The historical town of Kolomyja is located in Galicia in the west of Ukraine and is known as the center of the Hucul culture. There are over 60 000 inhabitants. Since Kolomyja is close to the mountains, it is called the Gateway to the Carpathians. Among its famous sights are the Cathedral of the Annunciation and one of the wonders of Ukraine – the Easter Eggs Museum.

The dance called “kolomyjka” comes from town of Kolomyja and also short songs called kolomyjky.

In 2009, Kolomyja was declared the safest city in Ukraine (according to Fokus magazine).

Caritas Kolomyja

Cooperation with Caritas Kolomyja started in 2010. Since then, Caritas of the Archdiocese of Olomouc has financed, among other things, the reconstruction of a night center for homeless people and equipment needed. Bed and hygiene is provided for 20 people. We are currently supplying humanitarian material assistance such as hospital beds and armchairs and clothes and shoes to Kolomyja. We regularly co-finance projects that support children who grow up in socially disadvantaged families.

• the “Dream Dining Room” project. Financial support of social dining room for socially disadvantaged children and orphans with appropriate sanitary conditions in Kolomyja, Dining room also serves children and young people with disabilities.
• the “Fruit Juice Factory” project was created thanks to the fruitful cooperation of both Charities. The project is long-term and brings money to Caritas Kolomyja for operation of the center and other projects. Natural juice is sold to restaurants and delivered to a charity canteen. Anyone can bring their home-grown fruits to the fruit juice factory to process their products in useful natural juice.
• the “Kovczeh” farm was initially intended for children, now it is a rehabilitation center for veterans who have returned from a military conflict in the eastern part of the country. They are undergoing psychosocial rehabilitation while working on the farm. Currently, two veterans are staying at the farm and one is visiting every day. But everyone can come to the farm.
• equipment and reconstruction of a nightclub place for homeless people.
• summer camps for children with a focus on teaching English.
• beekeeping – production and sale of honey products.
• material equipment for emergency situations.
• during the flooding in 2010, we have together created a team that helped the people in need (psychosocial field research, financial and material assistance).

“Money is one thing, but if you don’t know how to spend it properly… For Caritas Kolomyja, cooperation and counseling are the most important things (a vision of how to evolve, to find out what challenges can wait for us…),” says Director Sergej Tryfjak.

„Peníze jsou jedna věc, ale pokud nevíte, jak je utratit správně… Pro Charitu Kolomyja je nejdůležitější spolupráce a také poradenství (vize, jak se vyvíjet, zjistit, jaké nástrahy na nás mohou čekat…),“ říká ředitel Sergej Tryfjak.