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Description
Due to the ongoing hostilities in Ukraine and the rapid increase in the number of Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, it is necessary to continue to actively and accurately inform the Latvian population and Ukrainian refugees. The project''s aim is to coordinate the involvement of the civil society in support initiatives and to ensure the availability of regularly updated information to Latvian citizens and Ukrainian refugees on the possibilities of providing and receiving support.
In order to achieve proactive participation of the Latvian civil society, it is needed to:
1) Maintenance of the NGO Information Point in the Riga Support Centre for Ukrainians, which provides up-to-date information on the types of assistance offered by civil society to Ukrainians in Latvia, as well as involves volunteers in providing assistance.
2) Maintaining the map of charity organisations (palidzibaskarte.lv; kartadopomogy.lv/) on the possibilities to provide and receive humanitarian aid throughout the territory of Latvia.
3) Maintaining the events calendar website (podiyi.lv) and collecting information on upcoming events organised by the state and civil society in support of Ukraine.
4) Creation of an information resource addressing the issue of renting properties to Ukrainian refugees in Latvia, which would allow Latvian citizens to get involved and receive the necessary information on secure and legally safe renting.
The target group of the project is the Latvian population and their involvement in providing support to Ukrainian refugees. The expected results of the project are the coordinated involvement of the Latvian civil society in the project initiatives, as well as up to date information of available opportunities for those who offer and receive help. Maintaining or establishing these project initiatives will provide ample opportunities to involve Latvian citizens in volunteering, cultural events, donating, rental of property and other forms of support.
Summary of project results
With the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, the influx of Ukrainian refugees into Latvia continued to rise. The proposed project activities aimed to ensure the continuity and effectiveness of existing informational initiatives, mobilize active civic resources in Latvia, and coordinate further efforts within civil society to support refugees.
The lack of coordinated efforts and comprehensive information hampered the effective engagement of Latvian citizens in offering support thus initiatives to attract and coordinate civic resources were vital. Although there was a high level of willingness among Latvian citizens to assist, without proper information and coordination, their efforts might not have been as effective as possible. By engaging volunteers and civil society organizations more systematically, the overall support framework for refugees could be strengthened.
There was also a critical need for regularly updated information regarding available support services for Ukrainian refugees in Latvia. Existing resources had to be kept current to remain useful and relevant. Maintaining and regularly updating informational initiatives such as the centralized support center in Riga, the charity organization map (palidzibaskarte.lv / kartadopomogy.lv), and the events calendar for Ukrainian support activities ensured that refugees and support organizations were well-informed about available assistance.
The uncertainty surrounding the availability of housing for Ukrainian refugees was also a significant concern. The existing legal framework provided state-supported housing for 90 days, after which many refugees might have faced housing insecurity. Thus, developing an informative resource to guide Latvian citizens on how to legally and safely rent out housing to Ukrainian refugees was vital as it helped bridge the information gap and facilitate better housing solutions.
To achieve the planned goals of the project, four activities were implemented:
1. Coordination and maintenance of the NGO information point. The NGO information point was coordinated and maintained at the Riga Support Center for Ukrainian Residents. This point provided up-to-date information about the assistance offered by civil society to Ukrainian residents in Latvia and engaged volunteers in providing help. Over three months, a team of 17 Latvian volunteers was trained and employed. The information point supported approximately 8,822 people during the project, with about 2,987 seeking help specifically related to NGO support. The project funding ensured the full-time employment of the NGO information point coordinator, who maintained the information point, trained and coordinated volunteers, and regularly updated information on the support available from Latvian civil society.
Activity 2: Coordination and Maintenance of the Event Calendar Website (https://www.podiyi.lv). This activity involved compiling information on upcoming cultural, sports, and community integration events organized by state institutions and civil society. The website allowed state and municipal institutions, businesses, and NGOs to post events for Ukrainian residents and support activities. The calendar was available in Latvian, Ukrainian, Russian, and English. During the project, 111 different events were posted, accessible both online and in-person. The site had 1,200 users and 1,700 unique views. The project funding enabled the full-time employment of an Information Initiatives Coordinator, who managed the website, coordinated information, and promoted the site.
Activity 3: Maintenance of the Charity Organization Map (https://palidzibaskarte.lv/; https://kartadopomogy.lv/). This website provided updated information on more than 115 points where humanitarian assistance could be given and received across Latvia. It included details on the locations, items available for donation, operating hours, contacts, and whether prior appointments were needed. The map was available in Latvian, Ukrainian, English, and Russian. The website facilitated the involvement of Latvian residents in donating essential items for Ukrainians starting their lives in Latvia. Information was regularly updated, 15 new organizations were added, and a search function was introduced. The project funding supported a full-time Information Initiatives Coordinator, who maintained and updated the charity map, and recruited new organizations for inclusion.
Activity 4: Provision of Informative Support on Housing Rental Issues. To address housing availability problems for Ukrainian refugees in Latvia and provide Latvian residents with necessary information on offering housing for rent, a website (www.majasbegliem.lv) was created. It provided comprehensive information on housing rental, practical tips, and allowed users to list rental properties. Six practical information summaries on housing rental were made available in Latvian and Ukrainian, covering financial assistance, general rental information, lease agreement templates, practical rental guides, human trafficking risk awareness, and guidelines for hosting Ukrainian refugees.The project funding ensured the full-time employment of an Information Initiatives Coordinator, who worked on the website''s creation, development of informational materials, and recruitment of volunteers.
The project successfully implemented various informational support initiatives, ensuring the regular updating and safe exchange of information to inform Latvian citizens about opportunities to support Ukrainian refugees. Given the large and constantly changing volume of information about aid opportunities in the first half of the year, the organization "I want to help refugees" created several web-based informational initiatives to provide accessible, regularly updated, and understandable information about ways to help Ukrainian war refugees in Latvia. These initiatives facilitated the coordination of civil society''s involvement in providing support by offering specific and targeted ways to help, such as donating essential items, attending support events, and renting out housing. The availability of all informational websites in both Latvian and Ukrainian made the content accessible to both aid providers and recipients in one place. The project significantly increased Latvian citizen engagement in civic activities, particularly emphasizing regular involvement in volunteer work. During the activity period, new volunteers who had not previously participated in the organization''s activities and projects were successfully recruited. Additionally, various civically active citizens continued their volunteer work even after the project ended.
Maintenance of the NGO Information Point. The NGO information point established strong connections with several Latvian volunteers who continued to engage in various activities of the organization and now work at the new NGO information point location in Riga.
Event calendar website. The event calendar website allowed Ukrainian citizens to participate in various cultural and support events. It was widely used by the non-governmental sector to promote their events and reach their target audience in various ways. The steady flow of unique visitors indicated the site''s role in informing people about engagement opportunities. The technical oversight and manual addition of events were managed by the company ''kurp.es,'' which operated on a volunteer basis and continues to do so.
Charity organization map. The charity organization map coordinated the flow of aid providers, offering easy access to the nearest donation points and matching donations with appropriate organizations. The site simplified the donation process for civically active residents who might not have been aware of the specific needs or the locations of donation points across Latvia.
Informative support on housing rental issues. Initially, this activity did not plan for volunteer involvement, but during the development of the housing website, successful collaborations were established with other NGOs as well as civically active Latvian residents, contacted through various companies, contributed to the technical setup, maintenance, privacy policy, cookie creation, and legal consultations for the site.