Themes by tag: women
The “OnTrack” course by “Reskilling Ukraine” is a free course that gives women the opportunity to become a truck driver (with category C driver’s license). The course consists of theoretical and practical parts, as well as an exam.
The priority categories of women considered for this course are veterans and discharged soldiers, women from military families, as well as forcibly displaced persons. Future students must have category B driver’s license and previous driving experience (at least 3 years).
The “OnTrack” course started in February 2024. 38 Ukrainian women have already received category C driver’s licenses.
“Reskilling Ukraine” also launched the “BusDrive” training program, which focuses on training women to become passenger bus drivers (category D license). The first group has already been enrolled.
By prior agreement, journalists have the opportunity to talk with participants of both programs (“OnTrack” and “BusDrive”) and cover practical classes in Kyiv or Ternopil region. Also, media representatives have the opportunity to communicate with Sweden-based organizers of the program online.
For reference: “Reskilling Ukraine” is a project by the Swedish non-profit organization “Beredskapslyftet” working in the field of retraining and employment of women in Ukraine.
Inna Sorokina is from Toretsk, Donetsk region. The woman saw the war with her own eyes in 2014, when russia attacked Ukraine for the first time, and her hometown was temporarily occupied by the enemy. Inna didn’t want to leave her native region, so she moved to Sloviansk, which is also in Donetsk region. At that time, Ukraine had already regained control over the settlement. On February 24, 2022, the Kramatorsk District State Administration, where the Inna worked, decided to order an evacuation of its employees to Dnipro. Soon the woman came up with an idea to create a place in Dnipro where refugees from Eastern Ukraine could meet and communicate. Together with her supervisors, Inna founded and headed “We Are Together” IDP Support Center in Dnipro. Soon the Center began to organize thematic festivities and pajama parties for children. And for adults, the Center held a master class on pysanky painting. In the Center, displaced persons can also receive legal, psychological, informational, educational and healthcare services. The Support Center has been operating for 18 months with over 7,000 people addressing the center for help.
Kateryna met her husband Volodymyr at KPI University. When the Maidan protests began, he felt compelled to join. In 2015, he volunteered for the front lines. A year later, during a combat mission, Volodymyr was hit by an enemy mine, losing both his legs.
The family was in Bucha at the start of the full-scale invasion. Volodymyr moved Kateryna and their 5-year-old son from their apartment to a private house. Despite his prosthetics, he eagerly joined the local defense forces, determined to protect his country.
Volodymyr died on Vokzalna Street in Bucha, a site later infamous for photos of destroyed Russian equipment. He was among the first to engage in the battle and was killed.
Kateryna and her son endured two weeks in a basement, suffering from constant darkness and running out of food and water. Finally, they ventured outside to find a car to escape the city. After hours of wandering outside in the cold temps, an elderly man picked them up. They traveled under fire for six hours in a frigid car, eventually reaching a village near Kyiv where Kateryna’s brother lived.
Journalists can arrange to speak with Kateryna in the Kyiv region for more details.
For reference: A street in Bucha has been renamed in honor of Volodymyr Kovalskyi. After his exhumation, he was reburied on the Walk of Fame and posthumously awarded the title of “Honorary Citizen of the City.”
The family is now supported by the Children of Heroes charity foundation, which aids Ukrainian children who have lost parents to the war.
In 2021, Olha Akymova founded an online modeling school for women over 40. The project also worked with mothers of children with disabilities (participation was free for them): the idea was to give an opportunity to women who devote themselves completely to their children to discover themselves. A little later, young girls also joined the project, and it became inclusive. Models with and without disabilities work at the school, and together they participate in all the projects, shows, and performances.
The transformed project held its first classes in February 2022 in Kyiv and Lviv, but they had to stop because the full-scale invasion started. A year later, Olha decided to resume classes. The students of the school study subjects just like in any other modeling school: the basics of modeling, posing techniques, model walking, etc. The school operates in Kyiv and Lviv. Classes take place online and offline. Currently, the school has 32 graduates from Kyiv, Lviv, and Vinnytsia.
The mission of this project is to use the art of modeling to bring Ukrainian society closer to a new tolerant inclusive European barrier-free space with equal opportunities for everyone.
In the near future, journalists will be able to visit a show with the participation of the students of the modeling school in Lviv or a rehearsal in Kyiv.
At 39 years old, Victoriia Prokhorenko resides in Kryvyi Rih with her son and daughter. Her husband, Anton, swiftly mobilized upon the commencement of the full-blown invasion, rising to the rank of squad leader in a Special Forces battalion of the National Guard within months. However, upon his return home a year and a half ago, Victoriia noticed a stark transformation in Anton’s demeanor. Afflicted with PTSD, he struggled to reintegrate into family life despite her efforts and the assistance of a psychologist. Anton’s sleeplessness and subsequent alcohol consumption culminated in hospitalization due to a micro-stroke, instilling fear even in their children. Consequently, the couple made the difficult decision to part ways, navigating the challenges of PTSD recovery and family dynamics.
In the midst of adversity, Victoriia hit the ground running, taking up educational training and delving into the field of psychology. Determined to sustain her relationship with her beloved, she faithfully communicated with him daily. After several months, Anton reconnected and began applying the psychological techniques imparted by his wife. Within a month, Victoriia won her husband back home.
Presently, Victoriia is on the cusp of completing her studies and is already strategizing her approach to support military spouses and children. She is eager for her experiences to resonate with women who may feel isolated in their struggles amid the backdrop of war.
Victoriia Prokhorenko is available for interviews, both in-person in Kryvyi Rih and online.
Benda enlisted in the Defense Forces back in 2017, juggling her duties with caring for her son who was almost two years of age. Assigned as chief cook to the 72nd Separate Mechanized Brigade named after the Black Cossacks, stationed in Avdiivka, Donetsk Oblast, she faced enemy fire that same year, sustaining injuries that resulted in the loss of her leg. Following treatment and rehab, Olha adapted to using a prosthetic limb. Just two years later, she triumphed in her first 10-kilometer run at the Veterans Dozen Foundation event in Kyiv. Shortly after, she conquered the challenge of the Marine Corps Marathon in the U.S. In 2023, she even joined a women’s soccer squad specifically designed for amputees.
Olha’s dedication extends beyond personal achievements. She actively supports fellow veterans and those impacted by the war through various social initiatives, including creating videos showcasing the resilience of Ukrainian defenders with amputations. Recently, she took on the role of ambassador for the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation.
Daria-Olha, a resident of Mariupol, was 15 when she tried boxing for the first time. The girl learnt fast: just 3 months after starting she participated in an all-Ukrainian competition. In 2022, 18-year-old Daria-Olha was supposed to go to the European Championship, but russia launched its full-scale invasion, and enemy troops surrounded Mariupol. At first, the athlete’s family was hoping to wait out the russian shelling in an apartment together with friends. Later they had to relocate to the basement. At this time, the city had already been cut from communication, gas and electricity. Even in such conditions, Daria continued training to keep herself in shape. The family managed to leave the besieged Mariupol in a truck with strangers, and the road to Zaporizhia took more than a day, because they had to go through russian checkpoints. Already in the Ukraine-controlled territory, Daria-Olha found out that her coach had left for Ivano-Frankivsk, so she went to him. There, the girl entered the Carpathian National University’s Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, because she dreams of becoming a trainer. In May 2022, Daria-Olha won bronze at the International Boxing Tournament in Sweden in the category of up to 52 kilograms. Currently, the Ukrainian boxer is training to win gold at the Olympics.
For reference: the defense of Mariupol lasted 86 days. On May 20, 2022, Mariupol was occupied by the russians. According to the estimates of the human rights organization Human Rights Watch at least 8,000 people were killed in russian shelling of civilians in Mariupol. Thousands of people were injured: they lost limbs, sight, hearing and memory, particularly, as a result of craniocerebral injuries caused by the explosions. Also, according to Human Rights Watch estimates, from the pre-war population of 540,000 people, about 400,000 residents had fled Mariupol by mid-May 2022.
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.
Georgian-born Rusudana Pavlichenko, found herself abroad attending her father’s funeral as the full-scale invasion unfolded. Her history with conflict traces back to childhood when, at the tender age of 10, she fled her first conflict, the war in Abkhazia, seeking refuge in Ukraine. Since then, she has called Ukraine home, living here throughout her adult years.
Rusudana’s husband, Serhii Pavlichenko, a stalwart defender of Ukraine against occupiers since 2014, bravely held the defense of Azovstal during the full-scale invasion before being captured. Tragically, he fell victim to a terrorist attack in Olenivka, a village within the occupied territory of Donetsk region, on the night of July 28-29, 2022. Left behind are their two children, Adelia, 10, and Nazar, 8.
Journalists seeking to delve into Rusudana’s story can arrange interviews with her in Cherkasy or online, by prior arrangement.
Meanwhile, the Children of Heroes charity foundation has stepped in to support the grieving family. Dedicated to aiding children who have lost parents due to russia’s full-scale invasion, the foundation offers financial aid, psychological counseling, legal assistance, and ongoing educational opportunities until the children reach adulthood.
For reference: In the late hours of July 29, 2022, russia executed a terrorist assault, igniting an explosion within a barracks at the Olenivka penal colony, where Ukrainian prisoners of war were detained. The attack resulted in the tragic loss of at least 50 Azovstal workers amidst the turmoil.
Anna Ziablikova is from Kharkiv. Even before the beginning of the full-scale invasion, Anna had attained a higher education in molecular biology. As a graduate, her studies delved into vertebrate zoology, with a particular focus on bats. After completing her studies in 2020, Anna applied for a scholarship under the Erasmus Mundus international program. She won and went abroad to study tropical ecology and biodiversity. The master’s program was divided between several European universities, so the girl moved every semester. The news that russia had launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine reached Anna in Belgium.
Anna returned to the Motherland a few months after the big war started and volunteered at the Lviv train station by helping doctors and packing supplies for the military. Anna’s beloved joined the army in March 2022, and he sent her a message that the 47th Separate Mechanized Brigade “Magura” was recruiting volunteers, which is where Anna eventually joined. At first, she was a clerk, but for the past six months, Anna has been serving in the brigade’s medical company. She is a nurse-gunner with the evacuation crew and at the stabilization post. In addition, Anna takes care of wounded servicemen who can’t perform their duties, in particular, she helps them deal with the necessary documents.
For reference: Anna Ziablikova is on the front line. The military woman is ready to communicate with journalists, both online and offline, by prior arrangement.
