Vinnytsia Received a Minibus for People with Disabilities – the Result of Cooperation with Partner Cities Münster and Lublin

As noted by Vinnytsia Mayor Serhii Morhunov, this humanitarian aid was made possible thanks to a trilateral partnership between the cities of Vinnytsia, Münster, and Lublin.

“We would like to thank our international partners in Lublin and Münster, the leaders of these cities, for their systematic support of our city, which began back in 2022. In the context of war, such solidarity is extremely valuable and gives us the understanding that we are not alone in this war, that all of democratic Europe stands behind us,” said Serhii Morhunov.

The minibus is equipped with a ramp and a convertible interior to enable the transportation of people in wheelchairs.

"We are transferring the minibus to the city's social services – the city council's social policy department, the veterans' policy department, the regional social services center, the city social services center, and the child welfare service. These are the departments that provide daily support to our residents, including people with disabilities," said Deputy Mayor Halyna Yakubovych.

Organizational support was provided by the Institute for Urban Development, and representatives of the Podilska Hromada Community Foundation coordinated the receipt of cargo in Vinnytsia.

“We are grateful to our international partners for their systematic support of Vinnytsia. Such assistance is particularly important because it is aimed at improving the comfort of those who need it most,” notes Olena Danilova, director of the Podilska Hromada Community Foundation.

Support for Vinnytsia was provided as part of the GIZ program “Improving Civil Protection and Reconstruction in Municipal Partnerships with Ukraine,” known as “Komm Direkt.” The program was initiated by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and is being implemented by the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) with the aim of strengthening municipal partnerships between Germany and Ukraine and supporting the reconstruction of Ukrainian municipalities.

The cities of Münster and Vinnytsia are participating in this program for the third time. In 2022, Vinnytsia received modular kitchens, long-term storage products, and generators; in 2023, a dump truck and a vehicle, which is currently a minibus. All these goods were transferred to Vinnytsia through the mediation of the city of Lublin, which organized their reception, temporary storage, and further transportation.