Razom for Ukraine welcomed back a team of doctors from LEAP Global Missions who completed their 7-day medical visit to Lviv in March 2023. The team consulted more than 200 children and performed 35 highly-skilled surgeries at following hospitals: Ohkhmadyt Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital, First Emergency Adult Hospital, St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital, and a Military Hospital.
The team was organized by Dr. Steve Orten (tag), a plastic surgeon from Texas who visited Ukrainian hospitals independently in 2022 and shared his experience with US colleagues from LEAP Global Missions (tag), motivating them to visit Ukraine. The team’s preparation lasted two months, including regular Zoom meetings with Ukrainian doctors, patient selection, and revision of medical supplies.
Photo: Dr. Steve Orten, Plastic Surgeon from Texas USA and Ukrainian surgeon Dr. Christina Pohranychna look at CT scans of a patient in Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital as the father looks on.
The Co-Pilot Project: an initiative within Razom for Ukraine which coordinates and supports medical missions, supports this team of surgeons by covering housing, food, medical supplies, transportation, and providing scrubs to the doctors. Drs. Steve Orten (tag) and Craig Hobar (tag) led a team of 11 doctors who specialized in head and neck reconstruction, craniofacial surgeries and orthodontics, neurosurgery, urology and dermatology. Local logistics were organized by CMA UA (tag ) to make doctors feel at home in the Ukrainian city of Lviv.
LEAP surgeons collaborated with Ukrainian surgeons in treating complicated craniofacial cases. “Our team worked with incredibly capable, professional, respectable Ukrainian surgeons. LEAP’s mission was to expose them to new surgical techniques, and LEAP was excited to assist with this cooperative relationship,” commented LEAP Media Director Jon Cermin, who documented the trip.
The medical team provided treatment for babies and children with birth defects, tumors of both children and adults in the head and neck area, traumas and scar revisions caused by shelling, from burns and other traumatic events. Two of the surgeries performed during the trip were complex maxillary midface advancement surgeries with computer planning, led by Dr. Craig Hobar, the Founder and Medical Director of LEAP Global Missions. The surgeries are expected to have a significant impact on the two young men’s quality of life, including how they function, eat, and even smile. Having exposure to this surgical procedure will change how these cases can be managed in the future in Ukraine.
The team included Ukrainian-American doctors, Dr. Victor Cherkasij (tag), Skin Cancer and Cosmetic Dermatology PC. Dr. Cherkasij not only treated difficult dermatological cases but also translated for his colleagues. He believes one week is not enough and plans to return for two or three weeks.
“Since the war started, I’ve been watching the war trying to understand and I was seeing the horrors of the war and I always felt I wanted to help Ukraine. I’m very happy I have something to offer, and we hope we will do it again.” – said James Suen(tag), MD, from University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences.
Photo: Dr. James Suen, Facial Plastic Surgery Otolaryngologist, Little Rock, Arkansas, Victor Cherkasij, PA, Dermatology from Cleveland, Tennessee and Dr. Christina Pohranychna, Okhmadyt Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital, Ukraine
The educational and training component of medical visits is the most important part that helps to establish a sustainable professional health care system in Ukraine.
Dr. Cheryl Anderson-Cermin (tag), craniofacial orthodontist, gave lectures to dental students, as well as the orthodontic residents from the Orthodontic Department of the Dental School in Lviv in regards to management of the infant, adolescent and adult individual with cleft lip and palate
Photo: Dr. Cheryl Anderson-Cermin, DDS, Craniofacial Orthodontics giving lecture to Ukrainian students in the the Orthodontic Department of the Dental School in Lviv
Dr. Anderson-Cermin outlined that the goals in this partnership are to bring additional expertise in these areas as the orthodontist on the team walks the child and the family through the process of the initial diagnosis, to the end of the growing years. The importance of psychological support for these families is also stressed, and the orthodontist has a significant role to play in this regard. Supplies were presented to the Orthodontic department to allow them to properly evaluate and treat future individuals.
It is worth mentioning that the urgent need for such complex surgeries in Ukraine is more significant than ever before. Thus, medical trips like this one are crucial for the treatment of patients who are in need. As these trips not only provide medical treatment, but more importantly, allow transfer of knowledge and skills to Ukrainian medical professionals.
Thank you to LEAP Global Missions US TEAM for their support of Ukraine:
Craig Hobar, MD, Craniofacial/Plastics
Steve Orten, MD, Facial Plastic Surgeon
Setty Pradeep, MD, Neurosurgery/Spine
Suen James, MD, Facial Plastic Surgery/H&N
Mark Hnatiuk, MD, Craniofacial/Plastics
Roman Bukachevsky, MD, ENT/Facial Plastics
Cheryl Cermin, DDS, Craniofacial Orthodontics
Victor Cherkasij, PA, Dermatology
Clanton Harrison, MD, Pediatric Urology
Jon Cermin, Photo/Video
Tatyana Bessmertnaya, Photo/Video/Translation
From Left: Rudy Myhovych, Christian Medical Assoc. Of Ukraine, Dr. Mark Hnatiuk, Dr. Pradeep Setty, Dr. Roman Bukachevsky, Dr. James Suen, Dr. Steve Orten, Dr. Clanton Harrison.
Leap Global Missions group: In-front: Tatyana Bessmertnaya and Dr. Craig Hobar In the back from left to right: Dr. Cheryl Anderson-Cermin, Dr. James Suen, Dr. Mark Hnatiuk, Dr. Steve Orten, Dr. Victor Czerkasij, Dr. Roman Bukachevsky, Dr. Pradeep Setty. Not pictured, Dr. Clanton Harrison
Cover photo: Photo: Dr. Craig Hobar assists Ukrainian surgeons Christina Pohranychna and Dr. Roman Ogonovsky, Ohkhmadyt Lviv Regional Children’s Hospital
On July 11-12, allies will meet in Vilnius, Lithuania for the NATO Summit and the status of Ukraine’s accession into NATO will be the top topic. We are asking the United States and our allies to support a clear roadmap of Ukraine into NATO – and invite you to join us for our #UkraineInNATO campaign.
– In 2008, NATO did not accept Ukraine and Georgia (Bucharest Summit Declaration). Since the Russian full-scale invasion, Finland has been accepted and Sweden applied for membership, resuming the conversation about including Ukraine.
– Many NATO members have expressed their willingness to accept Ukraine (Baltic states, UK, France, Poland) – the United States, which has not been clear about their support of an invitation for Ukraine, should join them. The decision about Ukrainian membership is contingent on the Biden Administration’s decision.
Join our campaign to broaden the support for Ukraine’s invitation into NATO by posting your message of support on social mediawith the hashtag #UkraineInNATO. Take your own photo – or use our graphics! Find an extended selection, free for download, here.
Need more ideas for content – or want to dig deeper into some of the reasons why NATO should admit Ukraine? Check out 7 Reasons Why Ukraine Should Receive NATO Invitation at Vilnius NATO Summit:
1. It’s cheaper to stop Russia in Ukraine than in Western Europe, and Ukraine’s eventual NATO membership is the only ironclad way to stop Russia in Ukraine.
2. Ukraine has proven that its rightful place is in NATO and is making great strides toward interoperability. It’s a democratic country making concrete efforts to curb corruption and conduct oversight with a world-class military, and an invitation to join would ensure the final steps for Ukraine meeting or exceeding NATO standards. Further reading:Just Security
3. NATO will be stronger with Ukraine as a member—Ukraine has the most experienced modern army in Europe. It has already shown it can be interoperable with NATO equipment, and NATO has much to learn from Ukraine’s 16 months of combat experience. Further reading:Newsweek,The New York Times
4. Best deterrent of future wars. Don’t repeat past mistakes—keeping Ukraine and Georgia out of NATO in 2008 allowed Russia to invade both. NATO membership is the best guarantee against future wars. Further reading:POLITICO
5. Don’t be late to the game! The consensus among NATO Allies is already building for Ukraine to join. France, the UK, the Baltic states, and Poland all are in favor of Ukrainian membership. Just like with weapons systems, consensus will only continue to build for membership for Ukraine.Further reading:Le Monde
6. NATO membership is the best way to bring stability to Ukraine and Europe. Ukraine needs weapons to win the war now, but the Alliance is what can bring lasting peace after Ukraine wins.Further reading:Washington Post
7. No more Bucharests. NATO already committed that Ukraine could join—now is the time to tell Ukraine when it can join. No one expects instant membership, but if Vilnius brings no specifics on when accession can happen, it will be Bucharest 2.0 and embolden the Russians. Further reading:Foreign Policy,Just Security
An update on our Kakhovka dam response and how you can continue to support our work addressing the devastating consequences of the catastrophe, and a plea to advocate for #UkraineInNATO in the run-up to the Vilnuius NATO Summit on July 11-12. Get plugged in to our advocacy work to learn about what Ukraine needs, now, to win.
Dear Friends of Razom,
Thank you so much for your generous outpouring of donations and support following the urgent appeal to help victims of the devastation caused by russia’s destruction of the Kakhovka dam on June 6th. The consequences of this disaster — human suffering and ecological devastation — will likely be felt for years to come.
Very early on our team understood that to respond effectively, we needed to find long-term solutions. That’s how within a couple of weeks since the disaster, 10 water purification systems are already being installed in settlements across Kherson and Dnipro regions where there is no more water supply. This will provide drinking water for up to 36,000 people per day (more than 1 million per month). Razom is also providing for the replacement materials needed to service the stations long-term and for the water quality to remain high. We had worked effectively with WiseWater, an ingenious Ukrainian manufacturer who adapted these filtration systems with German parts for minimum human intervention and maximum efficiency and reliability, since May 2022 to help supply drinking water to Mykolaiv in the south and Konstantinivka in Donetsk region after russians bombed water pipelines there.
Our emergency response in Kherson also included Razom Relief releasing grants to several grassroots organizations within our network to mobilize quickly to offer humanitarian aid, evacuations, and refugee support in areas north of the region. Our partners Rescue Now, set up a base in Kherson that serves as a logistical hub for humanitarian aid for numerous NGOs and as a temporary shelter for evacuees. With support from Razom, they purchased 5 five-seater boats, 8,500 liters of bottled drinking water, 41 water filters, 600 water disinfection tablets, 300 blankets, 30 tourniquets, 38 fishing suits, 6 Ecoflow charging stations and hundreds of liters of fuel for the buses that transport the humanitarian aid. Meanwhile our partners, “Zakhyst” from Khmelnytskyi, are able to support up to 1,000 refugees with basic essentials and therapy in partnership with our “Razom With You” project.
Razom is multifaceted support for Ukraine which means that Razom Advocacy has been hard at work mitigating the longer term consequences of this disaster and helping Ukraine prevent future russian-made catastrophes. Over 2,000 advocates in our network across the US were mobilized to contact their Congressional representatives and ask for support for the resolution declaring Ukraine’s invasion as genocide (H.Res. 154 / S.Res. 72). You can join that network here. The team has also worked to connect Ukrainians deeply affected by the flood with major media outlets so that the stories of Ukrainians in the region are heard.
You can find a deeper report of our Kakhovka Dam response here on our website.
Our team at Razom Advocacy is laser focused on advocating for policy that will help Ukraine achieve swift victory. In the run-up to the Vilnius NATO Summit on July 11-12, we’re calling on the United States to join allies like France and the UK to invite Ukraine into NATO. Ukraine, Europe’s best hope for lasting peace and security in Ukraine and Europe. Join us on social media by posting about #UkraineInNATO – check out our thread andjoin us! Want to be more involved? Our team has launched a weekly series of talking points/legislative asks for nationwide advocacy efforts. This document provides a list of critical legislation and messages about what Ukraine needs, now, to win. Also our next Ukraine Action Summit will take place on October 22-24, 2023 so save the date and join us so that we can reach more of our elected representatives! In April, our team and the American Coalition for Ukraine convened gathering over 300 constituents from 34 states to receive advocacy training and meet with their members of Congress to advocate for policies to help Ukraine. Together, we reached 33% of US Congress.
Over the past several weeks, various Razom team members have traveled to Ukraine, London, and Oslo to connect with and learn from civil society leaders, further strengthen our partnerships, and hear directly from people on the ground on priorities, efforts, and challenges surrounding the war. We are lucky to work with such dedicated and inspired individuals, partners, and allies.
It was an honor to participate in the Oslo Freedom Forum and share stories of resilience and blueprints for victory with the global community of activists present. Eva Kurilets, Razom’s Executive Director in Ukraine, spoke on a panel alongside Taiwanese legislator and metal band singer Freddy Lim, Syrian refugee and human rights activist Omar Alshogre, and Washington Post journalist Josh Rogin, highlighting the solidarity between Syrians, Ukrainians, and the Taiwanese in their fight against a network of violent, autocratic regimes. It was spectacular to hear and see so much solidarity and support for Ukraine across so many different communities and struggles for freedom, human rights, and dignity and connect with like-minded and motivated civil society leaders from around the world.
A Razom-supported feature documentary Rule of Two Walls had its World Premiere at Tribeca 2023 with 4 sold out screenings, each attended by the filmmaking team as well as the artists that were featured in the documentary to make sure there is a strong Ukrainian representation at one of the largest international film festivals in New York City. What’s more, this talented team walked away from the festival with a Special Jury Prize for Human Rights and Artistic Expression!
Klondike will have its US theatrical release on August 4th, 2023 from Samuel Goldwyn Films!
Razom proudly supported Klondike at its Sundance Premiere – and it is one of the most acclaimed titles from last year’s Sundance, where it picked up the top directing awards in its World Cinema Dramatic category. Maryna Er Gorbach’s Klondike premiered just weeks before russia launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Set in 2014, Ukraine’s Oscar entry for International Feature follows a pair of expectant parents living in eastern Ukraine near the frontlines of the Donbas war. After an international air-crash catastrophe elevates the tension enveloping them, pregnant Irka (Oxana Cherkashyna) refuses to be evacuated and leave her home, even as their village is captured by russian armed forces.
Razom is partnering with PBS to support the US theatrical release of an award-winning documentary 20 Days in Mariupol opening July 14th at the Film Forum in NYC.
February 2022: As russian troops advance on the Ukrainian city of Mariupol, a small crew of Associated Press reporters are trapped amongst the besieged civilian population. 20 DAYS IN MARIUPOL — winner of the 2023 Sundance Audience Award for World Cinema Documentary — is the unflinching visual chronicle of this harrowing ordeal. Ukrainian war correspondent Mstyslav Chernov (he directs, shoots, and narrates) and colleagues are the only international correspondents left in the city, witnesses to the first sighting of a “Z” on a russian tank (a declaration of war), random shelling, the bombing of a maternity hospital, the digging of mass graves, and russia’s eventual encirclement of the city. Their images of war crimes would soon go viral, potently exposing russia’s monstrous lies that deny their targeting of Ukrainian civilians, and earning the AP team two 2023 Pulitzer Prizes: for Public Service Journalism and Breaking News Photography.
To celebrate Crimean Tatar Flag Day and the Crimean Tatar Muslim holiday of Kurban Bayram, you’re invited to join us tomorrow, Sat July 1st at the Ukrainian National Home to celebrate Crimean Tatar culture through music, dance, and food. Do not miss this opportunity to learn more about the indigenous people of Ukraine! More info and here.
If you’re in the Berkshires July 1st or 2nd, then don’t miss this event!
With an immersive installation that will transform the theater into an ancient Ukrainian forest, this production centers around a classic Ukrainian art film of the same name. It pushes the boundaries of traditional musical performance while exploring what a group of talented, multicultural musicians have created, using traditional Ukrainian folk music as source material, and sharing immigration and refugee stories. Details & tickets here.
PROBASS ∆ HARDI– Ukraine’s top trending electronic band is launching its first tour in the US! Their hit songs such as “Good Evening, Where Are You From? (Good Evening, We Are From Ukraine)” and others have been streamed over 80 million times. Get your tickets here before they sell out!
Thank you so much for reading this newsletter (and forwarding it on!), for keeping up to date with Razom, and for your support of Ukraine. We’re so glad you’re here.
The Face to Face mission of American facial reconstructive surgeons took place in a Lviv hospital on April 22-29. Nine doctors and eight nurses from the United States, along with their Ukrainian colleagues, performed free reconstructive and plastic surgeries on soldiers who had suffered face and neck injuries on the front line during russia’s war against Ukraine.
Great thanks to the team of
Surgeons: Drs Manoj Abraham, John Frodel, Augustine Moscatello, Gregoriy Mashkevich, Bruce Moskowitz, Ryan Winters, Boris Chernobilski, and Ivanka Nebor.
Nurses: Susan Ketigian, Teresa O’Malley, Lindsey Norrito, Kirsten Kringle, Joanne Heil, Iryna Frankiv, Yuriy Tsuvanyk, and Mariana Varchuk
Administrators: Aly Owens and Lisa Kadin
Drs Winters, Mashkevich, Rudomanenko, Chernobilsky, Moscatello, Panchenko, Abraham and Nebor
The mission duration was 7 days. Over 5 surgical days, 26 reconstructive surgeries were performed, five of which were unique procedures – bone transplants from legs and arms for the reconstruction of the jaw and nose.
Surgical cases included:
5 free flaps (3 fibular free flap, 1 radial free flap and 1 anterolateral thigh flap) for reconstruction of mandibular, maxillary and midface defects
11 personalized titanium 3D implants for facial bones reconstruction (Materialise)
5 complex rhinoplasties
1 facial nerve reconstruction with graft
Drs Rudomanenko, Mashkevich, Chernobilsky, Moscatello and Nebor are performing flap harvesting from the leg for mandibular reconstruction
Dr Ryan Winters (USA) and Vitaliy Panchenko (Ukraine)
The mission preparation took 3 months. We received more than 100 applications, but were able to select only 30. Following consultations, 26 patients underwent surgeries. There were 5 patients from the previous mission, which took place in September 2022. The American and Ukrainian teams worked side by side.
We are grateful to Ukrainian plastic surgeon Vitaliy Panchenko for his work and courage to host such a complex mission in his department. He, along with surgeons Mykola Syniuk, Tetiana Rudomanenko, Yuriy Herbish and Ukrainian anesthesiologists and nurses, made this mission possible and successful. Special gratitude goes to Hryhoriy Prokhorenko and Volodymyr Knychnytskyy.
Ukrainian team - Drs Syniuk, Knygynitsky, Prokhorenko and Panchenko
Drs Mashkevich and Nebor during patients consultation
First day - Patients consultation
On average, the surgeons operated for 15 hours daily. The total cost of all operations would have been about $1,000,000 in the United States. The team brought with them medical supplies, surgical threads, tools and equipment totaling about $100,000.
The microvascular instruments set was presented to Ukrainian plastic surgeon Dr. Vitaliy Panchenko by American team (Dr Mashkevich, Dr Panchenko, Susan Ketigian and Dr Abraham)
With the help of Materialise, titanium 3D implants for facial bone reconstruction were modeled and printed for patients, although such technologies and production are quite expensive. Professionals from Materialise provided free modeling and printing for Ukrainian patients, and volunteers were present at each surgery to help surgeons with visualization for each case.
Specialists from Materialise - Anastasia Krychun, Oleksandr Kanivets, Olha Horniak
One of the main goals of the Face to Face mission is to train Ukrainian surgeons. On the first day, American surgeons organized a workshop on applying vascular anastomoses under a microscope. They also conducted a training on the basics of scar reconstruction.
With the support of the Karl Storz Ukraine and Bionorica, the three surgical days were broadcast live, with more than 500 Ukrainian otolaryngologists, maxillofacial surgeons, plastic surgeons and ophthalmologists participating. The procedures were commented by Ukrainian specialists – Prof. Kopchak A.V., Bilotserkivsky I.V., Chepurny Y.V., Omerova L.M. and Yushchenko V.M.
Dr John Frodel and Razom for Ukraine team administrator Aly Owens
The Face to Face team was awarded by Lviv Regional State Administration and the Mayor of the City for volunteering efforts and helping Ukrainian victims of war. Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi also met with the team and thanked them for their support and work.
Face to Face team was awarded by Lviv Regional State Administration for their efforts and met with Mayor of Lviv - Andriy Sadovyi
The project is aimed at helping the soldiers and war-affected Ukrainians who have suffered head and neck injuries. This project is about reuniting caring people to help others. We are already planning our third mission. And we thank every partner and volunteer who makes this project possible!
We would like also to thank Yulia Shama (Razom), Iryna Gudyma (Razom), Ihor Kurylo (INgenius), Ihor Solovei (INgenius) and Oleksandr Zakorchenyi (Materialise) for their significant contribution to the mission.
The first Face to Face mission took place in September 2022 in Ivano-Frankivsk, where the team conducted 31 operations for soldiers and civilians who suffered from facial and neck injuries during the Russian-Ukrainian war. Details are here.
As part of Razom Advocacy’s ongoing work advocating for policies that will help Ukraine achieve swift victory, we have created a weekly series of key messages/talking points and list of target legislation to help align nationwide advocacy efforts. Hover over the PDF to navigate to pages 2 & 3. Please feel free to download and distribute. Keep up with the latest on Razom’s advocacy workby following us on Twitter @razomforukraine.
“Razom has always been, and will continue to be, a volunteer-driven organization, and as we scale and grow, we are excited to bring on full-time staff who can sustain our donation pipeline, effectively deploy resources and funds to save lives and continue to ensure the world hears about Ukraine”
Razom has made the following organizational updates, effective immediately:
Lydia Kokolskyj, VP of Development, Razom: Lydia (Lida) has joined Razom full time as the VP of Development, where she will be responsible for identifying, engaging, cultivating, and stewarding current and prospective donors to meet annual revenue targets, in addition to securing the ongoing delivery of programs to support Ukraine. An accomplished leader in nonprofit advancement, Lydia has raised over $250 million for many deserving causes and holds a comprehensive background with three decades of experience in a range of nonprofit management roles including institutional and business development, strategic planning, marketing, communications, public relations and events planning.
Dan Solchanyk, Program Director, Razom Health: Dan will be joining Razom full time as the Program Director for Razom Health, which supports hospitals and other healthcare institutions that serve the civilian population in Ukraine. Dan grew up in a mixed Ukrainian-American household and has over a decade of experience leading emergency response teams and effectively managing health programs in some of the world’s most challenging conflict and disaster settings, including Ukraine. Dan earned his BS in Human Development from UC Davis and will be graduating from Northwestern with a MS in Global Health.
Anna Solovei, Program Director, Razom Relief: Anna will be joining Razom full time as the Program Director for the Razom Relief project, which aims to help non-governmental organizations in Ukraine provide immediate humanitarian assistance to the people affected by the occupation. As Program Director, Anna will continue the program’s vital work of providing relief and support to those in need. Anna holds an MBA from London Business School and has garnered valuable experience during her tenure as a director at PwC and as Principal Banker at the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development (EBRD).
Melinda Haring, Senior Community Engagement Advisor and Doug Klain, Research Analyst, Razom Advocacy: Melinda will join Razom Advocacy as a Senior Community Engagement Advisor, helping lead Razom’s grassroots advocacy work around the country. She is a nonresident senior fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Previously, she was Director of Stakeholder Relations & Social Impact for the Superhumans Center in Ukraine and deputy director of the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Doug will join Razom Advocacy as a Research Analyst supporting Advocacy’s Government Affairs and Community Relations work. A recent graduate of the London School of Economics, he is a nonresident fellow at the Atlantic Council’s Eurasia Center. Most recently, he was an assistant director at the Eurasia Center.
Dora Chomiak, CEO; Oksana Falenchuk, CFO; Zoe Ripecky, COO, Razom: Dora has been appointed CEO of Razom. Previously, Dora held the role of President of the Board of Directors for the organization. Oksana has been appointed CFO, where she will be responsible for leading the work on budgets, financial management and reporting. Zoe has been appointed COO, responsible for overseeing organizational processes and ensuring successful program implementation.
“Razom has always been, and will continue to be, a volunteer-driven organization, and as we scale and grow, we are excited to bring on full-time staff who can sustain our donation pipeline, effectively deploy resources and funds to save lives and continue to ensure the world hears about Ukraine,” said Dora Chomiak, Razom CEO. “We’re grateful to Lydia, Dan, Anna, Oksana and Zoe for joining Razom as full-time staff, as well as Melinda and Doug for joining our Advocacy Team.”
Within hours after the destruction of the Kakhovka dam, Razom employed its developed network of grassroots organizations in Ukraine to assess the needs and start helping people in the Kherson region.
Russian deliberate actions caused a humanitarian emergency. Water from the Kakhovka water reservoir flooded wide areas, endangering and forcing thousands of civilians to leave their homes.
Our partners, Rescue Now, have been evacuating civilians and animals since the first hours. With a $25k grant provided by Razom, they have also been delivering needed supplies, including drinking water, food, hygiene products, evacuation boats, and charging stations. The team coordinated with governmental first responders to reach all places in need, despite the constant shelling and missile attacks on the region. Within only 5 days, Rescue Now also set up a humanitarian base in Kherson, which serves as a logistical hub for humanitarian aid for numerous NGOs and as a temporary shelter for evacuees.
Rescue Now, with support from Razom, responds to the emergency on the ground in Kherson
Razom Health team worked with the Ministry of Health in the Kherson region and local NGOs and went to Kherson within the first day. We delivered medicine and protective clothing to local hospitals taking in patients and survivors of the floods. In the following week, our drivers embarked on multiple trips to continue supplying hospitals. Our team in Kyiv packs the supplies while a smaller team loads up the vans and sets out to make the deliveries of aid all over the affected areas of Kherson. This way, we ensure that not a single minute is wasted.
Razom team in Ukraine works daily on humanitarian deliveries to the Kherson region
Our team members making the deliveries speak to people on the ground and learn what their needs are to communicate them to the Razom community, including our large network of local NGOs. Many of our partnering organizations and grantees are on the ground in the Kherson region as well. Volonterska, HelpGroup, Stezhka Dodomy, Ukraina SOS, Fight for Rights, and many others have been delivering humanitarian aid to people in the region.
NGO Volonterska delivers humanitarian aid from Razom in the Kherson region
Two days following the destruction, NGO “Zakhyst” from Khmelnytskyi met the first evacuees. Using a $50k grant, they support the evacuation of 1,000 people from the flooded areas of the Kherson region, welcomed and provided them with essentials such as hygiene products, clothing, and food right at the train station upon their arrival. The organization also provided evacuees with psychosocial support.
GO “Zakhyst” welcomes refugees at Khmelnytskyi train station
While out teams continue to support people amidst humanitarian crises, Razom also works to mitigate the long-term consequences of the disaster and help Ukraine prevent future russian-made catastrophes.
On the day following the destruction, Razom Advocacy team in DC immediately picked up the work. The destruction of the Kakhovka dam fits the centuries-old pattern of colonial violence and is yet another manifestation of Russian genocidal intent in Ukraine — we work to make sure the world hears that. Therefore, we reached out to more than 2,000 people in our advocacy network and mobilized them to contact their Congressional representatives and ask for support for the resolution declaring Ukraine’s invasion to be genocide (H.Res. 154 / S.Res. 72).
We have also been working to connect Ukrainians affected by the flood with media outlets so that their story can be heard by the world and increased our engagement with elected officials and their staff to keep decision-makers aware of the latest updates directly from the ground in Kherson.
The destruction of the dam caused an environmental disaster and permanently disturbed the region. As a result of russian terror, the Kakhovka water reservoir disappeared, leaving tens of thousands in the entire south of Ukraine without access to drinking water. Razom Relief team earlier installed multiple water filtering stations in Mykolaiv and Donetsk regions together with Ukrainian partner Wise Water, and now we are working to procure these stations in Kherson and provide stable access to water.
Kherson still needs help. We continue supporting evacuees who lost their homes and delivering life-saving medicine to hospitals that are taking people from affected regions. Our teams in Ukraine, alongside our local partners, will make more trips to the Kherson region to bring humanitarian aid to those in need. Razom Relief team talks to local organizations to start future projects in the region.
We work with our numerous partners in Ukraine and employ all our resources to ensure the help arrives when and where it is needed, and we ask for your support.
In 2018, a young woman from Kharkiv learned about an orphaned baby boy suffering from an unknown disease at one of the public hospitals. Both of his parents died. All he had left was hospital staff and an IV in his little arm.
The young woman’s heart broke looking at that tiny 1-year-old boy weighing just about 9 pounds. She decided to do whatever it took to save his life. Joined by a close friend and a few other wholeheartedly caring people, they sought the best doctors, medicines, and resources. They went all out to give this boy the life he deserved.
The boy’s health slowly improved, but the bureaucratic red tape created many challenges. After fighting the adoption battle for almost a year, the young woman eventually found the boy’s aunt – somewhere deep in russian Siberia. Thankfully, the aunt took him in.
Today the boy is happy and healthy, and his new family is still in touch with the rescue team who saved his life. Today, this rescue team is trying to protect Ukrainian children from those who called themselves our “older brothers.”
That young woman’s name is Iryna Stroeva, and her close friend is Anna Vovk. Together these two extraordinary women founded an NGO called “Ordinary People” (ukr. Zvichayni Ludi) that’s been helping orphaned and disadvantaged children since July 2019.
The Razom Relief team (prev. Razom Grants) first learned about this NGO in May 2022. “Ordinary People” was amongst the first volunteer groups to organize the procurement and delivery of humanitarian aid in the Kharkiv region. Dictated by the brutal, inhumane war, volunteer initiatives were initially frantic and disjointed, but now the Ukrainian volunteer movement has become stronger than ever. Furthermore, it is growing into a powerful civil society with tremendous potential for rebuilding the country.
NGO "Ordinary People"
In the summer of 2022, Razom Relief granted “Ordinary People” $30,000 to aid Kharkiv residents. With these funds, volunteers provided food, water, medicines, and hygiene products to those who needed them most but had no access to any resources. All humanitarian packages were delivered hand-to-hand by over 250 volunteers.
Later, Razom provided a $17,000 grant for the residents of the recently liberated territories in the Kharkiv region. Once again, “Ordinary People” volunteers were the first to reach the remote areas and help people devastated by the russian occupation.
Since February 24, 2022, russian soldiers damaged over 3300 Ukrainian schools. Due to significant destruction, some towns and villages have no places for children to socialize or continue their education. Even the fields and forests, where children used to play and run free, are now covered in landmines.
The relentless violence and instability have forced parents to prioritize the safety and well-being of their children above all else. Many families sought refuge in safer regions or fled the country altogether. A lot of them want to come back home and move on with their lives, but the destruction of infrastructure makes it especially challenging.
One of Razom Relief’s current goals is assisting Ukrainian NGOs and charitable organizations in rebuilding spaces for children, creating new ones, and ensuring they have bomb shelters with all necessary equipment.
Having been helping children for many years, NGO “Ordinary People” developed a new project called “The Space of Ukrainian Invincibility” – a physical club dedicated to education, rehabilitation, and comprehensive support of children and teenagers who survived the russian occupation.
One such club has already been renovated in the town of Balakliya. There, “Ordinary People” bring a group of psychologists who work with children and their parents as a part of another project called “The Psychology of Invincibility.”
Another Space of Ukrainian Invincibility will be located in the town of Tsyrkuny. Technical surveys, renovations, window and door installation, electrical work, and finishing touches have been completed thanks to benefactors and microgrants. This club will provide a safe, secure, and engaging space for children of all ages and interests. The bomb shelter is also being renovated and is only 80 feet away from the club.
So far, Razom Relief has allocated close to $12,000 for this club in the Tsyrkunivska community. The grant aims to involve professional psychologists, teachers, musicians, athletes, and rehabilitation specialists who can provide children with a fulfilling life, including opportunities to socialize with peers, actively learn new skills, engage in sports activities, and grow into happy young adults. The funds will also cover the gas costs to transport children from the six nearby settlements to attend classes and workshops.
The first tour of the space happened just a few days ago. However, some work still has to be done, and the program’s long-term success will depend on the completion of repairs, the involvement of local residents, government agencies, and continued support from donors.
Once “The Space of Ukrainian Invincibility” in Tsyrkuny is fully operational it will provide:
Safe and secure space for 200 children;
The psychological support of licensed professionals and the physical protection of the bomb shelter;
Access to classes and workshops, extracurricular education, learning new skills, exploring and improving their talents, and simply being kids who are entertained and enjoying themselves;
Opportunities for local professionals to get employed and contribute to the well-being of their community.
by Yelena Ivlieva
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