2024/12/24
In 2024, NGO WA “Sphere” successfully implemented two phases of the business support programme, targeting women and the LGBTQ+ community in Kharkiv and the region. The programme became part of the project “SYLA: Shelter Solutions, Youth and Community-based Protection, and Livelihood Assistance for People Residing in Areas of Return”, which was implemented with the support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).
The programme covered two phases of grant support:
The first phase: support for 35 businesses up to €2,500 with the support of ActionAid and DEC.
In the first support phase, businesses used the grants to purchase the necessary equipment, machinery and repairs to develop and restore their operations. The businesses supported included coffee shops, bakeries, photography studios, sewing shops, farms, and even rehabilitation centres for the elderly and animals. The business owners invested in furniture, professional equipment, laptops, shock freezers, exercise equipment, rolls of fabric for sewing clothes, as well as repairing animal enclosures and insulating their premises. These acquisitions not only helped to develop existing businesses but also enabled us to create new services or improve the quality of existing ones.
“Why a tea shop? In memory of my nephew, a great barista who was killed at the frontline. It was his dream to open this place. Thanks to the grant, we bought equipment: a coffee grinder, a stove and a fridge. We could also pay for advertising on Google Maps, which brought us many visitors interested in specialities like honeybush tea,” says Valentyna Astappeva, owner of the Giocondi tea shop.
“In the third year of the full-scale war, one of the major problems after the de-occupation was the lack of work. Before the full-scale invasion, people were mostly employed in the agricultural sector (on a large scale) and tourism. Now, the fields are full of mines, and Kharkiv is no longer attractive for tourists. We aim to restore small farms and secure economic independence for the villagers. With the grant, we bought a refrigerator, dehydrator, blender and Teflon mats. We also covered costs for legal assistance to register with the State Consumer Service, as well as accounting and labelling services. These efforts enabled us to broaden our product range and sustain the project during the colder months. Currently, we produce spicy salt, sourcing ingredients directly from farms. We deeply appreciate this support, as launching a project is impossible without investment. We firmly believe that partnership is the key to driving our initiative forward," says Meriam Yol, manager of the De-occupation Shop.
The second phase: support for 65 businesses with a size of up to $1500 with the support of SYLA.
In the second phase of support, businesses used the grants to diversify their services, upgrade production processes, and enhance working conditions. Grant recipients included organic farms, educational platforms, souvenir workshops, coffee shops, child development studios, and graphic design studios. The funding enabled them to acquire modern equipment, professional cameras, 3D printers, production materials, ergonomic furniture, and heating and cooling systems. These improvements boosted productivity, created new employment opportunities, and elevated the quality of customer service.
“With the grant, we purchased a dough mixer, a mixer, and induction cookers, the equipment we currently use. All this is not cheap. We couldn't have afforded it on our own… Before the full-scale invasion, I had my own workshop with various equipment. However, I had to sell a lot of equipment when I left,” reports Oleksandra Kotenko, co-owner of the bakery.
“Many thanks to “Sphere” for their help in purchasing a bactosphere for air sterilisation. This is very important for the living conditions of animals. The video shows hedgehogs whose mother died 9 days ago — now they are artificially fed and have no immunity at all, so we need the bactosphere to help us protect them from viruses and bacteria. We were also able to purchase a grooming machine that allows us to quickly cut the animals’ fur for quick access to veins in critical rescue situations. In addition, we purchased a sterilisation machine, which provides quick and convenient access to surgical instruments. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts, you are our saviours,” says Valeriia Holovanova, a veterinarian and participant in the grant programme.
In total, 100 businesses received support, with over €185,000 in funds allocated.
The business support programme was carried out by the NGO WA “Sphere” through two distinct phases as part of the project “SYLA: Shelter Solutions, Youth and Community-based Protection, and Livelihood Assistance for People Residing in Areas of Return”. The first phase was conducted under a project funded by ActionAid, with the Disasters Emergency Committee (DEC) as the primary donor. The second phase received backing from the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF).
