Themes by tag: volunteers

In the South of the country, particularly in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, volunteers of “Let’s do it Ukraine” movement are currently working on drying and disinfecting premises damaged due to the explosion of the Kakhovka HPP dam. Journalists are welcome to cover the work of volunteers and communicate with local residents.

Under the auspices of the AWO International and with the financial support of Aktion Deutschland Hilft the All-Ukrainian youth movement “Let’s do it Ukraine is implementing the project aimed at eliminating the consequences of the Kakhovka HPP dam explosion “Overcoming the consequences of the flood in Mykolaiv and Kherson regions, helping households and social infrastructure objects: cleaning, disinfection, restoration works, preparation for winter.”

A total of 192 households will be gradually restored as a part of the project. Organizers, volunteers and specialized companies will help people dry the premises, carry out disinfection and pest control measures. In addition, some of the participants will even receive resources for carrying out basic works on liquidating flood consequences, and special equipment will be provided free of charge to speed up repairs.

For reference: one of the largest man-made disasters in Europe occurred on June 6, 2023, as the russians blew up the Kakhovka HPP dam. 600 km2 of territory was flooded, 30 settlements came under water in Kherson region, and 31 more in Mykolaiv region.

A huge wave of water from the Kakhovka Reservoir washed away everything in its path – garbage dumps, sewers, cemeteries, animal corpses, dangerous chemicals, etc. This contaminated water stayed in the houses for several days. In order to live in these premises, they must first be properly dried and disinfected.

• casualties
• ecology
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kherson
• Mykolaiv

Maryna Shazhko began taking care of homeless animals more than 10 years ago. When city services started shooting stray dogs and cats in Bakhmut, Donetsk region, a woman brought a stray animal home for the first time to save it. Later, together with a team of volunteers, Maryna started the Bakhmut Animal Protection Society “Lada” NGO. On February 24, 2022, Maryna, shelter volunteers and 160 dogs were in Bakhmut. At first, the woman did not even think about moving, she hoped that the war would bypass the city. However, in August 2022, after the second explosion near the shelter and the death of one of her dogs, Maryna started the evacuation. All the animals had to be transported at once, the cages barely fit in the cars. They decided to take the dogs to Dnipropetrovsk region, where they had to pay a huge rent for a new place.

Meanwhile, animals from hotspots are still being brought to the shelter. The number of rescued pets has already reached 200, including dogs from Chasiv Yar, Krasnohorivka and Marinka. Every day, Maryna has to wake up at 5 in the morning, walk her own dogs, buy food for the animals of the shelter and go there to take care of the animals in the shelter. In addition, the woman did stop working as a teacher.

• animals
• casualties
• occupation
• volunteers
• Dnipro

Back in 2014, Tetiana Ovchar made waves by challenging the inclusion of Russian language teaching in her children’s Kyiv school. Her bold stance led to the removal of the subject from the curriculum. Passionate about promoting Ukrainian literature among youngsters, she spearheaded the “Reading with Pleasure” initiative, culminating in its final session on February 19, 2022. With the onset of the full-blown invasion, Tetiana has thrown herself into volunteering efforts, supporting both military personnel and civilians alike. Tetiana Ovchar, alongside her husband, selflessly offered their family’s former eco-tourism retreat as a refuge for those displaced by the war, accommodating up to 27 individuals in a single night. In their hometown of Kyiv, they mobilized with neighbors to provide vital aid to hospitals and the Territorial Defense Forces, distributing much-needed supplies such as food and medicine. Their outreach extended to villages like Moshchun and Horenka in the Kyiv region. Despite receiving a cancer diagnosis in December 2022, Tetiana remained resilient, channeling her energy into fundraising for military needs during her treatment sessions. Today, she continues to dedicate herself to volunteering, addressing military requests, supporting the families of servicemen, advocating for literacy, and confronting the challenges of her illness with unwavering determination.

• volunteers
• women
• Kyiv

The family of Maryna Shvets from Chernihiv region appealed to the volunteers of Dobrobat. After their house was destroyed in a russian shelling, the family was forced to live in a shed. After her house burned down, Maryna did not give up: she helped the Ukrainian military and her fellow villagers, baked bread and shared homemade products.

Currently, Dobrobat volunteers have started building a new two-story building with two entrances for Maryna’s family. Volunteers have already laid the foundation and the first AAC blocks. Dobrobat volunteers actively involve the local population in the construction process. According to their calculations, Maryna’s family will be able to move into a new home as soon as this summer.

For reference: “Dobrobat” is a volunteer building division that helps those in need to urgently restore housing and social infrastructure facilities in the de-occupied territories.

• casualties
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Chernihiv

FRIDA Ukraine’s largest medical volunteer mission is once again preparing to go to Kherson, Donetsk, Zaporizhia and Chernihiv regions as well as other oblasts, whose residents have been cut off from access to high quality medical care. In particular, 4 such missions are planned for April, and five for May.

The closest consultations will be held in Kherson and Donetsk regions: April 12-14 and April 20-21, respectively.

The team members themselves set up field clinics on site, where they conduct physical examinations and consultations as well as diagnose illnesses. If necessary medical volunteers do surgeries and provide free medicine to vulnerable categories of the civilian population, in particular, children who suffered from the full-scale invasion and occupation.

The media representatives are invited to join these missions.

For reference: During the 2 years of its existence, the FRIDA Ukraine medical volunteer mission made about 100 trips to the frontline and de-occupied areas.

• casualties
• doctors
• volunteers

The community cleanup will be held on April 13 and 14. The event is organized by the Danish urbanist, designer and the creator of the garden Mikael Colville-Andersen. Volunteers are invited to join the cleanup of the area, where a therapeutic garden is to be created in the future. During the event, the territory will be cleaned of garbage and prepared for the future garden.

A therapeutic garden is a specially designed environment that can provide healing, comfort and a sense of security for those who have experienced the stress of war.

• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

From April 6-7, volunteers from the “Brave to Rebuild” project will embark on a mission to clean up debris in Moshchun village and Irpin city, both located in the Kyiv region. Their task? Dismantling the wreckage left behind by buildings ravaged in the wake of Russia’s all-out invasion of Ukraine. 

Media personnel are invited to cover these volunteer-led efforts. 

For reference: Fast forward to April 2, 2022, when Ukraine regained full control over the Kyiv region from Russian occupation, followed by the Chernihiv region liberation by April 6, 2022. By April 11, 2022, then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, Valerii Zaluzhnyi, proudly announced retaking the state border in the Sumy region.

• occupation
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• Kyiv

The Boychuk Academy of Decorative and Applied Arts and Design was damaged in russian shelling on March 25, 2024. The organizers of the cleanup invite everyone to join the first step in the revival of the cultural center. “Boychuk Cleanup” will be supported by Dobrobat NGO, which since the beginning of the full-scale invasion has been involved in clearing the rubble after enemy shelling, as well as the reconstruction in the regions that suffered from the occupation.

• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Kyiv

Olena Chertkova, an economist by training, started her journey with volunteering efforts by taking matters into her own hands like making trench candles and fire starters during the invasion. By 2023, she shifted focus to dry showers due to high demand as a portable dry shower kit is a solution for military hygienic procedures in the field. 

Using online resources and modifying recipes from Ukrainian women on Facebook, Olena perfected her formula, opting for dermatological gel over baby gel and fine-tuning proportions through a month-long trial on herself. Over 5,000 showers later, she now oversees a team of assistants. 

Despite initial monthly costs of 2-3 thousand hryvnias, expenses have risen to 7 thousand hryvnias due to increased production. Olena’s showers, priced at 7 hryvnias, offer cost-effective relief compared to store-bought alternatives. 

Olena’s available for interviews in person in Zaporizhia or online.

• volunteers
• women
• Zaporizhzhia

Prior to the full-scale invasion, Andriy Galyuga worked as an electrical engineer in Chernihiv. When the big war began, the man started restoring damaged power lines and volunteering. At first, he brought food and medicine to those who could not get them on their own, and later he gathered a team of like-minded people around him.

After the region was de-occupied, Andriy’s team began to restore the damaged houses of local residents, and even build houses from scratch in certain places. Later, a team of volunteers began weaving camouflage nets, and when they found out about the need for FPV drones on the front lines, they learned how to assemble these devices. Andriy started “Because we can” NGO, and his team works on a volunteer basis. Spare parts for drones are bought with donations from Ukrainians.

• volunteers
• Chernihiv