Peremoha is the Ukrainian word for Victory.
The Peremoha Mini-Grants program was launched in the summer of 2022 in response to the Russian military invasion of Ukraine. Returned Peace Corps Volunteers can apply together with a Ukrainian partner they worked with in some way during their service. Funding priorities for the program include humanitarian aid to Ukrainian communities, and projects in alignment with sectors previously implemented by Peace Corps Ukraine: community development, youth development, education, and HIV/AIDS prevention and treatment. We are proud to share with you the stories of the Alliance's Peremoha grantees.
RPCV: Cassandra Pali, Community Development, 2010-2012
Ukrainian Partner: Juliy, Director of Projects at a nonprofit organization
Region: Dnipropetrovsk Oblast
With the outbreak of full-scale war in 2022, a small community organization serving the local youth in a centrally located city of Dnipropetrovsk Oblast rapidly expanded to serve all of its community members and numerous internally displaced people. It became a pass-through center for people of all ages who were experiencing extreme stress and disruptions to their usual healthcare access as they journeyed westward toward safer parts of the country. While the organization worked to accommodate this growing need, it became immediately clear that they did not have the resources to help in case of cardiac arrest—there was not a single defibrillator in any public space in the entire city.
Cassandra, RPCV 2010-2012, and her Ukrainian colleague Juliy used Peremoha mini-grant funds to purchase a defibrillator for the organization. A first aid instructor from the Red Cross Society of Ukraine trained nine key staff members on how to use the equipment. People across the city are now aware of where they may access a defibrillator if the need arises. Cassandra calls it a "life-saving upgrade".
In the past, Cassandra also raised funds to help purchase and install a professional water purification system for the drinking water at the community organization, benefiting the entire local community.
Through the purchase of Babusya's Kitchen cookbook and your generous donations, you enable us to continue to provide humanitarian aid to Ukraine and fund projects like this one to help protect Ukraine’s future.