Stronger Leaders, Stronger Civil Society: How Razom Invests in the People Building Ukraine’s Future

Published: October 8, 2026

When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, Ukrainians faced a challenge to their very survival as a country and a nation.

People responded by stepping up. Across Ukraine, thousands of volunteers began organizing food deliveries, supporting displaced families, helping communities under attack, and raising money for people in need. Some volunteer initiatives eventually closed. Others grew into formal organizations that continue to serve their communities today.

As this new civil society grew, so did a new need: people who had learned to respond to an emergency now needed the knowledge to build organizations that could last.

Leaders of Ukrainian nonprofits were looking for practical skills in organizational development, strategic planning, management, and financial sustainability. They had learned by doing. Now they needed an opportunity to turn that experience into lasting expertise.

Until recently, Ukraine had no formal graduate program specifically designed around the realities of nonprofit work. When Ukrainian Catholic University (UCU) launched its master’s program in Nonprofit Management, Razom created a scholarship program for civil society professionals.

The goal is simple: help the people serving Ukrainian communities build organizations strong enough to keep going.

Razom scholarships cover 75% of tuition for the full two-year program. Between 2024 and 2026, Razom supported seven civil society professionals.

Here are three of their stories — and what happens when people who are already creating change gain the knowledge to make that change last.

Anna Andruseiko: Seeing the Whole Picture

Anna Andruseiko came to the program with years of experience as a program manager at a donor foundation and a civic association. She already knew how to work with finances, law, management, and strategic planning.

But these skills existed in separate pieces.

Her studies at UCU helped her see how they fit together — and how people, processes, finances, and strategy all shape the strength of an organization.

She is already putting this perspective to work.

At the RUTA Association, Anna is helping develop an endowment and build a community around the organization. The goal is long-term financial independence, so the organization can continue its work without relying entirely on outside support.

At ZMIN Foundation, she looks beyond what an organization does. She asks what its work actually changes — and whether those results match its mission.

This is the theory of change in practice. And it gives Anna a stronger way to evaluate partnerships and make decisions.

For Anna, the program changed the way she sees her work. She learned to look at an organization as a whole and think more strategically.

She also found something just as valuable: a community of people with different experiences who are learning from one another and finding ways to work together.

Sofia Shcherbachuk: Turning Experience Into Stronger Action

For seven years, Sofia Shcherbachuk worked in volunteer, humanitarian, and civil society initiatives — from local projects to programs operating across Ukraine.

She learned how to work with communities, build trust, and turn ideas into projects that improve people’s lives.

But eventually, experience alone was no longer enough.

Sofia wanted to understand how to manage organizations more effectively, plan for the future, and measure whether their work was actually making a difference.

She began applying what she learned almost immediately.

Since March 2026, Sofia has led the culture program at SpivDiia Charitable Foundation. Before the program, her focus was mainly on delivering projects well. Now she also asks bigger questions: Why are we doing this? Who will it help? What will remain after the project ends?

That shift has already led her to develop new initiatives for her team and prepare grant proposals to grow the program.

For Sofia, the scholarship meant she did not have to put her professional growth on hold.

Most importantly, she saw that knowledge does not have to stay in a classroom. It can become a better decision the next day — and a stronger organization over time.

Ruslana Romanchuk: The Confidence to Lead Change

Ruslana Romanchuk first heard about the program in 2021 at the Civil Society Development Forum. She immediately saw it as the next step in her professional growth.

Many people she knew had already graduated from the program. They recommended it not only for the knowledge, but for the community of people working to strengthen Ukraine.

Ruslana believed in lifelong learning. She wanted to combine what she had learned through years of practical experience with a deeper understanding of how nonprofit organizations can grow and remain strong.

The impact was immediate.

At the NGO Resource Center for NGOs, Ruslana reviewed procurement policies, helped improve financial management, changed the organization’s approach to reporting, and facilitated a strategic planning session for a volunteer group.

During her studies, she also proposed creating a membership system for people who had worked with the organization for more than a year. The organization’s leadership adopted the new policy.

These may sound like internal changes. But they strengthen the organization’s ability to serve people — including through individual psychological consultations and support groups for adults and children from communities across Ukraine.

For Ruslana, the program gave her more than new tools. It gave her the confidence to use them.

And the scholarship made that possible. Without financial support, she would not have been able to afford tuition, accommodation, food, and travel.

The people she met through the program, she says, were one of the most valuable parts of the experience. They inspired her to keep learning, changing, and growing.

Stronger Leaders. Stronger Organizations. Stronger Communities.

In 2025, the number of humanitarian organizations directly providing assistance in Ukraine fell by 20%. Even organizations with years of experience are struggling to maintain their work.

That is why investing in people matters.

When a civil society leader gains new knowledge, it does not stay with that one person. It returns to their organization as better decisions, stronger teams, clearer processes, and more sustainable work.

And over time, stronger organizations mean stronger communities.

The goal is not for Ukrainian nonprofits to depend on outside support forever. It is to help them build the knowledge, leadership, and systems they need to stand on their own.

When you support Razom, you are investing in the people who are building that future — one organization, one community, and one decision at a time.

“We’re Always With Them Now”: How a Human Rights Advocate Helps Veterans Return to Civilian Life Through Theater

Published: October 8, 2026

Coming home from war does not end on the day a person leaves the military. Veterans need to find their place among civilians again, rebuild relationships, and feel that their experience matters. For Alina, that place was a community of writers. Now she is creating the same kind of space for other veterans.

Alina Sarnatska is a veteran, human rights advocate, radio host, and writer. In Lviv, she created the Veterans’ Theater, a space where veterans can develop their skills as playwrights. The project is part of the Veterans Program of INDEX, the Institute for War Documentation and Intellectual Cooperation with the Outside World, with support from Razom.

Over two and a half months, nine veterans and two veterans’ wives learned to write plays about their experiences of war, returning to civilian life, and how these experiences changed them.

“Veterans can come to the theater and see themselves represented on stage. It matters to see that people in this place care about veterans,” Alina says.

We spoke with Alina about her journey to theater and how playwriting can bring veterans together while helping the world understand what Ukrainians are experiencing during the war.

Writing to Find Yourself Again

“In the army, you get the full picture of what will happen when you die. How quickly people will forget about you. It is really hard to process,” Alina Sarnatska says.

“At some point, I realized that if I were killed, if the world completely erased all traces of me, I would regret not spending enough time with the people I loved and not writing enough.”

After three years of military service, Alina realized that she had not simply put her life on hold. Some of her skills were beginning to fade.

“After the army, I realized that I could no longer put my thoughts together. I was no longer as bright or confident as I had been. I was very sad. I realized that if I did not find a community, I would stop writing. I did not have enough courage. At some point, my friends started sending me links to a playwriting school run by playwright Maksym Kurochkin’s Veterans’ Theater. I applied. And I found a mentor in him. That helped me keep going — I finally had someone I could rely on.”

That is how a new Ukrainian playwright emerged. Her plays are now read and staged not only in Ukraine but abroad as well. For example, her play Balance was presented as part of Razom’s Ukrainian Drama Showcase in New York.

The theater gave Alina more than a new profession and a community. It also allowed her to continue doing what she had done before: representing people’s needs and making their experiences visible to society.

After finding this new source of support, Alina decided not to stop at writing plays. She wanted to teach other veterans how to write and create theater — and to help new voices emerge.

Writing for Equal Rights

We are speaking with Alina over video when explosions begin outside my window in Kyiv. I have to pause the conversation and move into the closet.

“Why pay rent for the whole apartment when we’re basically living in the corridor?” I joke.

“Why pay rent at all when you can just live in the subway?” Alina jokes back.

Alina trained as a psychologist and studied social work in graduate school. She conducted research and worked as a manager at a nonprofit organization. For many years, she focused on women’s rights, including preventing gender-based violence. She worked with UN Women, Columbia University, and other international organizations.

“We wanted to make changes in the country,” Alina says.

Alongside her work in civil society, Alina was involved in a right-liberal movement, where she first met veterans of the Russian-Ukrainian war. The community had a significant influence on her, she says. She remained friends with many of them even after their work together ended.

“We used to argue a lot about women’s rights, Pride, and the LGBTQ+ community. When the full-scale invasion began, I saw all these people join the military — except mothers with children. And I think they gave me an incredible example.”

“The Ukrainian army is made up of civilians who went to defend their country out of love,” Alina says. She came to the military from the civil society sector.

Writing to Support Her Battalion

Alina’s Facebook posts from before and during the COVID-19 pandemic are about podcast recordings, work, burnout, and learning English. There are also fox toys, fox decorations, and fox emojis.

In March 2022, “Fox” became her military call sign. The civil society activist became a combat medic with a fire support company of the 207th Battalion of the 241st Territorial Defense Brigade of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. At the time, women in Ukraine were not subject to mandatory mobilization, and Alina’s employer had offered her the opportunity to leave the country.

As of early 2026, more than 75,000 women serve in Ukraine’s Armed Forces.

“I am an adult woman without children. I understood that I had to join the military and defend my city and my people. When people ask why I joined the military… I think the more logical question is why someone did not.”

In the spring of 2022, recruitment centers were filled with volunteers: teachers, IT professionals, managers, and other civilians who had never served in the military. Like Alina, they chose to put their lives on hold for their country.

“During the first few weeks, I cried at night. Nothing made sense. Everything was frightening and strange. I was afraid I would not be able to handle the responsibility. I was told that I was now responsible for the health of hundreds of soldiers. I had no medical training, and we had not had a single day of training. Someone showed me where the safety on the rifle was. I learned tactical medicine from materials I found online… Bit by bit, it became easier.”

There were no weekdays in the army, and the only color left in her wardrobe was camouflage green. Alina would track incoming strikes near the Kyiv home where her family stayed and would celebrate a second birthday after surviving an artillery attack near Irpin (a town near Kyiv).

“To serve in the military, you have to find balance. In my first year of service, I bought cat ears for my helmet and a sleeping bag liner with Pokémon on it. In my second year, I stopped being embarrassed about sleeping with a stuffed animal. My mother sent me a badger from home. His name was Filimon. He got a little dirty, so whenever I had the chance, I washed him and dried him in the sun,” Alina writes in her play Balance.

During her service, she began writing again. This time, she wrote short posts on social media to raise money for her battalion.

“We needed everything: vehicles, drones, radios… Everything. I became pretty good at writing dialogue because dialogue was what brought in the most donors and helped raise donations,” Alina recalls.

Alina took part in combat operations in Donetsk region. She received the Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of Ukraine’s “For Saving Lives” badge and the President of Ukraine’s “For the Defense of Ukraine” award.

At the beginning of her service, Alina wanted to sleep in a bed, go to the movies, to kiss the person she loves, roast a chicken in the oven, and write well. She dreamed of becoming a writer.

Writing to Bring Veterans Together

“I believe that people should be part of a community and that it is important to serve your community. I want to be useful to veterans. For me, it is almost a question of faith,” Alina says. She has attended church for more than 20 years.

Alina says it would be wrong to describe the program as art therapy. Not every creative process is healing. Even watching performances of her own plays can leave her feeling unwell for several days.

For her, the most valuable part is being among people with similar experiences — and having the chance to learn a new profession.

“We had one participant in Lviv from Superhumans (Rehabilitation Center for Military), a very young man who had only recently lost his leg. I am not sure the program was really about writing for him, but he became part of the community. He came to every class and wrote a play. A year later, he realized that he wanted to keep writing. It is a long-term process. For us, this is not just a course — we’re always with them now.”

After the program ends, all participants remain in a group chat where they share opportunities and stay in touch.

Veterans who are still receiving treatment in hospitals can join the classes. Even active-duty service members at the front have participated.

Writing to Bring the Country Together

“I understand that what happens to veterans will affect many generations. It will matter how abandoned and unnecessary they feel,” Alina concludes.

Military service can fundamentally change the way people see life and everyday things. For service members, the primary task is to survive. In Ukraine, projects focused on veterans’ integration and support have existed since 2014.

The final stage of Alina’s program is a public reading of the new plays, performed by professional actors.

“It has a huge impact on the participants. They see that these stories matter to other people. And it affects everyone — both the local community that comes to the performance and the veterans who wrote the plays.”

A play can become a way for people with very different experiences to understand one another — and to find a way to live and create together.

Theater cannot erase the experience of war. But it can give veterans a place where people listen to them. And it can give society an opportunity to hear their stories.

Alina Sarnatska’s story is not only about finding yourself after war. It is also about how the support you receive from others can become an opportunity to support someone else. Once, a community helped Alina believe in her own voice. Today, she helps other veterans find theirs — and make themselves heard far beyond the theater stage.

Because returning from war is not only a journey a veteran has to make. It is also about whether society is ready to create a space where their experience, talent, and future matter.

And that is a space we need to build together.

That is why supporting these communities is an investment not only in veterans. It is an investment in the Ukraine that will emerge after the war.

Investing in the Future: How Razom Supports Ukrainian Educators

Published: September 1, 2026

Supporting Ukrainian teachers means investing in the young people who will shape Ukraine’s future.Even amid the full-scale war, Ukrainian educators continue to teach, grow professionally, and adapt the learning process to rapidly changing realities. They are helping raise a generation capable of thinking critically, taking responsibility, and finding solutions to the most complex challenges. Today, teachers are laying the foundation for a progressive, democratic, and resilient Ukraine.Razom supports Ukrainian educators through local and international initiatives that provide access to modern teaching methods, innovative technologies, professional networks, and hands-on experience. Here are three projects helping teachers strengthen their schools and communities.

Teachers of the Future Festival: A Space for New Ideas

For the second consecutive year, Razom has proudly supported Teachers of the Future, one of Europe’s largest educational events, organized by the Ukrainian NGO Educational Initiative of the Free and Caring.

The sixth annual Teachers of the Future Festival took place in Lviv in the summer of 2026. It brought together more than 2,000 educators from across Ukraine, along with international experts and civil society leaders.

Over two intensive days, participants exchanged knowledge, expanded their professional networks, and attended more than 200 workshops and practical sessions.

This year, Razom supported the Educational Innovation Hangar, a dedicated space where more than 20 leading Ukrainian STEM companies and EdTech platforms showcased their latest educational solutions.

Participants included the Ranok and Litera LTD publishing houses; EdPro and ELIZ LABS, which develop interactive displays, laboratory equipment, and educational software; the innovative AR Book platform; Ukraine’s state educational app Mriia; and many others.

For teachers, this was an opportunity not only to explore emerging technologies but also to speak directly with developers about how these tools can be incorporated into everyday teaching and make learning more accessible, practical, and engaging for students.

STEM Without Borders: From Scotland to Frontline Communities

High-quality STEM education prepares the engineers, scientists, and innovators who will help rebuild Ukraine’s energy sector, healthcare system, defense capabilities, and economy.

In the spring, Razom supported five Ukrainian teachers from frontline regions in taking part in the STEM Without Borders professional development program. The program was hosted by The King’s Foundation in Scotland in partnership with Osvitoria.

Over three days, participants explored project-based learning and advanced scientific teaching methods. They also examined how lessons drawn from nature can be connected to sustainable energy solutions and future careers in STEM.

Importantly, the program’s impact extends far beyond its five participants. After returning home, the teachers began sharing their knowledge with colleagues and introducing new approaches in their classrooms.

In this way, modern educational practices become accessible to thousands of Ukrainian children, including those living in communities that experience the consequences of war every day.

Civic Boost: Empowering Young People and Communities

Another area of support focuses on strengthening school autonomy and encouraging young people to participate in community decision-making.

Through Civic Boost, a delegation of educators from frontline communities in the Kharkiv region visited Lviv for a three-day professional exchange dedicated to these areas.

Lviv was chosen for a reason. The city’s schools enjoy a significant degree of autonomy: local lyceums manage their own budgets and establish distinctive educational hubs. During the exchange, participants explored this experience and gained practical tools for strengthening student self-government and launching educational and cultural initiatives in their home communities.

Programs like this help transform schools into spaces where young people not only acquire knowledge but also learn to influence decisions, work together, and take responsibility for the future of their communities.

Support with a Lasting Impact

Every educational program represents far more than a single training session, trip, or event. Teachers return to their schools with new knowledge, share it with their colleagues, and create new opportunities for hundreds—and ultimately thousands—of children.

Despite the war, Ukrainian educators continue to teach, innovate, and inspire their students. Razom remains committed to standing with them, because supporting teachers today means investing in the generation that will build a free, democratic, and resilient Ukraine tomorrow.

Youth Transforming Communities: How Youth Initiative Banks Are Helping Build the Future During Wartime

Published: June 26, 2026

As part of the Children & the Future Under Fire month, Razom is highlighting initiatives that support children, teenagers, and young people in Ukraine — not only as those in need of protection, but as active participants in the recovery and development of their communities.

One such initiative focuses on empowering active youth in 25 communities across 14 regions of Ukraine, including communities that have been deeply affected by the war. The project is implemented by the National Network for Local Philanthropy Development “Philanthropists” with the support of Razom and Fondation de France.

At the heart of the project is the International Youth Banks model. For more than two decades, this approach has been used in countries around the world, giving young people the opportunity not only to learn, but also to make decisions, mobilize resources, and support change in their own communities.

Similar youth philanthropy models also exist in the United States. For example, Northfield YouthBank and youth-led grantmaking programs at community foundations give young people the opportunity not only to propose ideas, but also to make decisions about funding projects in their communities.

What Is Youth Initiative Bank?

Youth Initiative Bank is an international model that has been implemented for more than 20 years in 37 countries with the support of Youth Bank International. In Ukraine, the model is implemented by the National Network for Local Philanthropy Development with financial support from Razom for Ukraine and Fondation de France.

A Youth Initiative Bank is a team of young people who study the needs of their community, mobilize local resources, organize grant competitions, and support the implementation of youth-led projects.

In other words, young people are not only applying for support for their own ideas. They are learning how to become grantmakers themselves: analyzing needs, defining priorities, developing selection criteria, making funding decisions, and supporting initiatives through implementation.

The model is built on the principle of “learning by doing.” Young people go through the full cycle of managing local change — from assessing community needs to fundraising, supporting projects, monitoring results, and reporting back to the community.

How It Works

Each year, every Youth Initiative Bank team goes through a full cycle of work.

First, a team of active young people is formed. They receive basic training and divide responsibilities among themselves. Then, the participants study the needs of their community by conducting surveys, focus groups, and consultations with residents to understand which challenges are most urgent.

Based on this research, the young people define priorities — the themes and areas that need support in their community. These may include social, educational, cultural, volunteer, or other initiatives that respond to real local needs.

The next stage is local fundraising. Teams organize charity events, fairs, campaigns, and community activities, raising funds from local residents, businesses, and partners. This is an essential part of the model, because it helps young people not only speak about change, but also bring their community together around it.

After that, the Youth Initiative Bank announces an open grant competition for youth initiatives, develops selection criteria, and makes decisions about which projects to support. The selected teams implement their ideas with mentoring support from the Youth Initiative Bank. At the end of the cycle, they analyze the results, assess the impact, and report back to the community.

Why Co-Funding Matters

One of the key features of this model is co-funding.

Teams do not simply receive support from outside. They raise resources within their own communities: they speak with residents, look for partners, work with local businesses, and organize charitable events. Based on the results of the grant competition, the Youth Initiative Bank then provides additional funding for youth-led projects.

This means that the more actively a team mobilizes local resources and community support, the more opportunities it has to bring its ideas to life.

This approach builds more than individual projects. It builds trust within the community. Young people see that their voices matter. Local residents see that young people are capable of taking responsibility. And the community receives initiatives that are not imposed from above, but born from its real needs.

What Young People Gain

Participation in a Youth Initiative Bank gives young people practical experience that is difficult to gain through formal education alone. They learn how to work in a team, manage projects, analyze information, write grant applications, communicate ideas, lead fundraising efforts, and distribute resources responsibly.

But just as importantly, young people gain the experience of being trusted. They are not simply told that they matter to the future of their community. They are given real tools of influence: the ability to research, decide, support, and take responsibility for results.

For communities — especially those affected by war — this is particularly important. Amid loss, displacement, and constant uncertainty, it is essential not to lose active young people, but to create reasons for them to stay engaged, grow, and see their place in Ukraine’s future.

Where Young People Are Given a Chance

Behind every Youth Initiative Bank, there is more than a grant competition or a training program. There are people who, at some point, heard a simple but powerful phrase: “You can do this.”

In the Kobleve community in Mykolaiv region, this journey did not begin with major victories. Youth Initiative Bank coordinator Oksana Dukhan recalls returning from training two years ago with “a whole carriage of doubts.” She was not local, she knew few people, and the community itself consisted of 11 villages scattered across an area with limited transport connections. Because of the war, some young people had left, and opportunities had become fewer. Even gathering the first team of three people was a challenge.

The first fundraising attempt did not work either. The team opened a charitable donation jar, made plans, and waited. But no one donated, because no one knew who they were. So they changed their approach: they went to people in person. They asked the community to believe not just in projects, but in youth-led ideas. Gradually, the community began to respond with trust.

One of the first projects was the restoration of a volleyball court in the village of Luhove. Teenagers planned the budget themselves, purchased materials, painted, and organized the space. For them, it was more than just a sports ground. It was their first experience of realizing that they can change the place where they live.

Criticism followed. Some said it could have been done better, that the net was not right, that teenagers should not be trusted with money. But at that moment, the real meaning of the project became clear. The point was not that everything had been done perfectly. The point was that young people had, for the first time, gone through the full path from idea to result on their own.

A year later, young people in the same village of Luhove implemented another project — creating a modern cinema space for local residents.

Today, the Kobleve Youth Initiative Bank team includes 12 active teenagers. Over two years, they have implemented 15 youth projects in eight villages, raised around UAH 250,000 for youth initiatives, and helped more than 45 teenagers gain their first real experience in project management, fundraising, and civic engagement.

Another story comes from Cherkasy. Tetiana Honcharova joined the Youth Initiative Bank as a young professional looking for a space where she could be useful. Her first project, “ArtInsight,” combined psychological support with creative practices. In just one month, it reached more than 150 people.

For Tetiana, this was more than a grant competition victory. It was the moment she felt that her ideas had value — and that the desire to help could become real change. Later, she went on to lead the Youth Initiative Bank herself. Today, she supports other young people, helping them overcome fear, speak up, act, and try.

This is the power of Youth Initiative Banks. They do not simply fund youth ideas. They create the moment when a teenager in their community feels for the first time: I am trusted. My voice matters. My idea can become something real.

During wartime, that carries special weight. Because Ukraine’s future is not an abstract date after victory. It is already being shaped through small decisions: to gather a team, to go out and speak to people, to ask for support, to restore a playground, to hold a meeting, to support someone else’s idea, to believe in yourself.

Big changes can truly begin with a small local initiative — especially when young people are given a chance at the right time.

A Future Built Locally

The war has forced many young people to grow up faster. But even under these circumstances, they are not only adapting — they are acting.

Through Youth Initiative Banks, young people in Ukrainian communities launch local projects, support their peers, engage residents, work with partners, and learn to make decisions that affect the lives of those around them.

For Razom, supporting such initiatives is part of a broader effort to strengthen the resilience of Ukrainian communities. During wartime, the future is not an abstract idea. It is formed every day — in schools, youth spaces, volunteer teams, local initiatives, and communities where young people are given the chance to act.

When young people have the tools, trust, and support they need, they do not simply imagine the future. They begin to build it.

Where Displacement Turns Into Community

Published: April 27, 2026

How women from Razom grantee “We Are Brothers, We Are Ukrainians” support communities across Kharkiv region

Twenty-six kilometers from Kharkiv, in the town of Liubotyn, a dormitory has become a temporary home for dozens of people who lost their homes during the war. Here, life is gradually rebuilding after shelling, shaped by international support, local volunteer efforts, and the resilience of residents.

Restoration of the dormitory was supported by Razom, which funded the installation of a new entranceway and roof repairs. During our visit, we spoke with Kateryna Posokhova, Executive Director of the foundation “We Are Brothers, We Are Ukrainians,” which has been working across the Kharkiv region for years.

The foundation’s team works daily with dormitory residents and other displaced people in the region.

When Evacuation Reshapes Communities

The foundation expanded its work during mass evacuations from frontline areas of the Kharkiv region, particularly from Vovchansk district and communities near Lyptsi.

People moved in large numbers into dormitories and collective centers, which became emergency housing for internally displaced people.

“We started working as soon as large-scale evacuations began. Children were arriving in dormitories and collective centers, and we began working with them, as well as with adults,” Posokhova says.

Foundation psychologists organized group sessions for children and provided individual support for adults coping with displacement, loss, and the ongoing stress of war.

How Repairs Begin

While working in dormitories, the team collected requests from residents about their most urgent needs.

At first, those needs were basic.

“People initially asked for showers and toilets. Then they asked about repairing the basement, the entranceway, and eventually the roof,” Posokhova recalls.

Over time, these requests developed into larger restoration projects.

Together with partners, including international organizations, the foundation supported multiple repairs. In one case, workers removed more than five tons of debris from a roof before repairs could begin.

“We cleared the roof, insulated it, repaired the structure, and installed pumping equipment for the boiler system,” she explains.

Psychosocial Support

Psychosocial support is a core part of the foundation’s work.

The team works with children, teenagers, parents, and older residents.

In Liubotyn, activities for children are held inside a shelter.

“It is a reinforced shelter that allows us to safely conduct educational activities with children and teenagers,” Posokhova says.

The foundation also works with local social care centers that support elderly residents. These meetings create space for connection and routine.

“Our older residents sew, paint, and even organized what they call a ‘work brigade.’ They repainted benches near the playground together,” she says.

Some gatherings include cooking or singing. These simple activities help restore a sense of normal life.

Why Support Matters

According to Posokhova, supporting collective centers would not be possible without international partners and donors.

“For places like these, support from foundations and international organizations makes a significant difference,” she says.

Many residents have lost everything. Their homes are destroyed or located in occupied territories.

“People were left without housing. Every bit of support becomes a chance to start again.”

This is why cooperation between local initiatives and international partners is essential.

“When donors support repairs, psychological programs, or financial assistance, people feel that they are not alone,” Posokhova says.

When People Choose to Stay

Work in collective centers often reveals how meaningful even temporary housing becomes.

Many residents are already displaced. In these dormitories, they began rebuilding their lives, forming new connections and support systems.

One dormitory in Kharkiv was recently damaged by a nearby missile strike.

“Windows were blown out, doors damaged, and walls cracked. Residents were temporarily relocated,” Posokhova says.

But many returned.

“The windows were boarded up, and it was about 50 degrees Fahrenheit inside. They were offered safer accommodation during repairs, but they chose to stay.”

For them, it is no longer just a dormitory. It is a community.

“They found neighbors, support, and a sense of stability here. That is why they stay together,” she says.

A Foundation Led by Women

The foundation’s name emphasizes unity. In practice, most of the team are women.

“Our foundation is called ‘We Are Brothers, We Are Ukrainians,’ but about 95 percent of our team are women,” Posokhova says.

“Our partners often say ‘brothers.’ But when they meet the team, they see it is all sisters.”

The team coordinates humanitarian programs, travels to communities, and works directly with residents. Sometimes in basements. Sometimes in frontline villages.

Always alongside people rebuilding their lives.

“We do everything we can to help people return to some form of normal life,” Posokhova says.

Looking at the dormitory in Liubotyn, where residents are gradually rebuilding, it is clear that this work matters.

The Missing Puzzle Piece: Svitlana Blinova and the Power of Local Leadership

Published: February 20, 2026

It feels almost surreal to sit across from Svitlana Blinova in the basement of Lviv City Hall. Down here, in a concrete shelter, we are waiting out news of a possible missile strike. It is the safest place to conduct an interview today. Svitlana smiles softly as she speaks – composed, thoughtful, almost delicate in appearance. And yet, as she begins to tell her story, it becomes clear that she is exactly the kind of leader Ukraine has produced in wartime: steady, determined, and quietly transformative.

Razom first met Svitlana not at a conference or on a panel – but through partnership. Through the inaugural Impact UA internship program, developed by Razom and Brave Generation, Svitlana’s organization Cities4Cities hosted Aidan Stretch, a recent Yale graduate focused on history and journalism. From the start, Svitlana stood out.

She did not simply assign tasks. She took Aidan under her wing. She brought him into the real work of building international municipal partnerships. And later she went further, bringing him to her grandparents’ village outside Lviv so he could experience rural Ukrainian life firsthand. Her grandmother cooked potatoes grown on their own land. Her grandfather, who does not speak English, offered a simple “hello.” It was not staged hospitality. It was trust.

That experience shaped Aidan’s reporting and the work he now continues as a freelance journalist based in Kyiv, contributing to outlets such as The Kyiv Independent and CBS. Through his writing, American audiences encounter Ukrainian municipalities not as abstractions, but as communities rebuilding, partnering, and leading.

Svitlana’s commitment impressed us. And we kept watching her work. Born in 1991 – the year Ukraine regained independence – Svitlana’s life has unfolded alongside the country’s own search for voice and agency. She studied journalism and law, but her real education began during a summer internship at Lviv City Council. Officially, it was four hours a day. In practice, she stayed fourteen.

Before the full-scale invasion, she worked on municipal development strategies. On February 24, 2022, she packed a shelter bag for her family and went straight to City Hall asking one thing: How can I help? Within days, she helped coordinate international journalists. Soon after, she redirected humanitarian aid from Lviv to harder-hit communities. From that emergency response grew something more lasting.

Together with the City of Lviv, SALAR International (part of the Swedish Association of Local Authorities and Regions), and the German city of Sindelfingen, Svitlana helped launch Cities4Cities, which is now a robust platform connecting Ukrainian municipalities with European and American partners. Today, the network spans nearly 100 municipalities across seven EU countries and the United States. For Svitlana, sister-city agreements are not paperwork. They are relationships. “International cooperation is not magic,” she says. “It’s soft skills.”

Through the Cities4Cities Academy, her six-person team trains municipalities across Ukraine to identify their priorities, seek aligned partners, and build sustainable, win-win cooperation. There are over 1,400 municipalities in Ukraine. The scale of the task is immense.

And then came a moment that could change everything. Last year, Svitlana received an invitation to speak at the International City/County Managers Association conference in Florida, one of the most influential gatherings of municipal leaders in the United States. The registration fee was waived. She secured a visa just two days before the event. But she did not have the money for a last-minute plane ticket – nearly $1,000. For many civic leaders in Ukraine, that is where opportunities end. There is no simple travel grant to apply for on short notice. No rapid-response fund for moments like this. Conferences move on. Connections are lost.

Because we had already worked with Svitlana through Impact UA – because we had seen her leadership up close – Razom stepped in through our Razom Sylnishi program, which strengthens Ukrainian civil society leaders. Within days, the ticket was secured. “That ticket was the missing puzzle piece,” Svitlana says.

The impact was immediate. Standing before American city managers – in a country she had never spoken publicly in, in a language she only began studying after the invasion – Svitlana presented the case for partnering with Ukrainian municipalities. When she finished, there was a line of leaders waiting to speak with her. Today, she carries a stack of business cards from U.S. municipal officials eager to build sister-city partnerships. Those conversations are already translating into new connections – opening doors for Ukrainian communities seeking expertise, collaboration, and long-term integration with American counterparts. A $1,000 plane ticket did not just fund travel. It unlocked access. It accelerated U.S. engagement. It shifted the trajectory of Cities4Cities’ expansion into America. This is what catalytic support looks like. And Svitlana’s leadership does not stop there.

After burning out in a previous political communications role, she once spent a summer living in a tent in her grandparents’ village. Seeing its decline, she helped mobilize residents to rebuild it through securing grants, improving roads, creating a youth coworking and cultural space, and launching a regional tourism brand marking forest routes across multiple municipalities.

She and her husband built a small guesthouse in the village. When the war began, he became a defender. She finished the house herself. Today, it ranks in the top 10% of Airbnb listings worldwide. She personally communicates with guests and even offers “voluntourism” stays in exchange for beautifying the community. “This house is from my heart” – she says.

At the start of the invasion, Svitlana briefly relocated to Poland – only to return. “I didn’t feel that I was with my people,” she says. She later chose to have a second child during wartime. “We will rebuild Ukraine also with kids.”

In the quiet of the shelter beneath Lviv City Hall, it becomes clear that leadership like Svitlana’s does not seek attention. It builds systems. It strengthens communities. It studies English at night so Ukraine can speak to the world.

Razom did not create Svitlana Blinova. Ukraine did. But sometimes, what makes the difference between a missed opportunity and a transformative one is the ability to act quickly – to remove one obstacle at exactly the right time.

One plane ticket. One missing puzzle piece. And the ripple effect continues.

And when leaders like Svitlana are met with trust, flexibility, and timely support, their impact multiplies far beyond a single conference, a single partnership, or a single moment. It ripples outward – connecting cities, strengthening communities, and weaving Ukraine more tightly into a global network of solidarity that will help shape its recovery for years to come.

If you believe in leaders like Svitlana – pragmatic, courageous, and deeply rooted in their communities – we invite you to stand with them. Your support allows Razom to continue providing the flexible, rapid-response backing that turns pivotal moments into lasting impact for Ukraine.

A Letter from our CEO

Published: January 21, 2026

A Letter from Our CEO

As this new year begins, Ukraine is facing its most severe winter since the start of the full-scale invasion.

In recent days, temperatures in Kyiv have fallen to –20°C (-4°F) as Ukraine’s electrical grid continues to be systematically degraded by years of Russian missile and drone attacks. Millions of Ukrainians in cities across the country are living through freezing temperatures with unstable access to heat, electricity, and water. The result is a humanitarian crisis unlike any Ukraine has faced during the war so far.

Parents plan their days around scheduled power outages, with utility companies publishing blackout times by neighborhood – often as long as 16 consecutive hours. Hospitals ration whatever power the city can spare. Heated tents are appearing in courtyards between apartment buildings scarred by drone fragments. First responders answer calls knowing that Russian “double-tap” strikes increasingly target those who arrive to help.

This is not an emergency that passes in a single news cycle. It is the daily reality of a nation still under full-scale assault after nearly four years.

Much of this no longer makes the front page.

What is less visible – but no less real – is the cumulative effect of these conditions. When electricity fails, hospitals strain. When heat is unreliable, chronic illness becomes acute. When first responders are killed, entire communities lose lifelines. And when political wavering pressures Ukraine to reach premature compromises with its aggressor, it is Ukrainian civilians – and future generations – who absorb the cost. This winter is forcing millions of Ukrainians back into survival mode, while testing whether the United States and its allies will substantiate their commitments.

This is the context in which Razom enters 2026.

Our work has never been about reacting to headlines alone. It is about ensuring that Ukrainians have the support, systems, and global partnerships needed not just to endure war—but to emerge from it with agency, dignity, and strength. This year, Razom will continue investing across five core areas: supporting first responders and medics on the front lines; strengthening Ukraine’s healthcare system; backing grassroots organizations serving the most vulnerable; advancing strong, principled Ukraine policy in Washington, D.C.; and connecting Ukrainian voices, culture, and innovation to the global mainstream.

Taken together, these efforts serve a single purpose: a secure, livable, and connected Ukraine capable of surviving this war, leading its own recovery, and standing as a model of democratic resilience and security for the world.

Global support for Ukraine cannot depend solely on moments of crisis. It must be built and sustained through strategy, partnership, and long-term commitment. That is the work ahead of us. And it is only possible because of you.

Thank you for standing with Ukraine, especially when the story feels harder to follow, and the outcome less certain. Your continued engagement matters more than ever.

With gratitude and resolve,

Dora Chomiak
Chief Executive Officer
Razom for Ukraine

What Razom Is Doing Right Now

That commitment is not theoretical. It is operational. Since November 2025 alone, Razom has delivered 118 generators and 175 mobile charging stations to frontline medics, emergency crews, and community organizations – keeping critical services running during prolonged blackouts. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, more than 200 generators have been placed in community hubs serving displaced families, older adults, and people with disabilities.

In Kryvyi Rih, where repeated missile and drone attacks force emergency responders to work under constant threat, Razom is supporting the State Emergency Service of Ukraine with mobile heated emergency tents and infrastructure. These allow responders to establish temporary rescue points during attacks – safely, visibly, and in freezing conditions.

In Poltava, local partners report having electricity for only one to two hours per day. A youth organization supported by Razom now relies on charging stations to stay operational at all – briefly entering cold buildings once or twice a week just to charge equipment, submit reports, and coordinate volunteer work.

At a social-cultural center supported by Razom, a single generator now powers heating pumps, lights, and programming for children, women, and older adults. “If not for your support, most of these activities would have been postponed until spring or not happened at all,” the team wrote.

For families, the impact is even more direct.

At a family-type children’s home caring for 13 children, including displaced children and children with disabilities, the generator Razom provided runs up to 12 hours a day, powering heating, water pumps, lights, and laptops. “If not for you, it would have been much harder to survive last winter,” the mother wrote. “About this one – there would be no way at all.”

At a residential care facility housing 50 elderly and chronically ill residents, a charging station provided by Razom now keeps the heating system running during blackouts. “This is not just technical support,” the director wrote. “It is protection of health and life.”

Why Support Razom – Especially Now

Razom’s strength is not scale alone. It is trust, proximity, and precision. Razom works directly with local partners who know where systems are breaking – and where relatively small interventions can prevent catastrophe. We don’t duplicate services. We fill gaps others can’t reach, often under conditions where speed, flexibility, and local relationships make the difference.

As Dora writes, Razom’s work is about more than endurance. It is about ensuring Ukrainians retain agency, dignity, and the ability to hold the line – even in the dark. This winter is testing more than infrastructure. It is testing whether support for Ukraine holds when the crisis becomes chronic instead of dramatic.

Let’s be clear: Ukraine is being pushed into the cold on purpose. People are surviving because generators are running, heated shelters are standing, first responders are equipped, and communities are refusing to collapse. Razom is there – in the dark, in the cold, in action.

But this work does not continue without you. If you are waiting for the right moment to help, this is it.

Donate now. Your support funds life-saving winter response on the ground.
Share this reality. Silence benefits the aggressor.
Engage. Policy decisions made now determine survival later.

Ukraine will endure. The question is how much suffering we allow before we act.

Stand with Ukraine.
Stand with Razom.

Kharkiv: On the Frontier of Resilience

Published: January 9, 2026

Few cities embody the word frontier as powerfully as Kharkiv. It sits just 25 kilometers from the Russian border, close enough that aircraft can reach the city in minutes. It has lived under constant aerial threat since the first days of the full-scale invasion, yet it continues to function exceptionally well. Those brave enough to visit are immediately struck by the spotless streets, flowers and decorations set up to beautify areas previously scarred by missiles and drones, and punctual public transportation that was made free of charge for all residents immediately after the start of the invasion. If not for the plywood covering many windows and defensive barricades at the city’s entrance – one might think they are in a safe city in Western Europe. Much of this ability to withstand the daily attacks and offer a sense of order to the residents comes from systems the city has created in wartime – systems that allow Kharkiv to detect danger quickly, warn people in time, and respond in a coordinated way.

At the center of this effort is the Kharkiv Situational Center (KSC), the only civilian defense hub of its kind outside Kyiv. Here, a team of young civil protection workers monitors live feeds, tracks incidents on an integrated city map, and coordinates everything from utility repairs to emergency rescue.

The Heartbeat of Kharkiv

“The Situational Center is the heart of Kharkiv,” says Bohdan Gladkyh, the city’s Director for Civil Protection and head of the KSC. “It sees everything that happens in the city and directs every response – from fire brigades to medics. It’s the pulse that keeps Kharkiv alive.”

Built in just three months through a partnership of the city, local businesses, volunteers, and international donors, the KSC was a feat of wartime engineering. Not only was it considered nearly impossible to complete such a facility in this timeframe, but bringing so many services under one command to cooperate is not an easy feat in any circumstances – much less while each individual system is stressed to the maximum. But the city was able to work out a structure where the State Emergency Services, EMS, police, firefighters, and even utilities work together and coordinate seamlessly for the safety of Kharkiv residents.

Its digital map tracks every hydrant, road, and danger zone; its cameras monitor hundreds of live feeds; its analysts coordinate all emergency and utility services in real time. When an emergency situation arises – whether a complex attack on the city or a simple household fire – the staff at KSC can evaluate the situation through the live camera feeds, pull up complete information about the affected infrastructure, and dispatch necessary services (fire, medics, utilities) to the site depending on the real needs on the ground.

When war turned Kharkiv into a constant target, this “heart of the city” became its shield. But even the most sophisticated coordination system is only as strong as its communications. And in Kharkiv, when power and cell towers fall, silence can be deadly.

When the Signal Means Survival

During blackouts or heavy bombardments, mobile networks collapse within minutes. Towers fall, base stations burn out, and with them the ability to direct responders.

To close that gap, Razom provided radio repeater equipment – the backbone of a secure digital network now linking city hall, emergency services, and municipal companies. The system keeps the signal alive even when everything else fails.

“At first, our rescuers had no stable signal,” Bohdan says. “During blackouts, we were blind. Once the repeaters were installed, communication never failed again – not once.”

He remembers the night that proved just how essential that link is.

“Two months ago, during a double-tap attack, our teams were already working the site of an initial strike when a dispatcher called out on the radio: ‘Rocket incoming!’
Twenty-eight seconds later, the second missile hit. Everyone had time to get into the shelter. Every single person survived.”

A “double-tap” strike is a tactic where a second missile is launched at the same location shortly after the first, often targeting the rescuers who arrive to help. During the first impact, the explosion destroyed a nearby cell tower. As soon as the tower failed, mobile phones in the area lost service completely – even Bohdan’s two SIM cards showed no signal.

“Both of my SIM cards were dead,” Bohdan said. “The cell tower was gone. The only thing that worked was the radio network you helped us build.”

What he meant was that the only functioning communications line was the city’s digital radio network. While emergency crews were already on the ground, a dispatcher monitoring air activity saw that a second missile had been launched toward the same site. Because radios don’t rely on cell towers or commercial networks, the dispatcher was able to relay the message and every responder received it instantly. They had 28 seconds to get into a shelter. The second missile landed about 20 meters from where more than a hundred people had been standing. More than a hundred responders – utility workers, firefighters, and medics – were saved because the repeater network carried that single warning.

Today, that system covers the entire city. The mayor, department heads, and all critical service units carry connected radios. It ties directly into the automatic air-raid alert system that interrupts local radio stations to warn drivers on the road. The network is powered by generators and designed with redundancy: if one repeater goes down, another instantly takes over.

“I don’t see any alternative to digital radio communication,” Bohdan says firmly. “Without it, there is no coordination, no timely warning – and no chance to save lives.”

His conclusion is simple and urgent: every major city in Ukraine needs this system.

Innovation Beneath the Ground

That life-saving network reaches far beyond the Situational Center’s walls into Kharkiv’s schools, hospitals, and neighborhoods.

During one of our visits to the city this fall, several guided aerial bombs struck different districts just as we toured one of Kharkiv’s newly built underground schools. Sirens blared, and messages from Bohdan’s radio crackled through the thick concrete walls. Even while offsite, he was able to coordinate real-time responses across multiple impact zones – dispatching rescue crews, rerouting traffic, confirming that nearby shelters had opened to civilians.

It was a living demonstration of how vital communication is and how the city’s commitment to protection now extends below the surface of the earth.

Kharkiv’s underground schools are a direct answer to life on the front line: fully functional learning spaces that double as certified bomb shelters. Each can host 700-800 students for classes and up to 2,000 people during air raids. They are equipped with filtration systems, independent power, and water reserves. Ten are already operational, with more under construction.

One of these schools was hit directly by a missile in 2023 – and held firm.

“That was our test in real conditions,” Bohdan says. “Everything worked: the blast doors, the filters, the ventilation. The building took the hit, and everyone inside was safe.”

During each air-raid alert, hallways open to residents from nearby buildings, turning the school into a community refuge. Thanks to the same citywide communication system,

alerts arrive in time for people to reach shelter, and teachers can continue lessons safely underground. In addition to the standalone underground schools, learning spaces have also been creatively integrated into the metro stations – one of which was depicted in Kateryna Gornostai’s documentary “Timestamp”. Kharkiv’s engineers are now expanding the model even further – planning not only new schools but even the country’s first underground kindergarten. It’s education as civil defense, learning as resistance.

A City That Refuses to Break

Kharkiv’s population has shrunk by nearly half since the full-scale invasion, yet those who remain embody an unshakable resolve. Streets are cleared, utilities restored, children return to class – acts of quiet defiance performed every day under fire.

“I have made my choice,” Bohdan says simply. “I am staying.”

He has worked for the city for a decade, first in digital transformation, now in civil protection. In Ukraine, “civil protection” or “civil defense” is a function that is not administered by a single agency. It is a coordinated system that includes emergency dispatchers, firefighters, medics, utility crews, and shelter managers – the people who keep a city functioning during missile strikes, blackouts, and other crises. Essentially, it is everyone who defends the civilian population but is not in the armed forces – a role that is as important as it is demanding during a full-scale invasion. And so like many on his young team, Bohdan sleeps little, works fourteen-hour days, and endures the constant stress of alarms and loss. The hardest moments, he admits, are when children die.

“We are a frontier city – not only of defense, but of solutions,” he says. “When something breaks, Kharkiv finds a way to make it work again.”

The Situational Center’s average employee is twenty-nine years old. Together they’ve rebuilt a modern civil defense system once considered impossible. Their early-warning network has ensured that not once in the past year did a missile land in Kharkiv without a prior alert. Other municipalities now look to them as a model for resilience.

Together on the Frontier

Kharkiv stands as both shield and blueprint – proving that, even under siege, a city can innovate, organize, and care for its people. Razom is proud to have supported this frontier of resilience – to equip those who refuse to give up, who keep communication alive in blackout conditions, and who demonstrate that information, when shared swiftly and securely, saves lives.

The work that began in Kharkiv must now expand across Ukraine. The technology exists, the expertise is proven, and the will is unstoppable. What is needed is partnership – the same spirit of razom, “together,” that built the Kharkiv Situational Center in record time.

When Civic Activism Becomes a Full-Time Job, the Mission Stays the Same

Published: January 6, 2026

Ella Petrenko was 26 years old when she founded the NGO Bilozerka Center for Regional Development. What began as an after-work passion project in her home village of Shyroka Balka, Kherson Oblast, has grown into a full-fledged organization with a team of 30 employees and volunteers dedicated to empowering local communities.

“I was born in a village, studied in Kherson, but I always wanted children in villages to have access to cultural and sports opportunities,” said Petrenko. “That’s why I eventually returned to work in the village.”

Her inspiration came from youth workers and civic activists she met in Poland, Denmark, and Sakartvelo. From the very beginning, her organization has intentionally focused on rural communities. “It’s not that we purposely ignore the city of Kherson,” she explained. “It’s just that rural communities are our focus.”

The Bilozerka Center began with youth projects and educational programs. Over the years, it has expanded to support democracy development, environmental awareness, and civic participation. When Russia launched its full-scale invasion, the work of the NGO shifted dramatically. “After Feb. 24, we had to reorganize completely,” she said. “For the first time, we started distributing humanitarian aid.”

When the full-scale invasion began in 2022 and Russian forces occupied Kherson Oblast, the NGO had to adapt quickly. During the occupation, they were quietly delivering humanitarian aid.

Though Petrenko had always juggled her NGO work with a job at the Migration Service, she made a big decision in 2024 and resigned to focus on the Bilozerka Center full-time.

“That shift was a turning point for me,” she explained. “I realized that doing good work is not enough—you have to do it efficiently and sustainably.”

As the team grew and the projects expanded, so did the operational challenges. Without strong internal systems, burnout set in. “We never had written internal policies,” she said. “We always worked based on trust and intuition. But now, with a larger team and more stress, that’s not enough.”

That’s when she discovered the Sylnishi (Stronger) grant—part of Razom’s effort to build the organizational capacity of its grantee partners.

“Before, we had support from Razom for specific projects,” she said. “But the Sylnishi grant gave us something more important—support for internal growth. That’s what we were lacking.”

Through Sylnishi, the Bilozerka Center received both funding and mentorship to strengthen its strategy, fundraising, and internal communications. They reviewed their mission and goals, developed clear operational policies, and began crafting a strategy for the next three years.

“For the first time in ten years, we sat down as a team and asked ourselves who we are, what our goals are, and what we want to change in our communities,” Petrenko said. “It helped us slow down and reflect.”

One of the biggest takeaways was the importance of staff wellbeing. “We work with communities in crisis every day—violence, trauma, displacement,” she said. “But we hadn’t created any internal support systems for our team.”

With the Sylnishi support, they organized team retreats and introduced mental health resources. “Burnout was a real threat,” she admitted. “Now, we’re trying to build a healthier workplace culture.”

The grant also helped them design a new fundraising strategy. Petrenko acknowledged that previously they relied heavily on a few donors. “We want to diversify, build resilience, and engage more with the communities we serve,” she said.

Despite the challenges, Petrenko remains deeply motivated. Her hope for Ukraine’s future is rooted in the grassroots.

“I see how change starts in small communities,” she said. “It’s not just about big reforms in Kyiv. It’s about what we do in Bilozerka, in small towns and villages, every day.”

She believes that supporting local NGOs isn’t just about charity—it’s a long-term investment in Ukraine’s democratic future. “We’re the ones working with people face-to-face. We know their stories, their needs, their strengths.”

For Petrenko, civic activism is more than a job. It’s a calling.

“I don’t need to motivate myself to keep going,” she said. “When you’re surrounded by people who believe in the same things, who do their work from the heart—it gives you energy.”

Looking ahead, she hopes more organizations can access support like Sylnishi.

“These grants are about more than money,” she said. “They give us time to reflect, to grow, and to build organizations that will be here for the long run.”

With your support, Ukrainian grassroots organizations grow stronger, boosting their impact.

Pryluky: A Future Tech Hub

Published: January 5, 2026

Around the world, the cities that recovered strongest after a crisis did so by investing early in the people who would rebuild them – starting in classrooms. Through school curricula, early exposure to advanced technology created the skilled workforce that later powered entire tech-led recoveries. In the United States, some of the most successful post-industrial cities – places like Pittsburgh, Indianapolis, Raleigh, or Austin – didn’t simply “bounce back” after the decline of manufacturing. They reinvented themselves by investing early in STEM education, nurturing local talent, and treating young people not as passengers of a shrinking economy but as the architects of a new one. That reinvention rarely started in obvious “innovation centers.” It began in mid-sized cities that embraced the idea that future prosperity belongs to places that equip their youth with 21st-century skills.

In frontline-adjacent Ukraine today, we are watching something similar take root, and Razom’s STEM investments are helping accelerate that transformation. And we find one of the most inspiring examples in Pryluky, a midsize city in Chernihiv Oblast that saw Russian forces come within ten kilometers in 2022 and still manages daily blackouts. It’s not the first place you’d expect to see cutting-edge robotics education – but stepping inside Pryluky’s Lyceum #1 makes the bright future of Ukraine feel closer than ever. Razom has worked with NGO “The Generation of Success” and its founder Viktoriia Volvich to procure and supply robotics kits to the Lyceum and set up its STEM curriculum.

A Classroom Where the Future Is Being Built

The first thing you notice during one of the regular STEM class periods is a group of boys, huddled in pairs around robot dogs – small, bright creatures made of plastic. Each duo’s face is scrunched up in concentration as they race to beat their classmates and be the first ones to complete the small robot. Thirteen-year-old Zakhar assembled it in just two 30-minute class periods. “It’s a robot dog,” he explains, carefully placing it on the table. “It can spin around and jump like a little projectile.”

When asked how he managed to assemble it so quickly in only his second robotics lesson, he answers simply: “My teacher explained how to do it, and the instructions helped.” He shrugs while responding, a gesture aimed at making it seem like it isn’t a big deal – yet the speed with which the kids grasped the intricacies of motors, sensors, and microcontrollers is nothing short of astonishing. Soon, their next robotics project will up the ante by including coding lessons that will allow the students to program a more complex robot to perform various actions.

But what’s striking about Zakhar is not just his competence, but his clarity about the future he wants to help build. “I think Ukraine will be strong,” he says. “A big, unbreakable country that will win.” He says this while holding the robot he built himself – a small but meaningful sign of what confidence looks like when paired with opportunity.

The teacher Zakhar speaks about is the STEM instructor Oleksii Ivanovych. Before Razom funded robotics kits, he had shown great creativity by teaching robotics concepts using cardboard, scrap wood, and improvised materials. He always believed his students deserved real tools that matched their curiosity. Now that the kits are here, he sees their impact immediately: “We’re finally keeping up with the modern world,” he says. “This equipment teaches kids to think critically, work in teams, discuss problems, and solve them.”

Instead of abstract theory, students now rotate through:

multi-level robotics sets
microcontrollers
motion and temperature sensors
3D printing and laser engraving modules

When asked how the students respond, he smiles. “They love it. They want to come to this class. They’re excited to work and to learn.” He emphasizes that robotics should not just be an elective – it’s foundational. “Robotics is everywhere now,” he says. “Medicine, logistics, industry – almost no field works without it anymore.” For a teacher who once taught mechanical movement using syringes and paper, having proper tools is transformative – for him and for his students. To show his gratitude, Oleksii Ivanovych surprises us with a gift – a laser engraved Razom logo, created using the equipment purchased through the grant program.

While Oleksii Ivanovych pours his heart into his students during each class, it is the Lyceum’s Principal Olena Rohaliova who works tirelessly behind the scenes to ensure the school has the best resources possible. So when the NGO “The Generation of Success” leader Viktoriia brought Razom’s grant opportunity to her, the decision was immediate. “This has been my dream for a long time,” she admits. “I wanted modern STEM education, but without equipment, there was no way to make it real.”

The moment the grant was approved, she convened an emergency meeting of the school’s pedagogical council and rewrote the school’s educational program to officially introduce robotics as a full course – something no other school in the city had done. “Ukrainian schools often don’t prepare students for real life. We have to give them knowledge that feels meaningful — something interesting enough to pull them away from their phones and into thinking, problem-solving, creating.” For Principal Rohaliova, Razom’s support wasn’t just a material investment – it was a catalyst. “Every dollar you invested is working at 200%,” she says. “You helped make our dream real – not just mine, but our teachers’, our students’, and their parents’.”

And parents definitely feel the positive impact as well. We caught up with Liudmyla, whose eighth-grade son Serhiy attends Lyceum #1. Liudmyla works at the local radio station, which during the first days of the full-scale invasion served as an air raid alert system for the city. This woman with a delicate, melodic voice but with steel character shares how she refused to leave the city as the Russian forces approached and slept at the studio in order to be able to keep the residents safe and informed. Liudmyla understands the importance of technology firsthand, so for her STEM education isn’t abstract — it’s a stabilizing force.

“It’s incredibly hard to motivate kids to learn right now,” she says. “The air-raid alarms, the time spent in shelters… Even though the school’s shelter is wonderful, learning underground is still learning under stress.” But STEM changed something for her son. “STEM helps them understand why they’re learning,” she explains. “They study something in class, then they apply it immediately — they build a project, run an experiment, create a model. It has a direct effect on motivation.” She also notes the sense of accomplishment: “When you’ve built something with your own hands and see the result, it inspires you to do more. STEM doesn’t force kids — it inspires them.” For her son, a naturally thoughtful and responsible teenager, this class gave him a place to test ideas, work with others, and see himself as someone capable of creating solutions.

The parents are not the only ones whose dedication to Pryluky is striking. The robotics program at Lyceum #1 began with local NGO leader Viktoriia, whose love for her city is immediate and unmistakable. “I’m really just a fan of this community,” she says. “I believe young people move Ukraine forward.” Her son’s interest in robotics and her exposure to U.S. exchange programs convinced her that students in Pryluky deserved the same opportunities as students in American schools. She sought out a teacher with passion (she found one), a school ready to change (she convinced one), and equipment that could transform everything (Razom provided it). The result was a project that, in her words, “made kids want to stay in the classroom even during recess to keep building.”

Scaling Up: “Education on Wheels”

What began in Lyceum #1 has now expanded across the city through a second NGO’s program called “Освіта на колесах” (“Education on Wheels”). Coordinator Diana explains the vision: “Kids in a city like Pryluky should have the same opportunities as kids in the capital city of Kyiv,” she says simply.

Their NGO model:

trains computer science teachers citywide
shares microcontroller boards for learning coding and electronics and robotics kits across all schools
rotates equipment every two months
provides full lesson plans and methodology
ensures access even during blackouts by offering backup learning spaces

Diana’s motivation is rooted in wartime experience. “Our path through 2022 shaped who we are now,” she says. “It taught us how to adapt, how to organize, how to keep educating kids even when everything around us was falling apart.” This program didn’t just expand STEM – it built a citywide community of teachers and students learning together, sharing tools, and raising the bar for what’s possible.

What’s happening in Pryluky is more than a robotics class. It’s a blueprint for rebuilding a country from the inside out. Future drone engineers, medical roboticists, software developers, cybersecurity specialists, and startup founders start here, with a robot dog that sparks interest, a teacher who finally has the right tools, and an NGO leader unwilling to accept “impossible”. This is Razom’s model in motion: a small, catalytic investment leads to local leadership, which in turn generates exponential community impact.

Principal Rohaliova said it best: “We had the people. We had the ideas. But these kits from Razom made it possible to bring it all to life.” That is how future tech hubs begin – in the classrooms of cities some might overlook, but where hope, skill, and determination are already abundant.

We invite you to become a part of making dreams come true and helping children prepare for the future in which they apply their skills and knowledge to advancing the techonolgical innovation for a peceful, secure, and prosperous Ukraine.