At the onset of the war, as a member of the Women's Funding Network, the largest network of women’s funds and gender justice funders in the world, ICUUW condemned President Putin’s violent, premeditated, and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine. Please read the joint statement here.
In times of crisis, we come together in solidarity. The International Convocation of UU Women has answered the appeal for humanitarian aid for refugees and the internally displaced issued by Gondviselés (in English: Providence) Charity Organization of the Hungarian Unitarian Church.
A week after the Russian invasion of Ukraine on 24 February 2022, ICUUW launched a large-scale fundraising effort to supply immediate assistance to families fleeing the war in Ukraine, in partnership with Gondviselés.
Thanks to over 480 ICUUW members, individual donors, UU congregations and organizations, ICUUW has sent $112,075 in support of Gondviselés's vital work for Ukrainian war refugees. To date, Gondviselés has delivered 21 aid shipments to Ukraine: nine (9) to southern Ukraine (Odesa and Mykolaiv area), mainly consisting of medical supplies, generators, and medications, and twelve (12) to Transcarpathia (southwest Ukraine), mainly consisting of non-perishable food, raincoats, rubber boots, flashlights, headlamps, disinfectants, as well as cleaning and sanitary supplies.
The Diaconal Center of the Transcarpathian Reformed Church used part of the donations received for the internally displaced people that they are housing in the area, and the remainder were sent on to the regions ravaged by the war in eastern Ukraine. Please read about how Gondviselés responded to the needs of refugees and those internally displaced: 2025 Update: Aid for Displaced Ukrainians
A highlight of the work of the Providence organization has been the launch of a Kindergarten Class for Ukrainian Children in Kolozsvár/Cluj, Romania at the Unitarian Nursery School. In June 2022, an elementary class was added, for children aged 6-7. In September 2022, Gondviselés had to move both groups to rental facilities due to lack of sufficient cost-free space provided by the Unitarian Church, adding to the costs of operating this groundbreaking program. The classes, led by two Ukrainian mothers/teachers, included reading and writing in Ukrainian, math, English, music, physical education, as well as arts and crafts. The refugee children also received a warm meal daily. Supporting the Education of Ukrainian Refugee Children in Kolozsvár/Cluj.
Providence has provided safe shelter for 40 people in church properties and in private accommodations in and around Kolozsvár/Cluj; it continues to assist with meals, in-kind donations, medical examinations and medicines, job search, counseling, and other administrative support.
As an international organization working for women's empowerment, we hold up the sacrifice, courage, perseverance, and resilience of the millions of women and girls in times of war and conflict, while reaffirming the critical need for women’s participation in conflict prevention and resolution as well as peace and security processes.