The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation summarized the results of its work in 2023 and analyzed the prospects for veteran policy.
Thanks to the soldiers and their protection, the Foundation entered the year of 2023 already hardened by the challenges of the year of widespread invasion.
In an interview with the ArmyInform news agency, Ruslana Velychko, Acting Executive Director of the Foundation, spoke about the results of the work and how it was possible to survive.
The three VARTO competitions were contested by 272 projects, of which 108 won.
The amount of funding, according to the terms of the competitions, ranged from 500 thousand to 3 million hryvnias. Behind the scenes, there are also many hours of workshops held by the Foundation’s experts, who explained how to properly prepare a package of documents, fill out an application, etc.
This year, the majority of winners, 36.5%, are owners of agricultural businesses. Last year, catering establishments were in the lead. These changes are due to the fact that in 2022, many businesses relocated.
Many veterans left the war zone and started their own businesses in a new place. These were often small coffee shops. And now there is a surge in funding for agribusiness, because agricultural development is also part of defense.
The automotive sector is in second place among the winners, and the service sector is in third place. There are also more entrepreneurial initiatives in the medical sector, including six projects aimed at rehabilitating the military.
Veterans should receive quality services when they return home. Therefore, our Foundation has held many on-site meetings to establish cooperation in communities.
In addition to our core business financing activities, we also actively engage and finance non-governmental organizations that provide services to veterans and their families. This is because a non-governmental organization in nominal Nizhyn can cover a wide range of veterans’ needs: from physical or psychological rehabilitation to support for veterans’ families.
Read about the results of the work and plans for the veteran community in the article here.
The projects supported by the Foundation in 2023 can be found here.
