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: Cortney Copeland, Community Development, 2017-2019

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: Diana Diodosio, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, 2006-2008

Ukrainian Partner: Inna, Community Volunteer and Project Manager

Region: Sumska Oblast

Diana (RPCV 2006-2008) taught English as a second language in a border town that has now been designated a combat zone. Since the full-scale invasion by Russia in February 2022, the town has lost several houses in the outskirts and experienced shelling in and around the city center and (now repaired) damage to its communications tower. In March of 2022, Russian soldiers, tanks and equipment seized control for a short time. Ukrainian forces reclaimed the area; however, as a result of its border proximity and the location of the regional communications tower, attacks are frequent. After months of shelling, the community’s hospital was heavily damaged in November of 2022. By March of 2023, a large portion of downtown was destroyed, including one of the schools. Although this town lacks strategic or military significance, shelling is lamentably still a regular occurrence into 2024 as Russia pushes forward a campaign of terror on civilians. Despite these difficult circumstances, this town and its inhabitants continue to be resilient. One indicator is the town’s community center.

The center was built in 2014, just after Russia’s annexation of Crimea and outbreak of war in the Donbas, to help locals thrive in a time of crisis. The community center has a large network that spans to neighboring towns, and engages the community by organizing volunteers and conducting community outreach projects. The center is able to act quickly and adjust to people’s needs because of this extensive network. One of the most important projects involves canning.  Being under constant attack, many citizens lose some of their crops and thus their means of survival during winter months. Volunteers bring in portions of their harvested vegetables and spend time building bonds and strengthening their willpower through conversation while cooking and canning tomatoes, mushrooms, cucumbers, cabbage, etc. to be distributed to others who have had their fields destroyed. In addition, groups of citizens create clean-up crews to remove debris and dig out the homes and businesses of their neighbors and community after devastating shelling. Local construction crews often volunteer time and supplies to assist in repairing and rebuilding damaged structures. Other areas of work include finding appropriate short-term housing for people in need, creating youth art and educational projects, reaching out to lonely individuals on the holidays, and giving out clothes, food, and medicine to neighboring communities and people in need.

Studying the contents of first aid kits

Unfortunately, due to the war, there are rolling blackouts in the town that interrupt this important work. Furthermore, as locals are dealing with more attacks and often shelter in place, they need to learn skills such as healthily processing stressful situations and first aid/CPR. To sustain their efforts while under constant bombardment, the community members need a place with a reliable energy supply, and the ability to address the physical and mental wounds created by the war.

Diana worked with Inna, a local community volunteer and project manager, to ensure the community center can receive what it needs to continue its work with the locals. She requested funds for a generator to provide backup power, and workshops to train locals on emergency first aid and how to cope with stress.

Inna’s team received $1000 through a Peremoha Mini-Grant:

• $600 in grant funds to purchase a generator to be used by residents during power outages and for residents who lost building capacity during shelling.
• $82 to pay lecturers for 15 workshops on emergency first aid training and how to manage and cope with stress.
• $22 to pay a driver to transport workshop attendees from smaller surrounding villages to her town to attend the workshops.
• $48 to pay for fuel to transport workshop attendees as well as some fuel for the generator so that it will be ready to use during emergencies.
• $248 to pay an electrician for parts and labor to set up a new electrical box that is designated for use with the generator. This box allows the kitchen to run safely on the generator and protects appliances from being destroyed by a surge when power returns. New wire was also run to power specific lighting in the shelter space while it is being run by the generator.

 Although the price of generators rose after the initial award was made, the community was able to crowdfund for the difference and complete their project. 

 RPCV: Christina Taylor, Youth Development, 2017-2020

Ukrainian Partner: Natalia, Head of PR and Fundraising Department

Region: Lviv Oblast

With 10 years of war and the ongoing violence of the full-scale invasion that started February 24, 2022, Russia has caused a massive humanitarian crisis in Ukraine. About 30% of Ukrainians have been internally displaced.[1] Lviv region alone has welcomed about 400,000 people, 20,000 of whom are impaired or developed a disability as a result of the hostilities. The internally displaced are settling down in dorms, schools, and other government facilities reequipped to host refugees.

To cater to the basic needs of people with disabilities, Dzherelo Centre, a charity institution in Lviv, launched a comprehensive emergency response program. In the framework of this program, families with children living with disabilities can receive crisis services of social workers, specialized consultations of specialists, aid according to the identified acute needs of the child (e.g. hearing aids, wheelchairs, etc.), and humanitarian aid.

Ukraine RPCV Christina Taylor and her counterpart Natalia used Peremoha grant funding to provide humanitarian aid. Their project provided food items to 100 families of children with disabilities. Workers and staff of Dzherelo packed the food kits themselves after purchasing the groceries. Packaging materials were generously donated to the center by another benefactor.

One food kit included:

·       Tea—1 pack

·       Sugar—1 kg

·       Instant oatmeal—5 packs (5 portions)

·       Cereal bar—1 pcs

·       Breakfast cereals—2 packs

·       Canned goulash—1 can

·       Canned salmon with paprika—1 can

·       Cookies—2 packs

·       Halva with vanilla—1 pack

·       Crispbreads—1 pack

·       Instant noodles—1 pack

·       Chocolate spread—1 can

·       Instant coffee—1 pack

·       Children’s cocoa drink—1 pack

These packages helped families ease the financial burden of meeting their basic needs, since many have lost their main source of income. Dzherelo's psychologists are helping the families address their stress and trauma, while the center provides much needed social services for children with disabilities. These services will help sustain these families while they settle down in their new place of residence.

[1] https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/ukraine/#:~:text=One%20third%20of%20Ukraine's%20total,inside%20Ukraine%20with%20humanitarian%20assistance.

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.

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: Claire St. Amant, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, 2008-2009

Ukrainian Partner: Oksana, School Headmaster

Region: Ivano-Frankivsk Oblast

As of November 2023, there are nearly 3.7 million internally displaced people in Ukraine (UNHCR Flash Update). Many of these people have children who require schooling, which means that schools across Ukraine need to provide for potentially hundreds of new students. 

Claire served in a small town of about 9,000 people in western Ukraine, which took in a number of displaced people fleeing the war. There is only one school in the town. It provides education for kindergarten through high school. With a staff of 100 people, the school is one of the primary employers in the town with strong ties throughout the community. The school has about 900 students, which means 11% of the town's population uses the school for education or for their work.

A festive day at Claire's school.

Children and teachers are continuing to work and learn in very difficult conditions. They frequently lose power and have limited access to reliable heating. During air raids, children need to stay in the basement for their own safety. Attacks on civilian areas of Ukraine are again increasing - the UNHCR's latest Ukraine Situation Update notes an increasing number of attacks on both civilian areas and energy sector facilities as we head into winter. In fact, on November 2nd, 2023, Russian forces conducted more than 118 bombardments in Ukrainian towns and villages over 24 hours - the highest daily number of attacks in the year thus far - with both frontline and non-frontline areas affected (UNHCR Flash Update).

Given the risk of attack, the town’s children often spend hours at a time in the school basement. Therefore, it is necessary to provide them and their teachers with a way to cook food, a projector to enhance education, and medical supplies in case there is a medical emergency while underground. Claire and the headmaster of her school, Oksana, used Peremoha grant funds to help the school create a better learning environment for students while they continue to learn in the school’s basement. These supplies are important in case of blackouts; people will have a warm place to sleep and are able to cook food when they need to stay underground for hours on end.

• $590 in grant funds were used to purchase a projector. Students can now watch various educational video programs and even cartoons while they sit in the shelter for hours on end.

• $275 was spent on medical devices for the shelter. These are important in case of  illness or accidents. These medical devices include different types of bandages, blood pressure cuffs, thermometers, etc.

• $615 was spent on 5 sleeping bags, 10 seat caremats (mats to ease foot and leg pain when standing for long periods of time– often used while cooking), and a portable gas stove for making food in the shelter.
   

Pictured: First aid supplies and portable light

Pictured: Projector, sleeping bags, caremats, gas stove with fuel
 

   
Claire is currently working on a new fundraiser with Ukrainian Action to purchase laptops and printers for her school. The campaign will run December 1st -31st, 2023, to raise $3,000. Click here to read more about her campaign.

Photo taken during Claire's service. Note the message written in English on the blackboard: "Claire! Thank you very much!"

If you are interested in doing a partnered campaign with Ukrainian Action, you can find instructions in the third content block of our May 2023 Alliance newsletter.

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.

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 have worked with in some way during their past 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: Katherine Braga, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, 2011-2013

Ukrainian Partner: Lesia, teacher

Region: Romny, Sumy Oblast

More than 10 million Ukrainians (nearly a quarter of the population) were left without power in the first winter of Putin’s war on Ukraine^[1]. Russia’s continuous attack on Ukraine’s power grid throughout the winter meant that civilians were often deprived of basic services and needs such as electricity, water, and heat. With bomb shelters usually located under ground, losing electricity often meant hours of sitting in a dark, cramped and crowded room dependent only on battery power to operate phones, lights, etc. With sub-zero temperatures, losing access to heat often meant life-threatening conditions and mentally traumatic experiences.

RPCV Katherine Braga and Ukrainian teacher Lesia received a Peremoha Mini-Grant to replace and purchase new equipment to heat and provide lighting for five air raid shelters located in one of the schools in the town of Romny, Sumy Oblast. These five shelters serve about 1,000 school children, teachers, and school staff as well as surrounding community members and internally displaced families. When the community is lucky, the shelters are only used 7-10 hours per week. However, they are often used for 4-5 hours per day.

The Town of Romny is located in the northeastern Ukrainian region of Sumy and has a population of nearly 40,000. With Russia’s rapid advance into Ukraine in the Spring of 2022, Romny found itself on a main transit route used by Russian forces to move military equipment from the border to Kyiv. The town’s strategic location meant that it was mostly spared from violent attacks, but often surrounded by hostile forces. Furthermore, as Russia’s troops sought to control other parts of Sumy Oblast, Romny was subject to many air raids throughout the winter - air raids that continue to this day. 

Sadly, School No. 8 of Romny was bombed by a Russian drone on August 23, 2023. The attack killed the head teacher, her deputy, a secretary, and librarian. This adds to the more than 360 educational facilities that have been completely destroyed in Ukraine and more than 3,000 that have been damaged during the war with Russia.^[2] We mourn these losses even as we are relieved Lesia's school remains intact. 

 With the Peremoha Mini-Grant, Lesia was able to purchase 20 energy efficient lamps, 5 powerful heaters, 7 lamps with power accumulators and chargers, 2 portable power banks, and 100 liters of fuel.

The energy efficient lamps are installed in the school’s canteen, which serves as one of the shelters. The old lamps there used so much electricity that the generator couldn’t work properly, so improving efficiency was a high priority. The powerful heaters are used in the two coldest and wettest shelters located outside the school. The lamps with accumulators have solar panels. Since they are portable, they can be used to light the shelters, and also be moved to light the classrooms when the school is operating without electricity. The power banks are used to charge mobile devices, the portable lamps, or as a source for other electrical needs that arise. 

Sumy Oblast has hosted dozens of Peace Corps Volunteers since the launch of Peace Corps Ukraine in 1992. As a community, Romny has opened its hearts and doors to five Volunteers who have collectively called the town their home for over a decade.

Click the video below for a short message from the children of Romny:

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: Kirsten Dyck, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, 2017-2019

Ukrainian Partner: Iryna, volunteer group organizer

Region: Poltava Oblast

Ukrainian winters get as cold as -4 degrees Fahrenheit. Russia has attacked Ukraine’s power grid repeatedly since February 2022, violating international laws of war and leaving thousands of Ukrainian civilians vulnerable to extreme winter temperatures[1]. Unreliable heat and power force many Ukrainian civilians to seek aid to stay warm.

Among the most vulnerable are Ukraine’s internally displaced people (IDPs). As of May 2023, 5.1 million Ukrainian IDPs– over 11% of Ukraine’s pre-war population–had fled war-torn regions and relocated to safer areas of the country[2]. Almost overnight, many Ukrainian schools and universities converted their facilities into temporary housing and bomb shelters for these refugees. Ukraine’s schools and universities have also absorbed teachers and students from conflict zones, sharing their buildings so IDP students can continue to learn.

RPCV Kirsten Dyck's former site in Poltava region is one such university. It houses many students and teachers from an evacuated university in the Donbas region. The basement serves as a shelter for all of its original students and teachers, as well as students from the evacuated university, a nearby grade school, and locals who live in nearby apartment buildings and work in nearby businesses. This basement, however, lacks central heat. As the cold weather returned in late 2022, the space became increasingly unsuitable for prolonged habitation.

Kirsten and some of her students during her service (2017-2019)

Dr. Iryna and her community volunteer group worked with Kirsten to receive blankets, candles, space heaters, portable batteries for heating purposes, and a backup generator to help heat the basement. They also received power banks to charge smartphones and other devices, so people can maintain electronic communication during emergencies and power outages. Some funds were used to rent a space for a local youth club and to purchase art supplies for youth after-school activities led by university students.

Through your generous donations and the purchase of the Babusya’s Kitchen cookbook, we were able to fund this grant and help hundreds of people have a safer winter. Thank you for your support.

[1] https://www.hrw.org/news/2022/12/06/ukraine-russian-attacks-energy-grid-threaten-civilians

[2]https://www.unrefugees.org/emergencies/ukraine/#:~:text=There%20are%20nearly%205.1%20million,(as%20of%20May%202023).

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: Ashley Wichman, Community Development, 2013-2014

Ukrainian Partner: Nina, Nonprofit Director 

Region: Sumy Oblast

Ashley had the joy of serving in Sumy and helping out with several types of projects during her (too short!) service. 

Her primary hosting partner was Nina (first name only to protect our Ukrainian colleagues), the Director of a local NGO focused on protecting the rights of children and families. Ashley helped support fundraising and grant writing before she was emergency evacuated with all Peace Corps Volunteers who served in 2014. Even though Ashley was unable to serve the full term, she was able to return to Sumy and visit Nina in 2017. 

Nina has stayed in Sumy region during the invasion, continuing her tireless work to support the most vulnerable in the community and to promote community development projects.

Nina is now the Director of another NGO, which used the Peremoha Mini Grant funds to provide both near-term and long-term support to the Sumy region:

Immediate humanitarian assistance

• Conducted a needs assessment in three towns: Krasnopillia, Sadivska, Okhtyrka
• Purchased and distributed 22 blankets, 44 pairs of winter socks, and 2 blanket + pillow sets to 22 vulnerable residents, all who are over age 60

Long-term civil society development

• Conducted 3 leadership and civil society trainings for youth, focused on: conflict resolution, grant writing, fundraising, communications, crisis management and strategic management skills.
  
  

  One of the youth trainings conducted in Okhtyrka

As Nina wrote in the grant report, “The war caused significant damage to Ukraine - infrastructural damage, destruction, and mass evacuation of the civilian population. It became a test for local self-government, but also encouraged communities to strengthen their own potential and play an important role in ensuring the stability of the country.

Nina and the NGO look forward to continuing their work to support sustainable community engagement, both during the conflict and especially beyond. 

You can follow the work of Iryna's NGO on Facebook and via their website. 

The RPCV Alliance for Ukraine is able to make grants thanks to proceeds raised by sales of the Babusya's Kitchen Cookbook and your additional donations. Please give today!  

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 have 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: Geoffrey Glenn, Community Development, 2016-2018, current Virtual Service Pilot Participant 

Ukrainian Partner: Mykola - Past Director, current Board of Directors member of NGO Dobrochyn

Region: Rivnenska Oblast

In response to the terrorist bombing of critical civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, regional government and non-governmental organizations have developed a network of warming shelters and distribution centers known as "Points of Invincibility" (Пункти Незламності). These centers serve the needs of the local population by providing heat and electricity to civilians when there are blackouts or brownouts (drop in voltage in an electrical power supply system) due to severe weather or military events. By providing a place to be warm in the winter and to charge electrical devices, these centers are especially important for the elderly, health impaired, and bedridden. 

Mykola, in coordination with NGO Dobrochyn and the city of Dubno Charitable Foundation Dobrobut, secured a location for a new Point of Invincibility in the city of Dubno. With the Peremoha grant, they bought a portable recharging station, thermal hot water tank, and electrical convection heaters. 

People of Dubno with supplies for a new community heating and recharging center 

Dubno is logistically centered at the crossroads of three main highway systems. Because of its location, the new Point of Invincibility will ultimately serve a larger population of persons who are in transit and seeking temporary services in the Dubno region. To date, there are approximately 3,500 displaced families/persons residing in Dubno,  and there are not enough Points of Invincibility to serve the population. For people already living in compromised situations, in transit, or in temporary shelters, these Points are critical to sustaining life and communication with family and loved ones. Points of Invincibility not only serve a practical purpose in response to local needs, but also offer social and communal support.

Unfortunately, nobody knows when the war will end - but Points of Invincibility will help hundreds of Ukrainians keep warm in the winter and keep in touch with loved ones, helping those who need it most throughout the war.

This project is one of several that Geoffrey and his colleagues in Dubno have worked on together - and you can hear about both of the Peremoha grants they've been awarded in this video published by Dobrobut (in English with Ukrainian subtitles). 

The RPCV Alliance for Ukraine is able to make grants thanks to proceeds raised by sales of the Babusya's Kitchen Cookbook and your additional donations. Please give today!  

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 could apply together with a Ukrainian partner they had worked with in some way during their service. Funding priorities for the program included 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: Paige Barrows (TEFL)

Ukrainian Partner: Olya, teacher and volunteer

Region: Cherkaska Oblast

Paige and her Peace Corps counterpart Olya applied for the mini-grant with the plan to provide aid to more than 500 internally displaced Ukrainians living in their village.

Since the beginning of the war, Paige has been raising money in the US and sending it to her counterpart. She and a group of teachers, all from the school where she worked, have been working tirelessly to purchase items and provide care for families from the north, east, and south of Ukraine, as well as reserve military units previously staged nearby. They have been able to provide food, toiletries, clothing, and other essentials to thousands in their centrally-located community.

The $1,125 from this grant has been used to purchase several items for an area constructed as a community space for refugees. They can cook, relax, and gather in this area. Many of them are living with other families, so it also gives them a bit more living space in case they are feeling cramped or like a burden living in someone else's home. 

Paige and her counterpart wanted to purchase items that could be used by many people and could provide sustainable aid to those in need.

The items purchased with the grant funds are:

- a refrigerator

- a meat grinder

- two water coolers

- one large electric kettle

- two regular electric kettles

- materials to complete the communal area

Through additional fundraising, Paige was recently able to supply the community center, as well as the homes of refugees, with 22 pots, 23 frying pans, and 22 teapots (non-electric due to frequent power outages).

If you'd like to provide direct help to Ukrainians, she encourages you to support a couple of her friends in Ukraine who have been working tirelessly to provide for community members and deliver humanitarian aid to the front lines:
 

Hug Me Foundation (Фонд Обійми мене) 
Founder: Alla Kalytochka
Paypal: @foundhugme

Bread of Synelnykov Foundation (Фонд Паляниця Синельниківщини)
Founder: Serhii Komnarenko
Paypal: skomnarenko@gmail.com

The RPCV Alliance for Ukraine is able to make grants thanks to proceeds raised by sales of the Babusya's Kitchen Cookbook and your additional donations. Please give today! 

 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 could apply together with a Ukrainian partner they had worked with in some way during their service. Funding priorities for the program included 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: Sarah Friedman (TEFL, 2011-2014)

   Ukrainian Partner: Lidiia, Educator

   Region: Poltavska Oblast

While working in Ukraine with the Peace Corps, I lived in a small town with an excellent school. I taught there for three years. After leaving Ukraine, one of my fellow teachers, Lidiia, became the school principal. She said if I send her donations, she will be able to give them directly to students. Because my town is smaller, it’s accepting internally displaced students (IDS) from across Ukraine. At the time we submitted the grant application, Lidiia's school had taken in about 60 kids, but she said that, as the war continues, there will probably be more (and that has proven to be the case). 

“We are hiding periodically in bunkers but still teaching children online. My teachers work from home, my supervisors and I work from school. We have learnt to go very quickly in the street between the signals of sirens, to sleep half dressed, to take a shower in 3 minutes, not to leave dirty dishes, because we are not sure that we will be able to wash up later, we have learnt thousands of things which didn't exist in the normal life. But we have learnt to appreciate simple joys like to awaken, to be able to clean teeth, to wash clothes, not to be hungry. ”—Lidiia, school principal.

I asked Lidiia what we can buy to help her help the children who were forced out of their hometowns and are in need of an education. She said she is building a classroom for her students. Parents and other volunteers around the town offered to help repair old desks so she wouldn't have to buy new ones. She also found people who would repair lights in the newly furnished classroom. We applied to the Peremoha Mini-Grants program and received a grant for $1,500. Lidiia raised the rest of the money to create a new classroom for her students. A quick thinker, she asked for funds for a computer, printer, and laminator so she could copy materials as more students came to her school. She also asked for a speaker to help make announcements through the school for student safety. 

This speaker is important for safety announcements. Students may need to take shelter at a moment's notice. 

300 students now go to Lidiia's school while hundreds are still learning online from home. To ensure student safety, she is creating a classroom in the basement and creating a second exit to the school. Once construction is finished, her school will be the safest place for anyone to be in the town.

The video at below shows her hard work:

The RPCV Alliance for Ukraine is able to make grants thanks to proceeds raised by sales of the Babusya's Kitchen Cookbook and your additional donations. Please give today! 

 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 could apply together with a Ukrainian partner they had worked with in some way during their service. Funding priorities for the program included 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: Violet Esipila, Youth Development 2017-2019, Response 2019-2020

Ukrainian Partner: Olena, advocate and leader of NGO "Smile of a Child - Inclusion Mykolaiv"

Region: Mykolaivska Oblast

After completing two years of service in a small, central Ukrainian village, Violet Esipila continued her service as a Peace Corps Response Volunteer and moved to the large southern city of Mykolaiv. There, she worked with the organization Smile of a Child - Inclusion Mykolaiv to support parents and caregivers of children with disabilities. Today, Mykolaiv is on the front lines of the war with invading Russian forces. Since the beginning of the invasion, the city has  sustained significant infrastructure damage. For many people with disabilities, leaving is not an option - evacuation is too difficult. Now, the coming winter brings with it the threat of living in damaged buildings without consistent power for heating. 

Violet (second from right) with the Inclusion Mykolaiv team during her service in 2020. Photo credit: Olena's son, Alex

From the very beginning of the invasion, Violet took action to support the team at Inclusion Mykolaiv. She helped them develop their online presence and raise funds to provide food and medicine. 

"Prior to war, the parents and caregivers would receive free medication from local resources," she shared. "Because of the current war, all rehabilitation facilities are closed, majority of parents and caregivers have lost the financial resources to continue to provide resources for their children... they are worried about the
incoming winter and due to high gas prices for heating households." 
 

To complement her direct fundraising, Violet applied for a Peremoha Mini-Grant and was awarded $1,500. The funds were used to purchase warm winter blankets from a domestic Ukrainian supplier who offered a discount on shipping. 50 families - clients of Inclusion Mykolaiv - received the blankets free of charge. Remaining funds were used to purchase medications. 

One of Ukraine's popular media outlets, Suspilne Media, published a Ukrainian-language news story about the project: Допомога волонтерів із США. Миколаївським дітям з інвалідністю подарували ковдри. 
 

"Our building was damaged by shelling, but it didn't hit our floor - the windows are intact. But we're preparing for the possible cold weather. We ordered heaters, and the blankets we received today will be useful", shared a parent quoted in the Suspilne article. 

Photo courtesy of Smile of a Child - Inclusion Mykolaiv

Ukraine now faces what will likely be the most challenging winter since its independence in 1991. Organizations like Inclusion Mykolaiv, and the RPCVs that work with them, will have to continue to adapt and respond to what were once unimaginable circumstances. However, we know we are in it together. 
 

The RPCV Alliance for Ukraine is able to make grants thanks to proceeds raised by sales of the Babusya's Kitchen Cookbook and your additional donations. Please give today! 

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 could apply together with a Ukrainian partner they had worked with in some way during their service. Funding priorities for the program included 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: Chris Smith, TEFL 2004-2006

Ukrainian Partner: Tetiana, teacher and volunteer

Region: Khmelnytska Oblast

Grassroots volunteer efforts are a core part of Ukraine’s response to the Russian military invasion and resulting humanitarian crisis. RPCV Chris Smith used a Peremoha Mini-Grant to support the impressive volunteer work of teachers at the lyceum where Chris once served as a TEFL Volunteer. The teachers there have been mobilizing since February 2022 and providing portable, preserved food for delivery to areas experiencing food shortages due to acute conflict. 

A volunteer dressed in Ukraine’s national colors receives jars of stew to preserve.

The teachers donate their time to collect food and jars from the community and prepare nourishing meals like meat stew and shelf-stable dried breakfast pouches. Once ready, the preserved food is stored at the lyceum, where national volunteer groups pick it up and deliver it to eastern Ukraine and other places in need.

Preparing salo, or cured pork fat, a nutrient-dense staple of Ukrainian cuisine that requires no refrigeration.

While many ingredients were generously donated by volunteers and local residents - some even giving vegetables from their home gardens - funds were needed to purchase jars, lids, and fuel for transportation, along with harder-to-get items like meat and salo, which were purchased at a discount from supportive local vendors. With Peremoha grant funding, the volunteer team was able to prepare 853 jars of stew and approximately 90 liters of salo. All of this food was then transported to some of the hardest-hit places in eastern Ukraine. 

Loading up food for delivery to those in need.

According to research by the World Food Programme, approximately one in three Ukrainians faces food insecurity, with the situation being worse in the south and east of the country due to sustained attacks. Half of the people remaining in these areas are food insecure, and those who have been displaced face an elevated risk of hunger as well. Efforts like the one organized by Tetiana and her fellow lyceum teachers are lifelines that bring food to where it is most urgently needed. 

The RPCV Alliance for Ukraine is able to make grants thanks to proceeds raised by sales of the Babusya's Kitchen Cookbook and your additional donations. Please give today! 

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 could apply together with a Ukrainian partner they had worked with in some way during their service. Funding priorities for the program included 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: Denise Capelli, Community Development 2015-2017

Ukrainian Partner: Maryana,  Carpathian National Nature Park (CNNP) recreation department worker & nonprofit leader

Region: Ivano-Frankviska Oblast

Denise and her counterpart Maryana completed two successful SPA (Small Project Assistance) grant projects in the Ivano-Frankvisk region during her Peace Corps service between 2015 and 2017. When the Alliance for Ukraine announced its Peremoha mini-grants program shortly after the full-scale invasion by Russia started in 2022, Denise and Maryana knew they wanted to reunite and put their skills to work again to support their community. There was an urgent need for a new high-functioning stove to support 8,963 internally displaced people (IDPs) from the Luhansk, Donetsk, Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Kherson regions. Many people fled to the Carpathian Mountains to find refuge in Maryana's small mountain city of approximately 8,044 citizens - doubling its population overnight and adding an incredible amount of stress to the population.

Photo of Denise and her counterpart during her service

Some IDPs that fled to the town were using their own savings to rent accommodations on their own, but were running out of money, and needed support from the town council. The remaining IDPs had been taking refuge in the town’s schoolhouse and were using the stove in the small camp-- an old school kitchen. Using the school to house and feed people was a viable solution over summer break, but in September, 700 kids needed to return to their studies, and the IDPs were going to be moved to the town’s wellness center, which had no cooking source. The updated stove was needed to provide hot meals to all IDPS and the displaced children that would be attending school. The stove would be the primary cooking source for the remainder of their stay. 

The stove that will help thousands of people

With hard work, and the Peremoha mini-grants program, Denise and Maryana were able to partner with NGO Promo Carpathians to buy the stove and new pots, pans, and utensils for everyone to use. This gesture eased the financial and emotional stress of many people. The IDPs will most likely remain in the town long after the war is over, because their own towns will need time to rebuild. However, when life returns to normal, the stove will remain as a source of comfort and will continue to provide warm meals to Kindergarten school children for years to come. Denise and Maryana are grateful they could do their part to support people impacted by the war, and are thankful to the Alliance for the opportunity!

The pots and pans bought through the grant

The RPCV Alliance for Ukraine is able to make grants thanks to proceeds raised by sales of the Babusya's Kitchen Cookbook and your additional donations. Please give today!  

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 could apply together with a Ukrainian partner they had worked with in some way during their service. Funding priorities for the program included 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: Abigail Nutsubidze, MSW, LICSW, Teaching English as a Foreign Language, Peace Corps Response, 2010-2014

Ukrainian Partner: Lidia, Co-Director of “Nadezhda” Children’s Social Rehabilitation Center (Nadia Center)

Region: Poltavs'ka Oblast

During Abigail’s service in Ukraine, she became involved in a partnership with Nadia Center, an orphanage for children who were unable to be reunified with their birth families. Approximately 20-30 children lived at Nadia Center at any given time and the organization provided trauma-informed care to promote holistic rehabilitation. The goal was for the children to either be adopted or successfully transitioned into the community as adults. Together, Abby and the orphanage leadership completed grant projects to obtain clean drinking water, summer camp programming, weekly programming involving community youth volunteers, and events to support and foster sustainable development of the organization. Abigail and Nadia Center remained in contact even after she completed her service in Ukraine.

As the full-scale invasion started in Ukraine in early 2022, Lidia and the children from Nadia Center were able to safely evacuate the country. The children remain safe and cared for abroad. Nadia Center’s facility has since been repurposed to host internally displaced people (IDPs) from eastern Ukraine, and remaining staff members ensure the organization can serve as a resource center for refugees as they flee to safety. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, more than 3,000 people have sought refuge there and/or received food, clothing, supplies, and other support from Nadia Center.

Currently, 32 IDPs, including 9 children and 10 elders from Ukraine’s combat zone, are sheltered at Nadia Center. All of them suffered great losses from the war, hid in basements and bunkers for months, fled from the front lines under shelling, and lost their homes. They have been given food, clothing, medicine, hygiene products, access to education, and transportation. The center is also holding regular support groups for displaced children, children at risk for abuse and neglect, and children from foster families. 10-20 children attend, and the programming helps build comradery, reduces stress, and provides social and psychological rehabilitation.

War times have been hard with limits to the supply chain, bomb sirens/threats, and infrequent electricity. While providing aid to this new demographic, the organization goes through resources quickly. During Ukraine’s freezing winter, the center is heated with wood burning boilers. Through the Peremoha Mini Grant Program, the RPCV Alliance for Ukraine awarded Abigail and Lidia $1,500 to purchase firewood to heat Nadia Center for the winter of 2022-2023. The cost of firewood including delivery was $1,300 and the final $200 was used to pay the laborers who cut, chopped, and stacked the wood, and to buy gasoline to power the chainsaw. This firewood will keep the Nadia Center's residents and staff warm and cozy through the winter season.
 

For the IDPs sheltered at Nadia Center, this facility is “both a temporary home and a place to recover and rehabilitate. We make an effort to offer a broad range of assistance to refugees as they make their way through [our town] and migrate to safer places. Therefore, comfortable conditions in the premises of the Children's Center are very important to serving this population. Thank you!”-- Lidia

The RPCV Alliance for Ukraine is able to make grants thanks to proceeds raised by sales of the Babusya's Kitchen Cookbook and your additional donations. Please give today!