Notable achievements:

• We grew into the largest humanitarian organisation in the Baltic States. 

• Estonian Refugee Council  together with Mondo and the Ukrainian Culture Center received the Estonian Civil Society's Initiative of the Year award for the campaign "For Ukraine!". The award was presented by the President of Estonia.

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• We opened offices in Dnipro (Ukraine) and Yerevan (Armenia). The Dnipro office allows us to provide humanitarian aid even more effectively in Eastern and Southern Ukraine. In Armenia, we support the people displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh. In addition, we registered our representative office in Tbilisi, Georgia, and started registering a representative office in Ankara, Turkey.

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• With the campaign "Give Spark," we collected money to purchase a generator for Ukraine. The generator helps ensure the security of supply at the Kharkiv water pumping station by keeping the computer systems functioning; the pumping station supplies up to half a million people daily, even up to a million Ukrainians, when other pumping stations stop working.

• In February, we responded to the earthquake in Türkiye and Syria with the Estonian IT and logistics company GoSwift. We launched a donation campaign and distributed tents, generators and other necessities in the Hatay area.

• Our documentary "Children of Stolen Homes" premiered at Tartu Elektriteater. In the film, six young individuals from parts of the world share their experiences of fleeing their homes. The film features young people from Ukraine, Syria, Georgia, South Sudan and Sri Lanka.

• We ceased operations in Kenya. In Kakuma, Africa's largest refugee camp, we helped launch nearly 30 companies, supported a local agricultural cooperative, and offered life skills and digital training.

• We've assembled and trained an expert roster – a team of experts, ready to support our organization's activities whenever urgent situations arise. The aim of establishing this expert group is to enhance our readiness for crises and sudden spikes in workload. We can engage these specialists, who have undergone comprehensive training, in our operations within Estonia. Alternatively, depending on the urgency and their readiness, we can deploy them to crisis-stricken countries where the ERC is active, such as Ukraine, Jordan, Turkey, Armenia, and Georgia, where their relevant expertise is urgently required.

  The expert roster was supported by the National Foundation of Civil Society in Estonia.

• We organized an international conference in Tallinn titled "Macro-trends in humanitarian action: cash, digitalisation, and localisation". The conference convened humanitarian aid experts from around the globe to explore optimal approaches for delivering assistance in an evolving world, leveraging digital solutions, cash-based assistance, and localisation.

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• We gave cash-based assistance to almost 60,000 people, totaling over 11 million euros. Since 2022, we have provided cash-based assistance to nearly 260,000 people with a total value of nearly 48 million euros. The leading partner in our cash-assistance programmes is Acted.

• Nearly 30,000 people received food aid in Ukraine, which has now grown to over 35,000 people.

• In total, we provided different types of support in nine oblasts in Ukraine, four of which are partially and temporarily occupied.

• We supported the start-up of dozens of small businesses in Estonia and Ukraine. 

• We organized more than 600 trainings, attended by more than 11,000 people. We conducted monthly adaptation-supporting trainings across Estonia covering the education system, entrepreneurship, legal issues in the context of Estonia and Ukraine, the labour market, and digital skills.

• We organised more than 300 community event, with the participation of nearly 5,000 refugees. These gatherings tailored for women, men and families living in Estonia, provide opportunities to acclimate, engage with locals, master the language, and foster a sense of belonging within the community.

• We started with MindSpring, a mental health support programme in Estonia. More below.

• We started community councils in Georgia. More below.

• We now have more than a hundred employees.

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Humanitarian Assistance Programme

Ukraine

In 2023, we provided cash-based assistance to almost 60,000 people, totaling over 11 million euros. Since 2022, we have supported more than a quarter of a million people in Ukraine with cash-based assistance –  we have provided cash-based assistance to nearly 260,000 people, totaling nearly 48 million euros. Cash assistance is provided for three months, with support of 3,600 Ukrainian hryvnias per household member per month, equivalent to about 92 euros. Currently, our focus is on assisting those in need in frontline areas in Zaporizhzhia, Donetsk, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Mykolaiv regions.

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Nearly 23,000 people received winterization support totaling over3 million euros. The assistance is available to vulnerable households residing in rural areas and suburbs, enabling them to purchase solid fuels like coal, firewood, briquettes, or pellets, or to cover their gas heating expenses. The programme is active in the same areas where we provide multi-purpose cash assistance.

Nearly 30,000 people received food support; it has grown to more than 35,000 people.

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We supported the people who suffered from the destruction of the Kahovka Dam with cash-based assistance, food aid, and drinking water.

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Armenia

We started with cash-based assistance. Last year, our initial goal was to support 200 elderly individuals in the northern part of Armenia, in Lori, Tavush, Shirak and Kotayk regions. However, we surpassed expectations by providing assistance to a total of 399 people. The amount of the cash-based assistance per person was 50,000 Armenian drams, or around 114 euros per month. 

Estonian Refugee Council's activities are largely supported by institutional donors: the European Union (ECHO), the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) through the Ukrainian Humanitarian Aid Fund (UHF), USAID/Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA), the Estonian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, etc. The leading partner for the ECHO and BHA-funded projects is Acted. 

Livelihoods and Economic Recovery Programme

Estonia

On January 22nd, we hosted a demo day of the Empowering Women mentoring programme in Tallinn. Empowering Women started in the fall of 2022 in the cooperation of Estonian Refugee Council and Garage 48. The first round of the programme yielded ten new and thriving female refugee entrepreneurs now active in Estonia.

In September, we started another round of the programme. The final event took place on October 8, during which the top 16 business ideas were chosen. The selected participants were granted the chance to engage in a 6-month mentoring programme that also included mental health support.

The Empowering Women program received the "Inter-Community Learning Action of the Year" award as part of Adult Learner's Week (Täiskasvanud Õppija Nädal).

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The four-month entrepreneurship programme Boost, created in the cooperation of ERC and the Baltic Innovation Agency, concluded in December. The programme provided assistance to over 30 Ukrainian entrepreneurs with diverse backgrounds, aiding them in either establishing or advancing their businesses. The final event took place on December 16th in Tartu. There were study visits to local companies and cultural events in Ida-Virumaa, Tallinn and Tartu. At the end of the programme, the jury selected the top three participants, each of whom was awarded a 1,000-euro grant to further develop their businesses.

Ukraine

80 new business ideas and 30 existing enterprises were selected for the Empowering Women programme, which started in February and ended in November. At least 40 entrepreneurs or teams selected by the jury received support from 60,000 to 150,000 Ukrainian hryvnias (equivalent to approximately 1,477 to 3,700 euros) with mentorship for six months. We distributed grants totaling nearly 56,000 euros. 

The program entered its fifth cycle at the year's end, scheduled to continue until July 2024, with the goal of enabling women in the Cherkasy, Kirovohrad, and Poltava regions to achieve sustainable incomes.

Jordan

We established a learning center to support Syrian refugees and vulnerable locals in achieving food security, adapting to climate change, and elevating living standards. Through this initiative, we provided training to 100 vulnerable Jordanian and Syrian women in environmentally sustainable farming techniques. Furthermore, we constructed 20 hydroponic greenhouses on their land plots. These greenhouses benefit a total of 34 households, as some are shared among multiple families.

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Activities in Jordan are supported by ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development.

Community Programme

During the summer of 2023, we facilitated five youth camp exchanges, engaging over 120 children and young adults.

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We organised more than 300 community events, with the participation of nearly 5,000 refugees. These gatherings tailored for women, men and families living in Estonia, provide opportunities to acclimate, engage with locals, master the language, and foster a sense of belonging within the community.

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The community program's series of football matches led to the formation of the Estonian-Ukrainian joint team SRL. Furthermore, FC Karpaty Tartu commenced competing in the Estonian indoor soccer league.

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The activities of the Community Programme are supported by UNHCR – the UN Refugee Agency.

Georgia

Last year in Georgia, we empowered Georgian IDPs and Ukrainian refugees by establishing community councils. These councils unite IDPs and refugees, providing a platform for their voices to be heard and offering valuable input into our initiatives. Throughout the year, a chairwoman was elected to the Council of Ukraine, and its statute was ratified. The council played a crucial role in advising and assisting us in identifying and addressing the specific needs of the local community. To cap off the year, on December 15, we organized a conference for the community councils in Georgia.

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Empowering the voices of civil society and refugees in Georgia is funded by ESTDEV – Estonian Centre for International Development.

Counselling Programme

We provided school support for all refugee children beginning their education in Estonia. The programme was active until the end of April 2023, assisting 370 children. Since April 2022, we have supported a total of 5,016 children, amounting to a sum of 250,700 euros.

We organised 619 training sessions attended by 11,080 people. More specifically, we conducted 199 adaptation trainings with the participation of 2,123 people, 293 temporary protection trainings with the participation of 6,430 people, and 127 international protection trainings with the participation of 2,527 people. We conducted monthly adaptation-supporting trainings across Estonia covering the education system, entrepreneurship, legal issues in the context of Estonia and Ukraine, the labour market, and digital skills.

We initiated three employability programmes, all of which concluded in the autumn. These programmes aimed to support and prepare participants for entry into the Estonian labour market. In total, we conducted four training sessions attended by 48 individuals, delivered in both Russian and English.

The activities of the Counselling Programme are supported by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB), the Estonian Social Insurance Board (SKA) and the Asylum, Migration and Integration Fund (AMIF), Estonian Ministry of the Interior and Estonian Ministry of Culture.

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Mental Health Programme

We started offering the MindSpring programme for refugees throughout Estonia. This group-based programme aids refugees in adapting to life in a foreign country. Participation in the programme enhances awareness, imparts new knowledge and skills, and is guided by an expert with relevant experience. The first groups commenced in March, and by the year's end, there were 21 groups established in Keila, Haapsalu, Viljandi, Pärnu, Sillamäe, Tallinn, and Tartu. In total, 163 individuals participated in these groups.

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We offered NET therapy to 6 people. NET (Narrative Exposure Therapy) is a short-term and evidence-based therapy designed to help restore an individual's psychosocial functioning following a traumatic experience, such as the loss or destruction of a home.

In 2023, the activities of the MHPSS Programme were supported by LHV, the Ministry of Social Affairs and the U.S. Embassy in Estonia.

Education and Awareness Programme

The ICEX project was initiated in late 2022 to increase knowledge of sexual health among adult migrants and professionals working with them. We conducted focus group interviews with the target demographic and devised a framework for crafting sexual health resources. In the upcoming year, we will host training sessions and workshops for refugees and professionals to field-test the materials. By 2025, innovative and culturally sensitive resources will be readily accessible online.

The ICEX project is financed by ERAMUS+.

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Throughout the year, we commemorated two significant and symbolic anniversaries: World Refugee Day in June and Human Rights Day in December. In collaboration with the Estonian Human Rights Center, the International Women's Network in Estonia, and Sveta bar, we organised the World Refugee Day community festival in the Balti Jaam quarter on June 20. Similarly, on December 13, we arranged a free screening of the film "Shadow Game" at the Artis cinema, coinciding with the 75th anniversary of the Declaration of Human Rights, followed by an engaging discussion.

The youth-focused education project persisted, involving discussions on school integration facilitated by ERC's board game "Diamond Island" and training sessions for educational staff on migration. Furthermore, the project culminated in the creation of a methodological guide for utilizing the game in youth engagement initiatives.

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The Diamond Island project was financed by the Active Citizens Fund (ACF).

Advocacy and Protection Programme

Estonia

We conducted approximately 800 protection monitoring interviews. Collecting information is crucial for improving service quality and identifying bottlenecks in refugee support. We've proposed legislative changes and provided opinions to various bodies, including ministries, the Integration Foundation, the Health Fund, and the Embassy of Ukraine, all aimed at safeguarding refugees' rights and interests. Additionally, we've contributed input to various reports.

We resumed hosting the Estonian Refugee Organisations Round Table and maintained collaboration with the European Council on Refugees and Exiles, as well as the European Union Agency for Asylum.

The activities of the Advocacy and Protection Programme are financed by UNHCR – the UN Refugee Agency.

Cover photo: Earthquake damage in the Hatay region of Türkiye, May 2023. Madle Timm

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