Themes by tag: women

Olha Kurtmallaieva, 24 years old, majored in finance. The russian federation’s full-scale invasion caught her in her native Berdiansk, Zaporizhia region (now the city is occupied). In the summer of 2022, she left the occupation.

Olha’s husband, Ruslan, has been defending the country since 2014 (he served in the Anti-Terrorist Operation and Joint Forces Operation zone). April 4, 2024 will mark two years since he got captured by the russians during the defense of Mariupol.

Olha is actively fighting for the release of her husband – she is trying to attend every demonstration calling on the release of the prisoners of war. She also co-founded an NGO that helps soldiers of the 501st Separate Naval Infantry Battalion to return home. (Together with other women, they organize rallies, arrange meetings and communicate with representatives of the Ukrainian authorities). And she does all this despite suffering from a serious illness: back in 2021, Olha was diagnosed with Hodgkin’s lymphoma (cancer of the lymph tissue).

Already during the full-scale war, Olga found out that the disease had progressed from the second stage to the fourth. Doctors link it to great stress. Olha has now undergone 12 courses of chemotherapy. The treatment was very difficult (in particular, she was in the intensive care unit) and the woman had to go through it alone, without her beloved by her side.

Journalists can talk to Olha in Kyiv (in person) or online.

• military
• prisoners
• women
• 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

On March 18, Kyiv will host the “Women Leaders Forum” – a forum of women leaders uniting for the sake of the future. The event is devoted to the discussion of key topics related to the role of women in the society, business, politics and science. The program includes 3 panel discussions:

• “National unity” – preservation of national identity, development of civil society and expansion of partnership between Ukraine and democratic countries, reintegration of temporarily occupied territories.
• “Regions and reconstruction” – development of regional policy and post-war reconstruction.
• “Synergy of education, business and society” – the development of education and values of equality among young people through the cooperation between universities, business and NGOs.

Invited guests of the forum include:

• Olha Budnik – President’s Commissioner for the Foundation of the President of Ukraine for the Support of Education, Science and Sports;
• Lesia Zaburonna – People’s Deputy of Ukraine;
• Tamila Tasheva – a Ukrainian Crimean Tatar human rights activist, public figure, volunteer. Co-founder of CrimeaSOS NGO;
• Tetiana Kahanovska – Rector of V.N. Karazin Kharkiv National University;
• Lilia Pashynna – Deputy of the Kyiv City Council, adviser to the Head of the Office of the President of Ukraine
• Nataliia Kryvda – Head of the Supervisory Board of the Ukrainian Cultural Foundation;
• Yevheniia Kuleba – Deputy of the Kyiv City Council, Founder and Chair of Misto-Sad NGO;
• Anna Gres – owner of Shovkova brand, actress. 

• women
• Kyiv

Tetiana Kuzmuk has been growing lemons, grapefruits, oranges and limes in Zaporizhia for 14 years. At first, the citrus garden was just a hobby for the woman, but then she turned gardening into her life’s work. Currently, Tetiana grows more than 30 varieties of different citrus fruits in her garden.

After the start of the full-scale invasion, gardening also became an opportunity for Tetiana to distract herself from the war, because Zaporizhia is affected by enemy shelling almost every day. Plants also bring material benefits, namely, donations for the Defense Forces. The woman started exchanging tree sprouts for donations to the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Tetiana has already managed to raise UAH 200,000. The gardener transferred the collected funds to one of the military units.

• women
• Zaporizhzhia

Valentyna Hantseva, a stalwart of the Soldatske village library in Sumy oblast for over three decades, faced the ultimate test of resilience as the invasion broke out. Months before the onslaught, the library had undergone a modern facelift and invested in state-of-the-art equipment. However, the structure crumbled under Russian airstrikes, leaving nothing but the skeletal remains of walls and roofs.

Undeterred by occupation and aerial threats, Valentyna, alongside her husband, embarked on a daring mission to salvage the literary treasures. Amidst the chaos, they meticulously stowed away over 1,000 undamaged books in grain sacks, shielding them from destruction.

The tide turned in April 2022, as Ukrainian forces liberated the village. Generosity from a German philanthropist breathed new life into the ravaged library premises. Last autumn, Valentyna proudly swung open the doors, welcoming readers back to the cherished institution.

For reference: on April 2, 2022, Kyiv region was completely liberated from russian occupation. By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces fully liberated Chernihiv region. On April 11, 2022, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced that full control over the state border in Sumy region was restored.

• occupation
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• women
• Sumy

Larysa Zahryva devoted 25 years of her life to education. The woman worked as a teacher, and in 2022 she headed the Social Services Center in Chernihiv oblast. With the beginning of the full-scale war, Mykhailo-Kotsiubynske village, where Larysa lived and worked, was occupied. For 37 days, the woman continued going to work and taking care of elderly people who remained in the village. Larysa hid documents from the russians and was at gunpoint five times. The invaders came to her house in the middle of the night and interrogated Larysa’s husband.

After Mykhailo-Kotsiubynske was released, Larysa managed to found the University of the Third Age with the support of the UN Development Program. Currently, several areas of study are available there: the Faculty of Healthy Lifestyle, the Faculty of Philosophy, and the Faculty of Applied Arts. In addition, Larysa created a project to ensure mobile social assistance – a car with volunteers helping residents with house chores that travels around Chernihiv oblast.

For reference: on April 2, 2022, Kyiv region was completely liberated from the russian occupation. By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces fully liberated Chernihiv region. On April 11, 2022, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced that full control over the state border in Sumy region was also restored.

• occupation
• russian crimes
• women
• Chernihiv

Before the full-scale invasion, Tetiana Khomenko was a fourth-year university student majoring in tourism. On February 24, 2022, Tetiana was in the capital. With the first explosions, the girl moved to her native village of Nebelytsia in Kyiv region. On February 28, the girl came out of the basement of her house when she heard an explosion. Fragments of an enemy shell flew straight into her face.

Ukrainian defenders arrived at the site and evacuated Tetiana to the hospital. There, the woman was given first aid, and later transferred to a plastic surgery department. For the first time after the injury, Tetiana saw her face in a photo that she took by herself, because doctors and relatives wouldn’t let Tetiana look in the mirror.

Even though the surgeons managed to almost completely remove the consequences of the explosion, Tetiana took a long time to recover psychologically. Later, she decided to change her profession and began to study psychology instead of tourism. In the future, Tetiana plans to work with those who have also received mine and explosive injuries, in particular, with military personnel.

• casualties
• women

Tetiana, a 64-year-old kindergarten teacher and the head of two apartment buildings co-owners association from Hostomel. As the all-out invasion escalated, she did some prepping. She swiftly opened the basements of two condominiums she oversees, furnishing them with wooden pallets to provide refuge for over a hundred individuals, including a two-month-old infant. Tetiana and her neighbors rallied together, cooking meals in her apartment and even on the streets when communication lines went dead. Tragically, her husband fell victim to a blast wave, sustaining injuries.

On March 5, the invaders seized control of residential properties, compelling residents to seek shelter in the basements. Despite attempts to evacuate to a neighboring area, their efforts were thwarted as occupiers insisted on relocating them to Belarus, a proposal vehemently rejected by the locals. Tetiana herself could only escape the besieged town on March 11, 2022.

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
• women
• Kyiv

Olena Yuzvak found herself under the occupation immediately after the beginning of the big war. Hostomel, a town in Kyiv region, where a doctor was staying, was captured by the russians. Olena stayed there to continue working and helping people who could not leave. Olena distributed medicine and cared for the wounded until the occupiers captured her. The doctor was released a day later, and 10 days later, the Ukrainian military liberated Hostomel. Olena immediately returned to work and began working to restore the medical institutions she managed. One of these facilities is located in Moshchun village, Kyiv region, which was destroyed by a direct hit in the shelling. With the support of international funds, Olena managed to build a new Health Center and turn it into an energy-independent Invincibility Center. The Health Center in Moshchun has been successfully operating since its opening. Currently, the doctor continues to work on the restoration and opening of modern medical facilities.

For reference: on April 2, 2022, Kyiv region was completely liberated from russian occupation. By April 6, 2022, the Defense Forces fully liberated Chernihiv region. On April 11, 2022, the then Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine Valerii Zaluzhnyi announced that full control over the state border in Sumy region was restored.

• casualties
• doctors
• occupation
• prisoners
• reconstruction
• russian crimes
• women
• Kyiv

At the beginning of russia’s full-scale invasion Alina Kozytska, an activist from Mariupol, was in her hometown. A few days after the big war started, the girl moved from her apartment to her parents’, and when she returned to collect her things, the occupiers had already settled in her home. For three months, Alina lived in a cellar with her parents and heard how the city shuddered from enemy shelling. On May 2, 2022, the girl and her grandmother managed to leave for the Ukraine-controlled territory, Alina’s parents evacuated later.

In the capital, Alina opened a branch of the “YaMariupol” Center – “YaMariupol. Youth,” which works with young Mariupol residents and conducts various activities ranging from tactical medicine training to sports competitions. During the first year of work, the team managed to open centers in 11 cities of Ukraine and two more abroad – in Poland and Germany. All the branches of the organizations are currently united in their work on joint projects.

In the summer of 2022, Alina directed the film “Youth Front of Ukraine,” where she also acted as an interviewer, who talked with 22 young people about their social activities. The people featured in the documentary are refugees, soldiers and volunteers. Currently, Alina is working on the second part of her movie.

For reference: “YaMariupol” is a network of support centers for Mariupol refugees throughout Ukraine. The goal of the organization is to support people who survived the horrors of the blockade and occupation of Mariupol.

• occupation
• women