U.S. Ambassador to Ukraine William B. Taylor, community leaders and IRD Ukraine staff at the ribbon-cutting ceremony for the Mayekeva hospital

U.S. Ambassador Visits IRD Humanitarian Assistance Projects in Ukraine
Ambassador William B. Taylor Commends Joint Department of State/IRD Projects on Their Continued Success

Bakhchisaray, Ukraine — July 16, 2006 — On July 14th and 15th, William B. Taylor, the U.S. Ambassador to the Ukraine, visited several IRD projects in Crimea funded by the U.S. Department of State (DOS), including hospital and orphanage renovations as well as water supply improvement projects. The Ambassador selected the DOS/IRD projects as primary examples of successful United States and Ukrainian cooperation, and thanked IRD for spearheading the efforts.

“It was a pleasure giving Ambassador Taylor a tour of our recent projects,” said IRD Country Director Oksana Mikitenko, who took the ambassador to several project sites over the two-day period. “IRD is proud of the work we have done with the help of Department of State and the people of Ukraine.”

The ambassador began the tour by taking part in the official ribbon-cutting ceremony at the Bakhchisaray Maternity Hospital. Constructed in 1980, the maternity ward roof was in desperate need of renovation for the hospital to continue providing health care for over 1,100 women per year; IRD recently completed the roof rehabilitation project. At the ceremony, Ambassador Taylor emphasized the importance of such humanitarian projects in improving quality of life for the Ukrainian people. The ambassador was joined in celebrating the hospital renovations by community leaders, administrators and medical staff from the hospital, administrators and staff from the Bakhchisaray Orphanage for Mentally Disabled Children, children from the orphanage, IRD Crimea staff and local media.

Also during the ceremony, Mr. Alexander Sklinskiy, Director of Bakhchisaray Orphanage for Mentally Disabled Children, expressed his gratitude toward the United States, DOS and IRD for their assistance as Ambassador Taylor presented footballs to the children. Because of continued DOS/IRD support of the orphanage, the children there have access to renovated classrooms, good clothing and comfortable mattresses. DOS assistance allows IRD to implement a variety of renovation, water construction and humanitarian assistance projects in Crimea.

The same day, Ambassador Taylor and Mikitenko also visited the maternity ward of the Bakhchisaray hospital. In accordance with the local tradition, IRD Crimea staff members and local residents greeted the ambassador with “bread and salt” and presented him with a book on Crimea.

On July 16th, Ambassador Taylor traveled to the remote, rural Novozhilovka village of the Belogorsk region in Crimea to attend the official opening ceremony for the water supply improvement project, completed by IRD under DOS supplemental funding. Novozhilovka residents greeted the Ambassador with “bread and salt” and local music. Later, Ambassador Taylor, Mikitenko, and the Novozhilovskiy Village Council Head were able to inspect the results of the completed project. The ambassador also visited with a local FDP family in Novozhilovka benefiting from the project, as well as a village secondary school, ambulance post and kindergarten.

“Ambassador Taylor’s visit was inspiring to the local residents and the IRD Crimea staff,” Mikitenko added. “We’re extraordinarily grateful to him for his dedication and attention to our efforts.”

IRD was founded in 1998 as a charitable, non-profit, non-governmental organization dedicated to reducing the suffering of the world’s most vulnerable groups and providing tools and resources needed to increase their self-sufficiency.

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