The Florence Centre in Zaporizhzhia Ukraine and the "I Am Beautiful" Program

 A week ago (12^th of November) Elephant’s Child, who blogs from Australia wrote about a charity program called “It’s in the Bag”. Participants are asked to fill a good sized hand bag in good condition that they no longer use with essential and luxury items to make a woman who is struggling feel supported and cherished.  Many women shortchange themselves anyway, but when times are tough it seems to be almost a rule.  So I went shopping.  I picked up tampons and pads, deodorant, shampoo and conditioner .  I also purchased moisturiser, hand cream, nail polish, eye makeup, lip gloss, a fun pair of earrings and a few other things.

This reminded me of a program that the Florence Center (see below) ran a few years back called “I am Beautiful”. It focused on self-image and building self-worth/esteem for women who retire from paid employment.  In the former Soviet system, someone was really only worth something if they earned money.  Women over 55 or later 65 would feel they were not worth anything. Many of them lived in poverty as state pensions were not very high.

The 13 week program had three components:

• 1.    Complete makeover: hair, make up, clothes.
• 2.    Psychological support.
• 3.    Social activity of people in old age.

Participants came back out of the experience very excited and positive and often would continue to meet, form club-like groups, and do things together and for others.

Fashion show https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WOZlltiw2Kw

Psychological support https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ela5o3LMTM

The program has morphed into "I Love Life". The project is for women 60+. The main aim of the project is to help people to live with PTSD, Most people have it in Ukraine because of the war. At the same time it is a little bit of fun, exercises, how to deal with stress, depression, how to deal with conflict situations, how to make decisions, etc. There will also be some sessions on how to look nice, as it helps to have adequate self-esteem, etc. We plan to have 10 sessions, 2 groups of women. By the end of the sessions it would be a fashion show plus a concert.

The Florence Centre in Zaporizhzhia came into being in 2004 through the initiative of Otto and Florence Driedger, who spent a career as professors of Social Services and Restorative Justice at the University of Regina, and the initiative of Professors of Social Work of the National University of Zaporizhzhya. This is a non-governmental agency which is significant in Ukrainian society. The Centre is run on a small budget with just a few professional staff, plus many volunteers, many of whom are students from the faculty of Social Work. Many become acquainted with the Centre in their Practicum studies, and stay on to volunteer. It is funded primarily by the Mennonite community in Canada with project funding from other sources as well.

The Kangaroo Program, which started as a small day care program for children with special needs and has become a learning centre for children and their parents who play an active role. One part of the program deals with children from 2 to 7 years, the other is for children over 7 years of age. For the most part, these are children not accepted in the public schools because of their special needs, and children not accepted in society. Mothers are often confined to their homes to provide care in isolation. The children progress and develop social, communication and living skills. Many who have been non-verbal begin to interact with others. The hope is many will eventually be accepted for integration in the public schools. Apartments that house the program are funded by the Mennonite Family Centre.

Other Projects and Programs include:

• ·         Classes in Conflict Mediation for adults and children
• ·         Workshops on bullying for high school students
• ·         Addressing domestic violence issues
• ·         Caregiver professional development and support
• ·         Parents’ support club
• ·         Seniors’ support club
• ·         Educational resources for clients and personnel
• ·         I Am Growing Up – Sexuality Education for Grade 4 students
• ·         Counselling services
• ·         Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASD) educational presentations

The war scattered staff and volunteers of the Florence Centre to western Ukraine and neighbouring counties where they continue to provide services to Ukrainian families wherever they are as “Florence Centre International”. The Centre still operates in Zaporizhzhia on a reduced basis, including the Kangaroo Program. Lucy Romanenkova, the indefatigable Director of the Centre, dodging rockets by day and night, manages the Centre’s programs and coordinates international staff and volunteers by Zoom and other Social Media.