands of Russian aggressors. Despite this, it was deeply humbling to hear children speak with hope about the future—about school, friendships, and the opportunities that this new beginning now makes possible.

Kent With Ukraine extends our deepest gratitude and admiration to Яна Боброва and everyone involved in delivering this important initiative. The work undertaken from securing land, coordinating infrastructure, and constructing homes at pace is about far more than building houses. - It is about restoring dignity, stability, and hope to families who have endured unimaginable loss. When we return to the UK we will seek to use this project as an example of how through partnership working reconstruction and development can take place on the ground in Ukraine.

Following meeting the families, it was a particular privilege for Imogen and Jordan to spend time in the rural outskirts of the village with Maria, the Head of the local community that is supporting the resettlement of these families.

In Maria's warmth, strength, and persistence, the Kent With Ukraine team witnessed the very best of local leadership: leadership rooted in empathy and demonstrated through decisive action. Kent With Ukraine is now actively working to identify a UK civic partner for this exceptional community, recognising that there is much to learn from leadership that places people at its heart.

Cllr Jordan Meade said:

'This project is about far more than housing. Through the provision of modular homes within a welcoming and supportive community setting, dignity has been restored and a future reopened for 11 families who had been robbed of so much.

As Russian aggression continues to intensify, Ukraine need many more initiatives like this in the months ahead that are practical, humane, and delivered at speed.'

To learn more about this inspiring project, please watch the short report here: