Unbroken and Superhumans are probably the most famous projects of prosthetics centers in Lviv among Ukrainians. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovy is behind the Unbroken initiative, businessman Andriy Stavnitser is behind Superhumans. Ambassadors of the projects are famous Ukrainians: the face of Superhumans is the first lady Olena Zelenska, Unbroken are representatives of the Lviv elite: rector of the Ukrainian Catholic University Bohdan Prakh, CEO of the Lviv IT Cluster Stepan Veselovskyi and others. Given the start-up capital, influence and public weight of the teams, these extremely relevant ideas were immediately doomed to success. The Unbroken project is supported by funding from a number of European cities, and Superhumans by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation, Virgin Group founder Richard Branson, Cargill and other corporations.
Can local initiatives from small towns or individual hospitals count on support from international funds? Let's say right away - yes, the EU is ready to help, and aid in the field of health care will not stop, even if the European weapons in military warehouses run out. How to reach large foundations and guarantee them the targeted use of donor funds, if the initiative is not supported by celebrities and opinion leaders with audiences of thousands, but by ordinary Ukrainians, for example, parents of neurodegenerative children, children with disabilities, or doctors of a separate clinic? We are talking about three successful cases that started with the personal initiatives of local activists.
Rehabilitation center in Kremenets
The three-story building of the rehabilitation center for children and youth with disabilities in Kremenets at 6 Kozubskogo Street is almost ready. Builders are finishing the roof, and plumbing and tiling are already being installed on the floors. All building materials are of high European quality. Future personnel — rehabilitation specialists and social pedagogues — are trained according to European standards with the help of Polish partners. This will be the first infrastructure project in Ukraine of a truly high European level in the field of social care and rehabilitation of children with disabilities. It is implemented within the framework of cross-border cooperation programs with the EU. From the idea to the final stage of implementation, more than 7 years have passed, of which the last two years were, one might say, critical.
He told the details Volodymyr Vasylevsky, head of the "Borders of Equal Opportunities" project: "The history of the project begins as far back as 2015, when, after the creation of an initiative group in 2010, and then the foundation of the public organization "Society of Parents with Disabilities and their Friends "Zorya Nadiya"", its permanent head is Alla Andrushchuk, a mother of four children, two of whom are disabled, began to look for the best methods of rehabilitation for children and young people with disabilities, primarily mental. Having visited almost all European countries, she got acquainted with various best practices.
Volodymyr Vasylevsky, head of the "Borders of Equal Opportunities" project
One such organization was "Step by Step Society of Persons with Disabilities" from the city of Zamosc in Poland, which has more than 12 rehabilitation centers and is one of the industry leaders in the field of social services. Its manager, Mrs. Maria Krul, was very warm to us and our needs and provided all the information regarding their methods, the specifics of their work, and especially the training of staff to work with such children and youth. And over time, when in 2016 a competition for social projects was announced under the cross-border cooperation program "Poland - Belarus - Ukraine 2014-2020", our joint team prepared a project called "Borders of equal opportunities", which, although it did not pass the first wave of selection , but in 2019 was chosen among the winners and recommended for financing with support from this program at the expense of the European Commission. That is how the countdown of our joint Polish-Ukrainian work began.
According to the signed grant agreement, European donors undertook to provide co-financing to our side in the amount of 750 euros. About 90% of them are funds for the construction of the first stage of our rehabilitation center, the total area of which should be more than 1700 square meters. m. They also help with their image, which is why the status of the project immediately rose to the level of international pilot projects, which were then supported by the diplomatic corps of our countries, and every time it attracts more attention."
The project team is responsible for the success of the implementation: actually Volodymyr Vasylevskyi, assistant Myroslav Kuza (who is currently serving as a volunteer on the front lines in the ranks of the Armed Forces) and financial assistant Klavdiy Gorbachev. It is these people, as well as the head of the organization — the recipient of this project, who are the key guarantors of the implementation of agreements with the EU and the executors of the Ukrainian part of the project activities. Paradoxical: despite the fact that it seems that the state is very interested in the development of the social sphere and the development of international cooperation, the project did not receive state guarantees. Meanwhile, there are more than 426 children and youth with disabilities in the Kremenets district alone.
The building of the rehabilitation center for children and youth with disabilities in Kremenets. Photo courtesy of Equal Opportunity Frontiers
"Our public organization directly acted as the guarantor of the project, and we received letters of support from the Kremenets City Council and neighboring communities, which supported the project and pledged to provide funds for education and treatment of children in our institution," explains Volodymyr Vasylevsky. — Unfortunately, we could not get other guarantees from the regional government due to the fact that for the regional government, public organizations due to the budget restrictions of the current legislation are actually equated to private companies, in contrast to communal and other budgetary institutions, which they are obliged to support and finance . And this was really at that time an extremely big problem and obstacle for all stakeholders in terms of the possibility of providing co-financing from their side. However, even in such difficult conditions, the regional council of the Ternopil region, with the support of the Ternopil Regional State Administration, was able to finance the covering of architectural works in the amount of UAH 600, which greatly helped us to confirm in the eyes of our foreign partners the real, and not declarative, interest of the region in the implementation of such a large project in this sphere".
The specifics of construction are, first of all, in terms. A building cannot be built in a matter of days. Therefore, time is the main risk factor. And in this case, he played his negative role: first the pandemic, then the large-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine.
"Unfortunately, already at the beginning of construction, which started in 2021 (and this period coincided with the end of the acute phase of the COVID-19 pandemic and the activation of the economy), all prices for materials and works increased greatly, and the reserves that were laid down in the articles of the budget project, actually disappeared due to high inflation. With the beginning of the pandemic, our funding was cut: first from 1,2 million euros to 850 euros, and then to 750 euros, says the project manager. — And with the beginning of Russia's aggression, these factors only intensified and became extremely acute. A significant part of the components is imported and has automatically increased in price with exchange rate jumps, and the situation has also worsened due to problems with port and border logistics for those suppliers who brought materials and components from Southeast Asia. Due to these, as well as a number of other objective reasons (mobilization of men from the contractor company to the ranks of the Armed Forces, shortage of lower and middle-ranking personnel, etc.), we actually stopped for almost 6 months and only in the fall were we able to partially resume construction work. However, another problem arose: the weather conditions of the winter period also did not allow us to continue normally. In fact, it was only in March 2023 that we fully recovered and began to catch up with the deadlines specified in the project application."
The building of the rehabilitation center for children and youth with disabilities in Kremenets. Photo courtesy of Equal Opportunity Frontiers
The architectural design of the rehabilitation center building was developed by the "NBT" architectural design bureau from the city of Rivne. Technical conditions for an object of the social and health sphere are certainly specific. The designers took into account the experience of similar Polish institutions.
Volodymyr Vasylevskyi: "Our true friends, the NBT architectural company from the city of Rivne, have been helping us since 2015. They were the only ones who agreed to prepare the initial documentation and architectural proposals for the city council and other institutions and authorities, almost free of charge, in order to visualize the dreams and ideas that our members of the "Dawn of Hope" NGO had. And when it came to the fact that the project has a chance to be implemented, and there was an urgent need to develop all the project and estimate documentation and submit it for approval to the joint technical secretariat of the Program, they did it in the shortest possible time without any reservations or financial requirements. Our only agreement was that if we do receive real financing, we will find a way to pay them funds in the amount of about UAH 600 to cover at least the basic needs for settlements with sub-designers. Although this amount, which would seem to be quite a lot, actually takes into account a discount of more than 70% from the real price of such documentation, if we did it under normal conditions. That is, the real price of the documentation was about UAH 2 million. And this is the incredible charity help, thanks to which we were able to submit all the necessary documents on time for consideration by the Program commission and sign the grant agreement.
The project passed all the necessary procedures and discussions, as well as all the stages that had to be passed in accordance with the current Ukrainian legislation, including state expertise. Donors did not require separate permits or any other approvals, only that this documentation conform to the regulations of the country where the construction is being carried out. There were no recommendations from the donors regarding the choice of the company that will design the building, as this is contrary to antitrust laws and free competition, which are the foundations of a market economy. This is prohibited by EU law and is strictly controlled. By the way, it was our colleagues from Poland who insisted that we make the tender for construction works as transparent as possible and inform about it as many potential participants as possible, who could, without restrictions, directly from our Facebook page and other open sources go to the link, see specifications for the tender and participate in it and be selected as the general contractor."
The project management group decided that a building designed to serve people with disabilities should not only comply with Ukrainian DBN "Inclusiveness of buildings and structures. Basic provisions", but also to be at the level of the best European rehabilitation centers. Given the new wartime Ukrainian reality, shelters for staff and patients should be inclusive.
Volodymyr Vasylevskyi: "We contracted a representative of technical supervision who has experience in supervision and control of similar projects in Ukraine. Considering the novelty and specificity of the project, we sent the chief executive along with the technical supervision representative to Poland to our main beneficiaries of the project, who already have 12 such rehabilitation centers, and there for two days we sincerely and frankly showed, told and helped our representatives to see what inclusiveness really is and barrier-free in the European Union. Our team has strengthened competences in this area, and in some cases our technical solutions will be even significantly better than the current legislation and DBN.
This inspires hope that our training and rehabilitation center will truly become a pilot project of this level in Ukraine and will be able to transfer the acquired knowledge and expertise to other regions for further implementation.
As for the shelters, the presence of which is now mandatory, the specifics of the Kremenets landscape, which is characterized by height differences, were used even during the design of the premises, and part of the premises was arranged in a deep basement floor, which has access by an elevator directly down, as well as a separate full-fledged access to the street with check-in/check-out, including wheelchairs.
With cautious optimism, the team expects to welcome the first children already next year. This will mark the completion of the first phase of the project. About 5 million hryvnias are needed for final completion. Therefore, activists are looking for support among business representatives and are trying to attract patrons and funds from abroad.
Family space in Monastyrische
In October, in the city of Monastyryshche, Cherkasy Region, within the framework of the "We Can Do It" project, the "Special Future" family space for neuro-disabled children was opened. The initiators of the creation of an inclusive center, where children could work with rehabilitators, speech therapists and psychologists, were the public organization "Khylya Dobra". The idea was implemented thanks to the consolidation of the efforts of activists, the local administration of education, youth and sports, the "Zaporuka" charity fund, as well as the technical support of UN Women Ukraine / "UN Women in Ukraine" and the financing of the Women's Peace & Humanitarian Fund Fund. The "Zaporuka" Foundation organized training on sensorimotor integration for specialists and parents of the community, equipped a sensory room and provided the work of psychologists, and experienced managers of the foundation coordinated the interaction of the activists of Monastirishch with international organizations.
The "Special Future" family space for neurotypical children in Monastyryshche. Photo: VO "Cherkashchany"
Previously, PRAGMATIKA.MEDIA talked about the Kyiv family home "Dacha" for children with cancer - patients of "Okhmatdit" and their parents. The opening of "Dachi" on October 31 is an unprecedented event on the scale of Ukraine. A year before the completion of the construction of the Dacha, the Zaporuka Foundation opened a home in the Lviv region near the village of Nesluhiv for 30 families of displaced persons from the frontline and occupied territories - also a large and important project. But the family space in Monastryshchi, specially equipped for the development of neurotypical children, is mega-important for families living in the region. Currently, 133 children with special educational needs can study with specialists and parents in comfortable conditions.
Natalia Onipko, head of the Zaporuka Foundation
"The project "We are capable of it" is focused on supporting women's initiatives, strengthening the role of local organizations and their institutional capacity, - explains Natalia Onipko, head of the Zaporuka Foundation. — It is not easy to receive funds from any international organization, but I must say that, for example, the UN Women in Ukraine team does everything possible to ensure that Ukrainian organizations participate in these grants: they hold meetings where they explain how to fill out an application, which priority topics, which services or goods within the project can be paid for, etc.
Of course, in order to receive large grant funds, the organization must be professional, have an accountant in the team, preferably a lawyer (but not necessarily), be able to manage not only funds, but also human resources, be competent in solving the issues for which funds are requested, be able to work efficiently. Very often, a donor requires an audit report to submit a grant application, and this is very good, because charity should be transparent and honest.
The "Special Future" family space for neurotypical children in Monastyryshche. Photo: VO "Cherkashchany"
For many organizations, a grant is an opportunity to move to a qualitatively different level of work. The grant allows you to receive a sufficiently large amount of funds for a long period of time.
This is an opportunity for a long-term partnership. Given the limited resource of funds in Ukraine, the task of any professional foundation now is to establish cooperation with international donor organizations. And these opportunities are there!
We have donor partners who have been supporting our projects for 15 years. First of all, this is an indicator of the effective work of Zaporuka, which has earned the trust of its partners. The effectiveness of cooperation depends on how the project is implemented; if the foundation aims not to "eat" a grant, but to really work on positive social changes, then cooperation will be effective."
Laboratory of the Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology in Kyiv
In 2023, the humanitarian organization Help — Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe, with the financial support of the Federal Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Germany and Aktion Deutschland Hilft, helped to create a laboratory for the Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology in Kyiv. In Ukraine, the organization implements projects aimed at developing the economy and overcoming the consequences of the war. But almost every fifth object of reconstruction or construction is related to improving the level of citizen's access to medical services, i.e., this is a significant part of aid focused on projects in the field of health care, says Darya Romanenko, head of the separate unit Help — Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe in Ukraine: "We provided assistance to various state institutions in the field of health care, including hospitals. They focused on hospitals located in big cities, but closer to the front line. For example, we helped Kharkiv hospital, several Kherson hospitals, as well as medical institutions in Donetsk, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhzhya, Cherkasy and Sumy regions.
A separate direction was the provision of medical equipment, such as X-ray machines or incubators for newborns, and not only medicines. Also, our reconstruction and reconstruction department was engaged in repairs in existing hospitals.
Darya Romanenko, head of the separate unit Help — Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe in Ukraine
Our activities focus on needs and on assessing those needs, we receive recommendations from clusters and coordinate our assistance through our engagement with clusters, so if we see through our assessment that the need for providing medicines or rebuilding hospitals is increasing, we will also include that in the plan of their activities".
The Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology in Kyiv belongs to the National Academy of Medical Sciences and accepts the most difficult patients from all over the country, providing necessary assistance to mothers and children. From the doctor's point of view, establishing the correct diagnosis is the key to success. Back in 2019, the institute purchased equipment for the PCR laboratory with budget funds. In order to carry out genetic laboratory studies that allow detecting infectious diseases in the early stages, it is necessary to ensure proper sterile and climatic conditions. In the building of the institute, a room was reserved for the laboratory. But due to the pandemic, funds for repair work have not been allocated. High-class equipment, which is necessary for doctors, was idle.
She was the initiator of the idea to turn to the foundation for help in the reconstruction of the premises Tetyana Khomuk, head of the clinical and diagnostic laboratory of the Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology of the National Academy of Medical Sciences of Ukraine: "My idea was supported by the chief physician, Lyubov Slepova. We turned to the employees of the humanitarian organization Help — Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe with a request for help. The procedure for preparing documents and the communication itself was simple. Communication is pleasant.
Updated premises for the PCR laboratory of the Institute of Pediatrics, Obstetrics and Gynecology
There was no reconstruction project, it was created by the employees of a humanitarian organization. We had wishes and we knew what these rooms should be. The premises must comply with the following standards: Order of the Ministry of Health of Ukraine No. 26 dated 24.01.2008 "Organization of the work of laboratories for the study of material containing biological pathogenic agents of pathogenicity groups I-IV by molecular genetic methods", as well as the Rules of arrangement and safety of work in microbiological laboratories Chipboard 9.9.5.-080-02.
Now we examine only patients of the institute. Our "capacity" averages 1500-2000 examinations per year. It depends on funding."
The building where the genetic laboratory was located was built back in the 70s of the XNUMXth century. Since then, the premises have not been reconstructed. To create sterile conditions that meet modern requirements, it was necessary to change communications, to equip special exhaust ventilation with cleaning of incoming and outgoing air. Currently, the premises of the laboratory fully comply with the standards for the use of equipment for molecular biological research.
August 2023, Kherson, transfer of medical equipment to the children's regional hospital
Volodymyr Samsonenko, project engineer Help — Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe in Ukraine, tells how coordination of the laboratory repair work took place: "Usually, there is quite close cooperation with our beneficiaries. Before starting work, all details are discussed, attention is focused on all requirements for future work. At the stage of work preparation, our engineers conduct inspections and prepare technical reports for future works. Contractors are selected quite meticulously, they must meet all the necessary criteria, have sufficient experience and capacity to perform the work. All types of work are fully discussed and included in the sketch or project, even such small ones as the location of sockets, sinks, lamps, etc. Maximum requirements for the quality and characteristics of materials.
We had our own vision of the necessary works, we understood exactly what works we would need to perform and the main requirements for them. However, many details emerged during the preparatory and ongoing joint discussions. That's why we can consider the project to be our joint creation, where everyone contributed their knowledge and experience."
What are the difficulties and risks?
Despite the openness of the countries of the European Commonwealth and their readiness to provide support to Ukraine at all levels, there are not many examples of real successful interactions. What is the problem from the point of view of Europeans? In March 2023, the Department of Structural Policy of the European Parliament published the report "Cooperation between EU cities and regions with their Ukrainian partners".
The document describes the goals and obstacles in the interaction between cities and organizations. The goal is simple: to support public initiatives and bring Ukraine closer to the European Union. But the barriers on this path, according to the authors of the report, are numerous: both physical and political. They were divided into seven categories.
- Insufficient development of transport infrastructure: for such a huge length of the land border between the EU and Ukraine, the number of checkpoints is clearly insufficient. In wartime conditions and in the absence of air communication, this factor plays a huge role. The situation with the blockade of freight transport on the borders with Poland clearly showed this.
- Complexity of procedures and differences in the legal systems of individual countries, for example in the legislation on public procurement, as well as corruption, low level of security, excessive bureaucracy and instability of the legislative framework of the Ukrainian side.
- Absence of institutions engaged in territorial cooperation. It is much more difficult to initiate cooperation at the grassroots level than to continue cooperation through local institutions that already have experience in practical joint projects. Because of this, European partners complain about:
- the declarative nature of many cooperation agreements;
– the obsolescence of some agreements in connection with the administrative reform in Ukraine;
- incompatibility of authorities' competences;
- frequency of change of territorial authorities;
- an unstable political situation. - The fourth group contains barriers of an economic nature. This is the asymmetry of the development of territories, the different level and nature of economic transformation. Weak development of innovative technologies, low awareness of innovative forms of business and such activities as consulting, outsourcing, fundraising, freelancing, crowdsourcing, crowdfunding; business opacity of potential Ukrainian business partners; connections between business, the state and organized crime; differences in business standards.
- The fifth group contains financial restrictions: unequal access to external funds for the development of border cooperation areas, in particular, the absence of regional development funds in Ukraine. In fact, the State Fund for Regional Development exists in Ukraine, and Ukrainians can vote for important infrastructure projects through the "Action" application. Apparently, according to the employees of the European Parliament, this is not enough. The authors of the document are also dissatisfied with the low level of financial services in Ukraine and the lack of financial assistance mechanisms.
- The sixth group of barriers is socio-cultural problems. Ukraine is not fully regarded as a stable and reliable partner due to corruption and an unclear political future. Relations are hindered by the "difficult legacy of common history." And what is important is language barriers. Most of the methodological information about methods and types of cooperation is in English, which creates problems not only for Ukrainians, but also for potential partners in small towns of European countries. And most rural municipalities in Ukraine simply do not have experience or knowledge of how to establish international partnerships.
- The seventh group is physical limitations created by natural barriers. Mountains, rivers and ecological problems related to land use. However, this is a specific feature of border areas only.
First-hand recommendations
By what principle do international funds and humanitarian organizations choose Ukrainian partners and recipients? How deep is the control of the fund managers over project implementation? And what exactly do they consider to be risks? We asked representatives of the humanitarian organization Help — Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe.
KNP "Zaporizhia Regional Clinical Children's Hospital"
"Unfortunately, the worsening of the security situation with a threat to the lives of our employees and partners is at the top of the risks," says Daria Romanenko, the head of the separate unit Help — Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe in Ukraine. — Ukraine is one of the leaders of a very sad list: volunteers and employees of international humanitarian organizations die here more than anyone else. This year alone, it was 11. One potential risk could be the misuse of our aid, but we haven't encountered that yet.
Project managers manage the project from start to finish, and monitor and evaluate the achievement of project goals. The project manager himself identifies the need through field trips to assess needs. Also, state institutions or communities can contact us in writing with a request. Purchases and the construction process itself with us, as with all international organizations, takes place on a tender basis, with transparent conditions for all contractors. To control the quality of the processes, we employ people with a professional specialty in one or another field, for example, engineers who write special technical reports, evaluating the progress of construction and its quality."
Ilya Serga, project manager of Help — Hilfe zur Selbsthilfe in Ukraine: "The principle of selecting partners and recipients. The main principle of our charitable activity is the need to provide assistance to those who suffered as a result of the war. Our main goal is to meet the specific needs of these people. The selection of beneficiaries is based on recognizing and responding to the real challenges faced by the population as a result of the conflict. We understand that the greatest success of our projects lies in how effectively and sensitively we meet the needs and improve the quality of life of our beneficiaries.
Risks and controls. In our approach, among the main standards and risks associated with this, we would like to note the difficulty of choosing professional contractors and observing the principles of transparency during the implementation of the plan in life. In order to guarantee the successful implementation of the project, we establish deep control, starting from the discussion of the technical task and the selection of the main technical characteristics and ending with the control of contractors, compliance with state building regulations and deadlines. Our employees actively help each of the parties to go through the difficult stages of construction or reconstruction, ensuring the compliance of the project with the defined standards and requirements during the entire period of work."
In our approach, among the main standards and risks associated with this, we would like to note the difficulty of choosing professional contractors and observing the principles of transparency during the implementation of the plan in life
What can project managers who represent Ukrainian recipients recommend? Are they ready to share their experience with those who would like to build social objects with the help of foreign donors? Of course, ready!
Volodymyr Vasylevskyi: "First of all, form a team of grant writers or at least find one or two people who will professionally prepare projects, monitor announced contests, prepare for them in advance and engage in fundraising. This is a separate function, and for any public organization, and especially such a direction, it is almost the most important element of the success and sustainability of its activities. If you can't, then first find partners from other GOSs or even from specialized companies that prepare such projects for various customers under predetermined conditions. This will allow you to qualitatively prepare your projects and, during this time, still form an internal team of grant writers. That is, the training and quality of human capital is decisive for such a field and such an institution's status as a public organization.
Yusif Mahmudov, pediatric urologist of the regional center of urology and nephrology, Kharkiv
The second is networking. In particular, our project could not have been implemented and even started, if since 2010 our head of the organization and board members had not traveled to various European countries and the USA and adopted the best practices and experience in the field of social care and rehabilitation of persons with disabilities. Such contacts and personal acquaintances later develop into reliable partners and long-term cooperation. And in our case it was no exception. One of these contacts in the lobby of one of the hotels in Warsaw, where our delegation happened to stop on the way home after a visit to Germany, ensured an acquaintance with the head of the association of persons with disabilities "Step by Step" from the city of Zamosc, Lublin Voivodeship, Mrs. Maria Krul, who later became our partner in this, we can confidently say today, successful project.
Third, and most importantly, never give up. Never, never, never. You can increase your chances only with the number of contacts and submitted projects. There are no other ways.
I studied in China for a while at a business school and there I heard and then memorized some Chinese sayings (wisdom). One of them is as follows: "The disciple asked the Master: "Master, we all want positive changes. We have been waiting for them for a long time. How much longer do we have to wait?". To which the Master replied: "If you wait, it will take a long time."
And fourth, look for like-minded people. Infect them with your ideas (grandiose or not so great) and walk together. There are many decent and kind people, sometimes they are not so far away, almost next to you. And people are ready to help - some financially, some with their time or expertise, some with connections and professional contacts. I always laugh and say one simple phrase: "It's better to overcommunicate than undercommunicate."
But if we compare, what is the most effective way to implement social projects in the field of health care: grants from international partners, crowdfunding, involvement of Ukrainian business, fundraising?
Natalia Onipko: "Fundraising effectively means having different sources of funding (all of the above in particular). The share of grants from international donors to "Zaporuka" after February 24 is more than 60%. After February 24, we at the foundation decided to completely change the fundraising strategy of the foundation and focus on foreign donors, because they mostly provide medical and humanitarian aid for the civilian population in the war zone, for children and refugees, but they consider it wrong to finance military needs. Therefore, it is up to Ukrainians to help the army. And we have to ensure that the funds allocated to support Ukraine from abroad are implemented effectively.
We collect a large part of funds on international crowdfunding platforms, last year it was more than 300 thousand dollars.
But donations from Ukrainians come, because there are people who still have the resources and desire to help both the army and the children, because they understand that the children did not stop getting sick because of the war, on the contrary. Many people have become our friends over the 15 years of the foundation's work, and supporting our activities is already a tradition.
Playroom in the family house "Dacha" for children with cancer - patients of "Okhmatdit" and their parents "Dacha"
Funds need to be managed, and a team is needed for this. In this case, it is worth partnering with larger funds, learning from them, being their hands, eyes and ears on the ground. On the example of Monastyrysh: there is an active newly created public organization "Khylya dobra". They had a vision and a desire to create a center for children with special educational needs, but there were no funds to implement the idea. We had grant funds to support such initiatives. We united, conducted training for specialists, arranged space, support them in their implementation, advise, guide. Because no matter how big we are, it is impossible to cover all of Ukraine with our employees. Therefore, such associations can really make big changes.
The share of foreign funds in the Dacha project is about 30%. Let me remind you that it was built under different circumstances. If we had to implement this project now, we would strengthen international fundraising more. Ukrainians are incredible, kind and united people. If our damn neighbor would leave us alone, we'd be on our own. But now we should turn to those who have fewer problems than our country, and help them help Ukraine."
