Estonian Human Rights Centre and Estonian Refugee Council have expanded cooperation with the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR) in order to increase the sense of security of Ukrainian refugees who have arrived in Estonia. The project supports refugee communities in Estonia.

Until the end of the year, in cooperation with the Ukrainian refugee communities, more than a hundred events will be organized in different parts of Estonia, the living conditions of the refugees will be monitored and their concerns will be identified.

The main goal of the project is to empower the Ukrainian community through various joint activities and the provision of leisure opportunities. Emphasis is placed on various events such as walks, cooking together, evenings of sharing experiences, pottery workshops, etc.

On behalf of both the Human Rights Center and the Estonian Refugee Council, the project is handled by a community coordinator on a daily basis, whose main task is to meet Ukrainians from all over Estonia, listen to their stories, and help organize gatherings that the community likes. When organizing events, we keep in mind various vulnerable and marginalized groups, so that their wishes and needs are also noticed and visible.

We consider it important to bring together Ukrainians who have already been in Estonia and refugees who have arrived since February, so that people from the same cultural space can discuss issues related to adaptation together, share worries and joys, and amplify success stories.

During the project, Ukrainians who are most familiar with the needs of their community and are ready to take on more responsibility will also be employed. They play an important role in establishing contacts with the community, sharing information and organizing gatherings.

If you plan to organize activities for refugees living in Estonia, contact our community coordinators. Hopefully we can help each other and work together for the Ukrainian community!