b"Soroptimist InternationalReport for the High-Level Political Forumbeen cleaned in a long time, there were risks thatRealisingthatmanyinthecountrymightbe the water had become contaminated and in someunaware of the challenges facing many rural women cases it was no longer possible to get water from theinUkraine,SIChernihivappealedtolocaland wellsbecausethewatersupplyhadbecomeregionalmediatosharethestoryandspread blocked. information. They also used social media to raise awarenessandcreatemoreactiononthissocial Working with village authorities, SI Chernihiv, withissue. Accordingly, SI Chernihiv succeeded in gaining the support of SI Clubs in Denmark, was able to findthe attention of local government bodies and they a specialist to analyse the water and ensure that thebegan to directly participate in the project.wells would provide safe water when it was cleaned. Baba Ninas Story Baba Nina, an 84-year-old woman lives in a village near a war zone in the eastern part of Ukraine with her two children. She is a retired skilled plasterer, but despite being retired she still works hard to support her family. This includes by using her garden for subsistence farming. There is a well near Baba Nina's house, but it has not been cleaned for many years and consequently the water disappeared about a year ago. This meant that to get water, Baba Nina had to use her son's old pram to carry empty plastic bottles to collect water from her neighbours by walking regularly 5 km all by herself!When the well was cleaned, the water came back. Immediately, this brought an end to a sever situation where people were living without access to water and where Baba Nina was having to walk 5km to get water.Baba Nina was very happy, she said that it seemed impossible for her to believe a positive change could happen, it was a real miracle! The Soroptimists changed her life for the better.Unfortunately, we live in a country where there has been war for six years already weakening every day a little more the economy (8 out of 10 pensioners live below the poverty line). This project ensures us that together we can make a difference and support rural women.Victoria Filatova, Secretary of SI Chernihiv"