Themes by tag: volunteers

Oksana Pohomii, a dedicated volunteer and member of the Kherson City Council, remained steadfast in her commitment to her community during the relentless occupation by russian forces. Throughout this challenging period, she awaited the city’s liberation while providing crucial support to those in need, even managing to share videos documenting life under occupation. Oksana was present in Kherson during the catastrophic explosion of the Kakhovka HPP in June 2023.

As the head of the Kherson Solidarna Sprava Hromad NGO (Solidarity Cause of the Communities in Kherson), Oksana recently oversaw the establishment of the Kherson Ukrainian Cultural Center, named after Oleksandr Menshov, a renowned Ukrainian writer from Kherson who lost his life at the front last year. This center serves as a refuge and hosts various cultural events, welcoming participation from all members of the community.

Following the city’s liberation, Oksana’s organization launched a volunteer bakery, providing freshly baked bread for both local residents and military personnel. On the second anniversary of Kherson’s liberation, November 11, the bakery is set to celebrate a significant milestone: the production of its three hundred thousandth loaf of bread.

Journalists interested in learning more about Oksana’s inspiring efforts can engage with her in Kherson or connect online.

For context: Kherson fell under russian occupation on March 1, 2022, at the onset of the full-scale invasion. The Ukrainian Armed Forces successfully liberated the city on November 11, 2022, but the threat remains, with regular shelling continuing to affect the area.

• culture
• occupation
• volunteers
• women
• Kherson

Oleksandra Knyha and her brother Andrii come from the town of Oleshky in the Kherson oblast (currently occupied). When russian tanks entered Oleshky and Kherson at the beginning of the invasion, the siblings stayed in the region to help the people. Friends of Oleksandra from abroad organized several truckloads of humanitarian aid, which Andrii and Oleksandra sorted and handed out. But when civic-minded volunteers began to be kidnapped by russians, the siblings had to move to Ukrainian-controlled territory.

After Kherson was liberated on November 11, 2022, they immediately returned to the city to help rebuild life there. They decided to organize creative workshops for children in shelters, understanding that damaged and looted schools and kindergartens would not reopen soon. This became the inspiration for the creation of the KRYLA Charitable Foundation.

Recently, with the support of partners and donors, they launched several major projects at the KRYLA Multi-Space — a shelter where, despite the unsafe situation in the city, Kherson residents can gather to socialize or learn new skills.

Another focus of their work is a humanitarian mission in Oleshky, located on the occupied left bank of the Kherson oblast. The settlement was severely damaged when the russians blew up the Kakhovka Dam.

Journalists can learn more and contact Oleksandra and Andrii in person or online.

• casualties
• children
• occupation
• volunteers
• Kherson

On November 2-3, in partnership with the UNDP, Frida Ukraine will dispatch a team of medical volunteers to a community in the Kharkiv region, delivering crucial medical assistance. This mission will also include a dedicated dental team, supported by the Serhiy Prytula Charitable Foundation, aimed at providing specialized care for residents.

Frida Ukraine plans to offer regular medical consultations, alongside dental services facilitated through the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, with Vladislava Romaniuk leading the medical team. 

Details about the mission’s location will be shared following accreditation.

For reference: This mission is part of the UNDP’s “Comprehensive Medical and Psychological Support with Improved Referral System” project, designed to assist communities impacted by explosive hazards. The project includes mobile hospitals providing healthcare and psychological aid, aiming to reach 15,000-20,000 residents by year’s end.

Frida Ukraine, a non-profit organization of volunteer doctors from Ukraine and Israel, has been offering emergency and outpatient care to civilians affected by the conflict since the invasion’s onset.

• casualties
• doctors
• volunteers
• Kharkiv

The charitable foundation “Volunteer Association ‘Poruch'” was founded by a couple from Avdiivka (a city in Donetsk, now destroyed and occupied by russians). Before the full-scale invasion, Rusana and Bohdan were not involved in charity work, but the war changed their lives. At first, they began helping elderly people and abandoned animals near the front lines. Soon they managed to form a team of like-minded people and establish a charitable foundation.

Today, most of the members of the “Volunteer Association ‘Poruch'” are displaced persons from the war zone or from the territories occupied by russia. Among other initiatives, Rusana and Bohdan create safe spaces for children near the front lines. These spaces offer children a place to study, engage in creative activities, and receive psychological support from specialists.

One of these spaces was created by the “Poruch” team in a modular city in Pavlohrad, Dnipropetrovsk oblast. The team renovated one of the modules, repaired the roof, and brought in furniture, school supplies, art materials, and qualified teachers. Since August 2024, 47 children have been attending this space on a regular basis. The team has set up similar spaces for children in Izium and Kramatorsk.

• casualties
• children
• occupation
• volunteers
• Dnipro

Alina, a volunteer from Ukraine’s Mykolaiv region, is raising two sons while supporting the nation’s defenders. When russia launched its full-scale invasion, she began by cooking meals with a friend and sending them to the frontlines. Soon after, she acquired a car, allowing her to personally deliver essential supplies to soldiers.

Her commitment led her to establish a charity named “Unbreakable Kitty,” inspired by her call sign. She recalls being called “Kitty” since her school days, with “Unbreakable” added as her resolve deepened. Her foundation continues to prepare meals and dry rations, storing all donated and purchased supplies at its facility.

In a separate room, Alina keeps cherished mementos: flags signed by soldiers, shell casings, certificates, letters of gratitude, and a photo banner honoring her brother, who was killed by a drone strike on March 17, 2024.

Alina is based in Nova Odesa, Mykolaiv region, and is open to interviews with journalists, both online and in person, with prior arrangement.

• volunteers
• women
• Mykolaiv

On October 28-29, 2024, a press tour will take place in Mykolaiv Oblast, where volunteers of the international humanitarian project “Let’s Do It Ukraine SOS” will present renovated shelters in two educational institutions. These institutions were severely damaged by the floods caused by the destruction of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam.

As part of the press tour, volunteers will also donate dehumidifiers, air purifiers and charging stations that work without electricity. These will be delivered to the facilities where repairs have already been completed. This equipment will help ensure healthy and comfortable conditions for learning and use of school shelters in the future.

Transportation for journalists from Kyiv and back will be arranged. Accreditation is required.

Background: The restoration work was carried out as part of the project to deal with the aftermath of the Kakhovka hydroelectric dam explosion “Flood relief in Mykolaiv and Kherson oblasts, assistance to households and social infrastructure facilities “Cleaning, disinfection, restoration and preparations for winter”,  with the assistance of AWO International and with the financial support of Aktion Deutschland Hilft. 

On June 6, 2023, the russian forces blew up the dam of the Kakhovka hydroelectric power station in the Kherson region, causing almost 14 billion dollars of damage in Ukraine.  This is stated in the “Post Disaster Needs Assessment report of the Kakhovka Dam Disaster” prepared by the UN and the Ukrainian government.

• casualties
• ecology
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• Mykolaiv

On October 26-27, the Ukrainian-Israeli medical volunteer mission FRIDA will be in the Kherson region, offering local residents the chance to receive medical consultations and undergo necessary examinations. The volunteer medical team will include specialists such as a neurologist, ultrasound technician, gynecologist, dermatologist, psychologist, ophthalmologist, physical therapist, pediatrician, ENT doctor, vascular surgeon, dentist, and endocrinologist.

This visit is part of the project “Comprehensive Medical and Psychological Support with Improved Referral System for the Population of Explosive Hazard-Affected Communities in Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Kherson Oblasts.” The initiative, led by FRIDA Ukraine, is supported by the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) through the “Transformational Recovery for Human Security in Ukraine” project, with financial backing from the Government of Japan.

Details about the visit’s location will be provided following accreditation.

For reference: FRIDA Ukraine is a non-governmental, non-profit charitable mission of volunteer doctors from Ukraine and Israel. Since the onset of the invasion, the organization has been offering emergency and outpatient medical care to civilians affected by the conflict. 

Their services include 

• outpatient appointments;
• medical care for orphanages and boarding schools;
• civilian evacuations;
• training of medical volunteers.

• casualties
• doctors
• volunteers

Nadiia Zharkykh, a coffee art instructor, had long dreamed of opening her own barista school. In 2021, she relocated with her family from Mykolaiv to Kherson, a city in southern Ukraine. But just two months after settling in, her plans were shattered by russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Her barista school, tentatively set to open on February 26, 2022, never saw its grand debut as the war swept across the region.

Caught under occupation, Nadiia sought refuge by working at a friend’s coffee shop, where she also volunteered, cooking and helping however she could. But as threats from russian forces mounted, she knew she had to leave. The escape was grueling—she passed through 70 checkpoints to reach Zaporizhia, and from there, made her way to Kyiv.

On August 7, 2023, exactly a year after leaving occupied Kherson, Nadiia’s resilience paid off when she opened a coffee shop near Kyiv with the support of a government grant. The shop is more than just a business—it’s a place of learning. Nadiia and her team now teach young women the art of coffee-making, and some of her students have gone on to open their own cafes, both in Ukraine and abroad.

During the summer blackouts, the café also served as a co-working space, offering a sense of community during challenging times. In addition, Nadiia and her close friends established a charity foundation in Mykolaiv called “Welcome to Ukraine,” which supports both military personnel and civilians across the country.

For those interested, interviews with Nadiia can be arranged by appointment in the Kyiv region.

Background: Kherson fell to russian forces on March 1, 2022, in the early days of the invasion. Ukrainian troops liberated the city on November 11, 2022, but russian shelling continues to threaten the area.

• occupation
• volunteers
• women
• Kherson
• Kyiv

Before the full-scale invasion, Nataliia Havrylenko was a businesswoman in Kherson. She prepared for the impending war and, together with her husband, planned to join the Territorial Defense Forces. On February 24, 2022, the couple went to the military recruitment office. Soon the Kherson Territorial Defense unit, which Nataliia had joined, received weapons. But they served for only two days.

Nataliia recalls how the commander entered the room where the newly formed Territorial Defense members were gathered and ordered them to lay down their weapons and flee home across the fields. At that moment Nataliia, her husband and the other civilians realized that they would have to defend their hometown on their own. This is how the partisan movement in Kherson was born. Nataliia and her comrades managed to set up a hospital and establish cooperation with the special forces.

On July 7, 2022, Russians broke into Nataliia’s home, where she was staying with her daughter-in-law, son, and grandson. Nataliia was taken to a temporary detention center for several months. The woman says she was not tortured, but was subjected to a lie detector test and forced to give an interview to Russian propagandists. On November 1, 2022, Nataliia was released – without papers, money or a phone. Today, she continues to volunteer and support the Ukrainian army.

Nataliia Havrylenko is currently in Izium, Kharkiv oblast. She can be contacted for interviews both online and offline by prior arrangement.

For reference: Kherson was occupied by the Russians at the beginning of the full-scale invasion (on March 1, 2022). Ukrainian forces liberated the city from Russian troops on November 11, 2022. The occupiers continue to shell the city regularly.

• occupation
• prisoners
• russian crimes
• volunteers
• women
• Kherson

Larysa Bortovyk, a native of Kherson, found out about russia’s full-scale offensive while she was in Mexico. Immediately, she began searching for ways to return home. Despite the russian occupation of her city, Larysa made it back to Ukraine. In May 2022, she traveled to the russian-held city, helping friends and others who wanted to escape to Ukrainian-controlled areas.

After relocating to the Kyiv region, she joined the volunteer efforts there, clearing the rubble of buildings destroyed by the war. Driven by a desire to bring similar recovery efforts to her hometown, Larysa returned to Kherson just days after its liberation on November 11, 2022. She took on the role of regional coordinator for the Dobrobat volunteer movement, leading a team in clearing debris and rebuilding homes. In addition, she spearheaded projects aimed at restoring private residences and creating shelters in medical facilities. Fellow volunteers affectionately call Larysa “mom,”  recognizing her commitment and the care she extends to others.

Given the ongoing security risks in the Kherson region, her volunteer team is now focused on setting up shelters.

Journalists can arrange interviews with Larysa in Kherson or Kyiv, as well as remotely.

Background: Kherson fell under russian occupation at the start of the full-scale invasion on March 1, 2022. The city was liberated by Ukrainian forces on November 11, 2022, though russian forces continue to shell the area regularly.

• occupation
• reconstruction
• volunteers
• women
• Kherson