Amid a full-scale war in Ukraine, several charities operating in Ukraine aim to support the country’s people.

5 Charities Operating in Ukraine

1. Serhiy Prytula Foundation. Starting in 2014 when Russia occupied Crimea and Donbas, Ukrainian TV presenter and politician Serhiy Prytula began volunteer work. In 2020, he launched the Serhiy Prytula Foundation. The charity in Ukraine raises funding for military and humanitarian aid in the country. Prytula runs his social media very actively, keeping people updated on all the work he and his team are doing. In February 2023, the foundation delivered humanitarian aid to Ukraine’s frontlines and de-occupied territories. The team supplied regions with 485 medical kits, more than 47,000 medical units of crucial medicaments and about 2,000 kits of food, self-hygiene products and clothes.
2. UNITED24. This is an official fundraising platform that has operated since May 2022 when Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy officially launched it. The platform focuses on three areas for fundraising that it lists as “Defence and Demining,” “Medical Aid” and “Rebuild Ukraine.” As of March 2023, the charity has collected more than $300 million worth of funding. On top of collecting funds, the platform leads a strong media campaign to enlighten people all over the world about the events unfolding in Ukraine. UNITED24’s ambassadors include well-known figures, such as historian Timothy Snyder, legendary football player Andriy Shevchenko and heavyweight champion Oleksandr Usyk. One of UNITED24’s latest projects involves a collaboration with Uber. The project aims to raise money for the Ministry of Health in Ukraine to secure Type-C ambulance vehicles to rescue victims of attacks.
3. Razom. Razom, which means “together” in Ukrainian, is a Ukrainian-American charity that appeared during the Revolution of Dignity in Ukraine in 2014. The first actions of support took place in late December 2013. People in New York gathered to support Ukrainians in their fight for democracy. In a month, Razom registered its work officially and started to help Ukraine by sending humanitarian aid and carrying out educational events. The foundation puts a lot of effort into building a strong community that will help develop Ukraine. Razom declares its mission as “unlocking Ukraine’s potential and building toward a more prosperous, democratic nation.” The charity has a number of projects, including Toy Drive and With You. The Toy Drive “provides assistance to children from families of Ukrainian militaries who died or were injured during the combat operations,” the Razom website says. The project provides school resources, gifts for special occasions and other essentials. With You aims to provide psychological help for people traumatized by war. Eight psychologists operating in two support centers have carried out more than 300 individual and group sessions.
4. Leleka Foundation. This is a nonprofit organization started by Ukrainians living in the U.S. in late 2014. It aims to supply medical aid to the country. Along with tactical first aid supplies, the Leleka Foundation purchases medical equipment and evacuation vehicles. Since the beginning of the full-scale war, the Leleka Foundation supplied the army with more than 1,500 medical backpacks and more than 17,000 individual first aid kits. The Leleka Foundation also provides help for elderly people evacuated from hot zones in Ukraine. The organization helps with accommodation and cost of living support that the Ukrainian government is unable to provide.
5. Save the Children. Save the Children is an international organization that aims to support children and help them build a bright future. Many Ukrainians have become refugees abroad and require support. Since the onset of the war in February 2022, Save the Children has gathered £400 million via the DEC Ukraine Appeal to help children and families in Ukraine, Poland and Romania. Over the past year, Save the Children has helped about 1.1 million Ukrainians.

Amid the war in Ukraine, charities play an important role in meeting the needs of both troops and civilians.

– Anna Konovalenko
Photo: Courtesy of Anna Konovalenko