Women and girls across Ukraine are suffering the impacts of the war. With the escalated attacks on civilian infrastructure including energy infrastructure, access to essential services has become more difficult. The impacts are wide ranging - It has exposed women and girls to an increased risk of gender-based violence and created further barriers for persons with disabilities.
Knowing the specific needs of the most vulnerable people, women are at the forefront addressing the needs of their communities. Oxfam works with local humanitarian actors like The Tenth of April (TTA) and Shchedryk Foundation to ensure that women leaders, including those from community-based organisations, have adequate tools and resources to help rebuild their communities.
Liudmyla’s story
Liudmyla is a community outreach facilitator for TTA. Facilitators play a crucial role in connecting organizations, projects, with the communities. Their work contributes to more responsive and culturally sensitive programs, fostering sustainable development and positive social change. Liudmyla is also a member of " Successful ladies club” in the region of Zaporizhzhia. It started in November 2021 and has now transformed into a community-based NGO working with The Tenth of April.
Liudmyla working on an analysis of their club’s activities during a workshop. Photo courtesy of the Successful Ladies Club, a community-based organization supported by The Tenth of April (TTA). (Photo: Tenth of April)
We had a high number of internally displaced people (IDPs) since the war erupted. It was very important for us to have some kind of center that would unite women, especially women in rural areas. Because the men have left, rural women bear the burden of extra work.
Liudmyla used to work as a school principal even through the war and she saw the impacts of the crisis on the youth and women, especially those who were displaced.
“I saw the families of IDPs who ended up in our area and as a school principal, I personally helped in organizing and finding places for them. Imagine, people with children with only one handbag in tow or without anything at all. Some had to spend the night at our school.
“They were all in a state of shock. It impacted children psychologically, and the mothers were also traumatized and had nowhere to live. That’s why we supported them.”
Successful ladies club, most of whom are teachers, businesswomen, and local residents, became a group where women come together to boost each other’s morale through these tough times. It became a safe space for women, especially mothers affected by the crisis. And it even evolved into addressing the more sensitive needs of women.
“Unfortunately, an additional impact of the war was a significant increase in gender-based violence. Our women’s group has then taken on the task of providing informal education services and conduct trainings to address gender-based violence”
TTA works with community-based organizations like Liudmyla’s to conduct trainings that broaden the understanding on gender-based violence, including how to counteract it. Participants will able to apply their knowledge from these trainings in various life situations.
“These are tremendous tasks that we have taken to address the impacts of the war on women, especially mothers. But, I am grateful for being able to work with others who spend their time, energy, and resources to support others, to improve the state of people’s lives and health, and the situation and place in where we live in.”
Anastassia’s story
With the attacks on civilian infrastructure, access to basic services has become challenging especially for persons with disabilities. As someone with a disability herself, she knew people’s specific needs and saw a gap in addressing the needs of people traveling around the city of Mykolaiv. To address this gap, Anastassia worked with Oxfam’s partner Shchedryk.
Anastassia* smiles in front of one of the specially equipped taxis her new business will soon provide people with disabilities in Mykolaiv city. (Photo: Katya Moskalyuk/DEC)
I moved to Mykolaiv city a year before the war. My home is completely adapted so that everything is convenient. But then the war caught everyone unexpectedly. The toughest time was the first six months [of the conflict]. They were hard because nothing worked in the city, our focus was on getting the essentials to live on.
Even as the situation has gradually improved, it was still tougher for persons with disabilities in the city and Anastassia saw a need for better access to transportation.
“Mykolaiv has a social transportation service with two equipped vehicles, but they only provide services during working hours, not on weekends and holidays, and they have restrictions on who can use the service, what type of disability, and where you can go,” she said. “They can handle medical trips, commuting to the hospital, and submitting documents to the administrative service centre, but if you want to meet friends and relatives, or just need to go somewhere, for example, to a store when the weather is bad, no one will take you.”
Through the support of the Shchedryk, Anastassia started a transportation service that address this specific need called “Invataxi.”
“Life is not just about going to the hospital or solving administrative issues. That’s why I have tried to launch this project several times. At first, I wanted to launch it through existing taxi businesses, but no one agreed. They just said it was not profitable and they were not interested.”
“My project partner Ivan* and I have many plans; this is just the initial stage. We want to develop this into a social project, rather than a business, and open a professional rehabilitation centre for people with disabilities as well.”
Kseniia’s story
A teacher by profession, Kseniia is using her skills to support her community in the Snihurivka hromada in the Mykolaiv region, working as a facilitator for Oxfam’s partner The Tenth of April.
Kseniia (right) facilitates the delivery of humanitarian aid (heating briquettes) to Tamaryne village, in Snihurivska hromada. Photo courtesy of The Tenth of April. (Photo: Tenth of April)
Like millions of others, the war in Ukraine has significantly impacted Kseniia’s life. “I remember when a missile hit the school where we were sheltering. It was terrifying. Later, leaving the city was another traumatic experience—seeing destroyed cars and people amidst the chaos, hoping only to see my child again. That image is etched in my memory,” she said.
While this experience was extremely distressing for her, she still felt the need to support others who are impacted by the war.
When I returned, I saw people in need, like an elderly woman caring for a severely ill husband. How could I abandon them? If I have resources and can support them, I feel obligated to do so. I approached the local education department and offered to help, organizing activities for children who had fled from various regions, including my town.
Eventually, there came an opportunity to be involved in expanding this work with communities.
“The Tenth of April (TTA) created a joint project to create a social room for working with children and adults, conducting various trainings, and providing support areas across a range of activities.
The social room is a space for various activities like training sessions, meetings, and focus groups, including GBV training and self-help classes. Teachers help students and parents catch up on education, while psychologists provide support and training sessions. NGOs and organizations use the room for trainings, sharing information about available support for displaced and local communities, and sometimes distributing aid.
“TTA proposed I become a facilitator, and I enjoyed it. I liked the atmosphere, the principles of work, and the activities of the NGO. When I realized my role was to assist vulnerable groups, I understood that this was my calling. It allowed me to help my community and people in difficult life situations.”
Kseniia said they began with a social room and this was eventually followed by installing outdoor gym equipment, and conducting group sessions to identify people's needs and feelings.
“We underwent a powerful three-month training program on self-help and mental health recovery for Ukrainians. These sessions were conducted by psychologists from TTA. Teachers were chosen because they are close to parents, who, in turn, would bring their friends or relatives to participate,” Kseniia said.
“Once certified, we started working with people to not only restore the community but also address their emotional well-being. Emotional recovery is vital because everyone has a unique story.”
“When I visit people I support and talk to them, it often brings tears of gratitude. Initially, it was hard for me too, but now I see their smiles, and I know I’m making a difference. Helping children during training sessions and seeing their laughter and smiles is something I deeply value and love.”
