🇺🇦 Shelter Ukraine helping people with disabilities ⠀ In peacetime, Ternopil NGO «Ya Zmozhu» (I Can) helped people with disabilities. They are currently setting up two shelters for internally displaced persons, one with 8 rooms and the other with 2. The premises can accommodate up to 40 people who decided to leave dangerous areas. ⠀ 🎯 Through the funds of the grant, they managed to purchase boilers for heating water, faucets for kitchens and bathrooms, washing machines, refrigerators, and microwave ovens. ⠀ The head of the organization Ivanna Khomitska notes that there are many shelters in Ternopil, so it is very important that people with disabilities can use them. That is why the two rooms on the ground floor will be equipped to be comfortable for people who move in wheelchairs. ⠀ 🔹 Additionally, «Ya Zmozhu» (I Can) provides logistics services: meeting people for settlement and transportation to another place, transportation of goods for the premises equipment, delivery of household goods, and food. ⠀ We have contacted Maria, who lives in Kremenchuk, Poltava region. She and her family and friends stayed in Ternopil for one night: «We decided to go to Poland during the war because we have children with disabilities who need constant treatment and rehabilitation. We were staying at home during the first month, hoping that soon everything would be over and we would return to our normal lives. There was no military action in our city, but regular air raid sirens frightened children. In addition, due to their health problems, it was difficult to go to the shelter, so we spent most of the time in the hallway of our apartment. However, we needed to continue treatment, so we left. We stayed in Ternopil for the night, we were given rooms, we were fed and even got contacts of volunteers in Poland who help with the search for rehabilitation and clinics. Now we are here, undergoing an examination». We thank the team of the NGO «Ya Zmozhu» (I Can) for such a rapid and high-quality transformation of activities, for their humanity and kindness, for faith in victory and for accepting nothing less. We will win because we are together and we have motivation! 💙 🇺🇦 Donate here!

💡 Shelter Ukraine: help for temporarily displaced persons in Zvanivka ⠀ The town of Zvanivka is a pearl of the Donetsk region. Here, the Ukrainian language has always been spoken and will be spoken. Nowadays, not only the descendants of Lemkos and Boyks live here, but also temporarily displaced persons who have fled from places of active hostilities in the Donetsk region. ⠀ Yuliia Tymchak is head of the NGO «Magic Runes». The organization started its activities after the Revolution of Dignity, but even before that Yuliia had been actively involved in the development of other social initiatives 🎯 ⠀ 🔹 The purpose of the public organization «Magic Runes» is historical, cultural and non-formal education. To achieve this goal, the Lemkocenter was created, and later the social enterprise LemkoDvizh (LemkosMovement), which helps to realize the organization’s social goal, was established. The name of the social enterprise and the centre "LEMKO" is the abbreviation which stands for: •‎ Lemkos (лемки) •‎ Ecology (екологія) •‎ Youth (молодь) •‎ Culture (культура) •‎ Education (освіта) ⠀ Subsequently, the organization expanded its activities and began to address gender issues and human rights. The team began to develop and implement various measures to strengthen the security of socially and gender-vulnerable groups in the town of Zvanivka and the surrounding area. This experience has become a good foundation for working with temporarily displaced persons 🇺🇦 ⠀ ➡️ Currently, 200 temporarily displaced persons are officially registered in the town of Zvanivka, most of them from Popasna and Rubizhne [information as of March 25, 2022], as well as almost 200 unregistered ones, who came from large cities to their parents or relatives. ⠀ 🔹How has the organization transformed its activities during the war? •‎ Part of the team and those women who previously used services of the social enterprise set up a bakery at the school building, where they produce more than 400 loaves a day •‎ The organization club has been equipped as a humanitarian centre, where locals and volunteers help the displaced persons. Additionally, volunteers form individual kits with humanitarian aid (food, medicine, hygiene products) •‎ Members of the «Magic Runes» also provide targeted aid if needed •‎ The NGO is involved in the construction of bomb shelters. It has bought and partially made its own bulerias (devices that help heat the space, cook simple food and dry laundry or firewood). Also, the team has bought dry closets, sleeping bags and mats) ⠀ 👉🏼 «Zvanivka has always been and is Ukrainian, we are not preparing for the worst. We will have neither siege nor occupiers. We live with this message in our minds and believe in it with all our hearts. We are just putting our bomb shelters in order, we are just arranging the space» - laughs Yuliia Tymchak, the head of the «Magic Runes» NGO. ⠀ As part of the «Shelter Ukraine» project, SILab Ukraine has supported the «Magic Runes» NGO, which helps people affected by the war. Together we have purchased the most necessary medicines, hygiene products and food. The procurement of necessary goods for internally displaced persons is a rather complex process in Ukraine, and especially in this region, as there are almost no products left in the town and its surroundings. The team communicates with all possible online stores and uses delivery services. However, the usual logistics routes are destroyed, so delivery takes more than a week, instead of 1-2 days. This fact is especially critical in connection with baby food and diapers for people of all ages in and around Zvanivka 📍 ⠀ 👉🏼 «If we didn't work, we would probably sit and cry all the time. But who needs those tears? It is difficult when you understand what happened to Kharkiv, and especially to Mariupol. We have many acquaintances from there. We are happy that some of them got out of this horror» - Yuliia Tymchak 🟢 In the future, Julia and her team plan to create a center for the long-term stay of people who have lost their homes. On the basis of the center, they plan to arrange sleeping places for single people, as well as young families with children. The team also plans to create conditions for acquiring basic skills in sewing, woodworking and cooking. Therefore, after the victory of Ukraine, these people could provide services, create certain goods and receive wages. Currently, the main problem for the creation of this center is utility systems, namely the lack of any kind of water. ⠀ 👉🏼 During the conversation, Yuliia shared with us a poignant and very inspiring story: «A family came to us, six people. Alla with her husband and her four sons, can you imagine this? Boys from 1 to 10 years. They came from Sievierodonetsk and settled in Zvanivka with relatives. It is striking since they had many options for where to go, including abroad. But they still decided to stay not far from their city, 50 kilometres away, here in Zvanivka. They are confident that they will return home. They say they have no other options. Although of course, they have. But the family declines to consider them. I’ve asked them what they need for children, for adults. And Alla tells me that she needs shoes for the children, because they fled in winter ones, and their shoes have been worn out. And then she continues: «But it’s fine. We will soon go to our school where we have a second pair of shoes there, so there will be spring shoes." It is amazing when people leave everything in such conditions, but still wholeheartedly believe in their return home. These are the stories of true patriots. They will return home and rebuild everything. For the sake of such people, we are ready to pore over projects at night and organize packages with humanitarian aid during the day» - Yuliia Tymchak, head of the NGO «Magic Runes» 💙 DONATE NOW through Shelter Ukraine! To provide shelter for civilians in Ukraine! https://shelterukraine.org/

On March 1-12, 2022, SILab Ukraine in cooperation with experts in the field of social entrepreneurship conducted an express online survey among Ukrainian social enterprises on the adaptation of their activities to wartime conditions. Among the main tasks of the survey, it is possible to identify the following: - To determine the share of social enterprises that have stopped their activities due to hostilities. - To determine the share of enterprises that continue their activities, have changed their business model, products, spheres of activity. - To identify the basic needs that social entrepreneurs are dealing with during the military conflict and what support they need. A total of 36 social enterprises provided feedback on the questionnaire. In terms of geographical distribution, social enterprises represent the following regions of Ukraine: Western Ukraine - 8 social enterprises Central Ukraine - 9 social enterprises Eastern Ukraine - 6 social enterprises Southern Ukraine - 8 social enterprises Kyiv - 5 social enterprises The question «How does your social enterprise work today?» was answered in the following way: 33% of the surveyed enterprises have suspended their activities; 3% continue working without changes; 14% continue to sell their goods and services having changed the line of their products based on today’s needs; more than 40% have given up the business component and continue working purely as a social initiative with the support of external donations. So, most social enterprises continue their activities, but the format of these activities has changed. Among the main changes are the following: reorientation of main products to urgent needs. For example, if a social enterprise used to be engaged in sewing clothes, now it sews sleeping bags, socks, thermal underwear, etc.; instead of non-formal education programs for children and youth, social enterprises create kid’s rooms for children from internally displaced families; instead of making confectionery, enterprises started making intermediate goods or dry rations for internally displaced persons; suspension of main activities and allocation of premises for the creation of a shelter for internally displaced persons; suspension of the main activities and allocation of premises for logistical arrangement; with the help of involved charitable resources, provision of services to the civilians affected by hostilities; delivery of humanitarian aid and its distribution among those who need it; other. Additionally, managers/owners of social enterprises have shared information on the number of employees who continue working: in 49% of social enterprises, the number of employees remains unchanged; in 31% of social enterprises, the number of employees decreased; in 6% of social enterprises, the number of employees increased; in 14% of social enterprises, the number of employees increased because of the volunteers. In order to support their current activities, social entrepreneurs mentioned, among others, the need in assisting with: purchase of equipment (sewing machines, dough mixers, medical equipment, etc.) purchase of furniture and goods to set up shelters for IDPs (mattresses, chairs, tables, kettles, heaters, generators, first aid kits, etc.); purchase of consumables (mostly different types of fabrics); purchase of fuel; rent payment; purchase of food for vulnerable groups of population; payment of fees to their employees who started working as volunteers 24/7.

How are refugees being helped in Chernivtsi city? SILab Ukraine starts collaboration with community initiatives helping internally displaced persons ⠀ The present requires us to make quick decisions and be fully involved in the process here and now. Therefore, our team, in cooperation with European partners, is beginning to raise funds to support war victims and transfer this money to local initiatives that care for internally displaced persons. In Chernivtsi, the Multidisciplinary Lyceum for Gifted Children has become a shelter for people from all regions of the country seeking refuge from war. The SILab Ukraine team has helped the lyceum staff equip the institution with sleeping areas (blankets, pillows, mats and mattresses) and purchase a generator. ⠀ Teachers and the administration of the lyceum have sheltered more than 300 people, mostly children and women. These are people who came from Donetsk, Zhytomyr, Kyiv, Luhansk, Kharkiv, Kherson and Cherkasy regions. In this school, everyone receives delicious lunches, while kids are provided with baby food. There is also a swimming pool for children. On March 8th, the team of the educational institution, together with the Regional State Administration, held an art evening "War is a thorough test of friends for faithfulness and loyalty, of people for compassion, empathy and humanity, of citizens for patriotism and consciousness. We will never be the same as we were before the war. The war puts its own accents and in the dark times one can see light people very clearly… as to the dark ones, unfortunately, one can see them too. People from different parts of Ukraine… people with tears in their eyes were grateful for the empathy, care, assistance and help. They will forever be dear to each other and us. We are demonstrating that we are a nation, we are one, we are Ukraine” — Liubov Hodniuk, representative of Chernivtsi Regional State Administration.

Currently, several types of shelters are being set up in Ukraine for persons temporarily displaced as a result of active hostilities. We have already told you about the lyceum, which has been converted into a shelter for the long-term staying of families with small children. Now let's talk about a temporary shelter in the city of Sviatohirsk. ⠀ The team of the Charitable Foundation «Slavic Heart» is evacuating people from Donetsk region towns, which are located in the "grey zone" and around which there is intense fighting. In particular, among the evacuated, there are residents of Izium, Olhynka, Sievierodonetsk and other towns. In Sviatohirsk, there is a temporary shelter for all evacuees. This place helps to regain strength, eat delicious warm food, get warm and go to a safer place. ⠀ In support of community-based initiatives which help temporarily displaced persons, SILab Ukraine sponsored the charity fund and helped purchase three generators. This enables the charity team to maintain warmth and prepare food for evacuees. Every day, the shelter provides assistance to more than 50 people, and we are confident that all of them will receive the necessary support there. ⠀ We are grateful to the team of the Charitable Foundation «Slavic Heart» and for their work!

In order to launch new programs for financial assistance to vibrant social enterprises, we ask you to submit a questionnaire to determine the current needs of social enterprises. Deadline extended until 13 March 10:00! Social benefits from the other regions of Ukraine, complete the questionnaire for permission and send the call to colleagues from other places. https://forms.gle/D2fwrGEyFULfqcph6

SILab Ukraine became a member of the European Venture Philanthropy Association. Thank you to our partners for their support at such a difficult time for all of us. From now on, the SILab Ukraine team will be able to gain even more experience and knowledge from international experts and practitioners to increase the impact and development of impact investment. We will use this knowledge to help the communities of Ukraine, the development of the impact investment sector in our country and support social initiatives. We will do everything to help strengthen our country!

Today is SILab Ukraine's 4th birthday, and we still can't recover from realizing how much has happened to us during that time. And today, because if not for our birthday, we want to remember what our team has done over these 4 years. Of course, it will not be possible to cover everything, but we will focus on the most interesting - we promise! 😎 ⠀ 1. Although the official date of our birth is December 15, 2017, we held our first International School for Social Entrepreneurs in 2016. In 2018, it became the accelerator for social entrepreneurs SELab, which we try to hold annually. ⠀ 2. In 2020, SILab Ukraine became one of the co-founders of the Ukrainian Social Venture Fund. ⠀ 3. In 2021, we became part of a large EVPA project "Partnership for Influence", which focuses on the development of social investment in the Eastern Partnership countries. ⠀ 4. This year, together with our partners, we held a Forum on Social Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility in Kharkiv and involved more than 300 experts, social entrepreneurs, representatives of public organizations, corporations and teachers. ⠀ 5. 16 of our graduates have launched their social enterprises, and another 12 are preparing to launch. ⠀ 6. From three people, our team has grown to seven, although it is still not much, but believe me, very valuable. ⠀ 7. Our team joined the creation of Social Entrepreneurship Development Programs in Vinnytsia and Ivano-Frankivsk city territorial communities. ⠀ 8. SELab training events covered 15 cities of Ukraine, and we can't even list how many more training programs took place online! ⠀ 9. We have brought together more than 50 experts within the SELab accelerator, where they provide advice to social entrepreneurs on various aspects of business. ⠀ 10. Our team joined the creation of the guide "50 ideas for creating social enterprises", the manual "Successful practices of cooperation in the field of procurement for services between municipalities and social enterprises". Also, this year we translated the manual "Maximize your impact: a guide for social entrepreneurs." ⠀ To be continued! Now you know that we have not wasted time during these four years! 🔥 ⠀ And Birthday is a great opportunity to thank everyone who has been with us all this time. So, our dear partners, experts and mentors, graduates, thank you for your knowledge, ambitions, expertise, responsibility, humanity, awareness and desire to experiment, test and create new things. Social entrepreneurship is developing, and communities are changing thanks to our joint work! ⠀ Thank you 💙

Last Friday, the House of Europe and SILab Ukraine hosted a graduation from an online lab on change theory and social impact. During six meetings, we worked on a methodology to measure social impact. ⠀ The curriculum based on the manual "Maximize your impact: a guide for social entrepreneurs", developed by international experts from Turkey, the UK and Estonia. ⠀ 😎 Experienced social entrepreneurs and impact investors from the EU, UK, and Ukraine helped to master the methodology. ⠀ Thank you to all the participants of the program who joined, passed this way with us. But once again they proved that social entrepreneurs have the strength and motivation not only to simply develop business, but also to influence, change, help society! And then measure this impact. You are incredible, we, SILab Ukraine and House of Europe, are proud of you! 💙 ⠀ Save photosand memory of this program, knowledge and new acquaintances that have happened thanks to our program! ⠀ 📍 Everyone who wants to read the guide "Maximize your impact: a guide for social entrepreneurs" can download ithere.

by promoting greener and more resource efficient economic activities in Ukraine and Georgia "New Door" social entrepreneurship accelerator with support of the Ministry of foreign affairs of Latvia organized an online panel discussion "Support for the development and digitalization of the social entrepreneurship sector by promoting greener and more resource-efficient economic activities in Ukraine and Georgia" as a first event in the sequence of projects “Development and cooperation” in 2022. The event will take place on Wednesday, 8 December 15:00-19:00 EET. Please complete the registration form for the event to receive Zoom link and password. The event live will be available on Facebook event here: https://fb.me/e/1Op2SVqwM Please feel free to invite your partners to join the event live, by sharing this link.

Yesterday we took part in the last discussions of the two-day Forum on Social Entrepreneurship and Corporate Social Responsibility! They successfully closed the event and smiled sincerely, and in their heads: "We did it!" More than 250 people motivated to develop impact business came together in the framework of the Online and Offline Forum in two days! Impressive, right? For two days we discussed important issues for the development of social business in Ukraine: • financing • state support • opportunities for education • search for partners • planning • communications • legal aspects • work with different categories of the population • ways to measure and increase impact ⠀ Two days, more than 35 experts from Ukraine and other countries, more than 250 participants, 16 hours of online broadcast, dozens of new acquaintances, as many written-off pages in notebooks, more than 100 smiling and motivated faces, dozens of social enterprises and advice. Unbelievable! ⠀ Thank you, experts, who traveled from different parts of the world and Ukraine! Your experience, knowledge and advice help each of us pay more attention to the little things, plan, prioritize, find partners and see opportunities to increase influence. ⠀ Thank you to all the participants who joined us in all possible formats, communicated, exchanged experiences and advice, found new partners and like-minded people, laughed a lot and supported each other! ⠀ Thank you to all of you for developing the sphere of social business in Ukraine, creating influence and changing your communities!

The guide was developed within “Know Your Impact: Social Impact Management Tools for Young Social Entrepreneurs” by Estonian Social Enterprise Network, Koç University Social Impact Forum, Mikado Sustainable Development Consulting and Social Value UK. SILab Ukraine translated it in the Ukrainian language and promote it all over Ukraine. Download here.