Under this slogan, a dialogue meeting on the opportunities for veteran business development was held with the participation of the team of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine in Kharkiv.
More than 50 veterans, volunteers, representatives of the authorities, and NGOs attended the event. Vita Kostyk, Deputy Executive Director of the UVF, spoke about the large number of projects and programs created by the Foundation to support veteran businesses.
Also, an event was attended by American veteran, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council and co-founder of the US-Ukraine Veterans Bridge, William Attig. He shared his own experience of how he, as a veteran, overcame his own problems and later joined in overcoming the challenges that stood in the way of his fellow Americans.
Representatives of the “Union of ATO Veterans”, in particular the chairman Serhii Babaev and deputy Yuriy Korsunov, spoke about their own experience in implementing the Foundation’s program.
Also, on the eve of the meeting, the team of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation visited the winners of the Varto competitive program in the Kharkiv region.
During the working visit to Kharkiv region, the team of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine visited the winners of the Varto competitive programs from this region.
On the trip Vita Kostyk, Deputy Executive Director of the UVF, Olena Prikhno, an employee of the UVF, and William Attig, an American veteran, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council, and co-founder of the US-Ukraine Veterans Bridge took part.
During the visit, our team met with veteran Serhii Lukinov, who is developing the “WILD SPIRIT” training center with the help of the funds received from the UVF.
Our colleagues learned how the training and selection of dogs go on, how animals hone their skills in searching for mines and explosive objects, how criminals are apprehended, how dogs are trained to be companion dogs for visually impaired people, etc.
During the conversation, William Attig was interested in how it would be possible to develop partnership relations with the veteran and his training center: to attract foreign investors and to employ veterans who would also like to work with dogs.
The second trip was to Oleksandr Shylin’s enterprise. With the funds received from the UVF, he expanded his business in the direction of household and bulky waste management in Kharkiv.
In particular, the man bought two cars.
The enterprise is currently starting to serve the communities of the Kharkiv region. The plans include the construction of a sorting line.
William Attig called on Oleksandr Shylin to expand the veteran business, and he sees potential for development specifically in his field.
The UVF team also visited Oleksandr Chumak from the NGO “Association of Private Employers”. The team of the NGO won the competition program of the UVF with the project “Center for supporting business initiatives of veterans “New Count”.
The NGO representatives told how exactly they work with communities of Kharkiv region and informed them about, in particular, veteran opportunities in the region. The meeting also discussed the issue of retraining veterans (in particular, veterans with disabilities).
And William Attig, on the other hand, shared the experience of American veterans working in this field.
He also emphasized that it is necessary to strengthen NGOs that work with veterans. After all, such a network of help, in his opinion, can be valuable for each specific veteran.
With the assistance of the ATO Veterans Union, the UVF team, together with an American guest, also visited the border with the aggressor state — Belgorod region of the russian federation. Local veterans recounted the course of the battles and the expulsion of the occupiers from the region.
On the way, our colleagues had the opportunity to see a lot of destroyed infrastructure, homes of civilians during the battles for the region.
They also visited the Kharkiv military cemetery, where servicemen who died during the nine-year war were buried.
The team honored the memory of all fallen Defenders of Ukraine.
The visit seemed to be touching for William Attig: he lives near Arlington Cemetery in the USA, where his friends found peace.
According to the results of the visit, the Deputy Executive Director of the UVF Vita Kostyk laconically summarized:
“Despite the constant shelling, the city is alive. And the veteran business should develop without any obstacles.”
After a traumatic experience, you become different.After returning from the war, you will have the main challenge – to realize that you will no longer be the same as before. This is the main difficulty that is inside.Oleksandr Chamorsov, chief psychologist of the Crisis Support Hotline of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine talks about how to cope with this challenge.Oleksandr is a veteran himself, so he understands the subject better than anyone else.Here are some tips from Oleksandr for veterans integrating into civilian life.
🟩 Work on understanding that you are already “here and now”.For a certain period, you may have the desire to return to your comrades. Then you are as if between two worlds. This period must be lived. Realize that there is no going back to war, but there are other options to be useful. Here and now.
🟩 Be alone with yourself if you want to.At the first time of return, the desire to be alone is normal. It is important that relatives who stay nearby understand this need and provide such an opportunity. Time will pass, and you will return to yourself and to a peaceful life.
🟩 Contact psychologists for advice and support.There are two pathways we offer veterans.
1⃣ The first is a hotline at 0800 33 20 29. 24/7 and free of charge.
2⃣ The second is weekly support groups. Their format is mixed, because both veterans and family members come.It is important for us to be there at the right moment.
Imagine the emotions of a soldier undergoing treatment or rehabilitation when an American delegation enters his ward. This delegation consists of their colleagues, also veterans. They know what it means to fight. They know what an injury is. They lived through the path of treatment and rehabilitation.
The other day, the Foundation team had the pleasure of supporting our wounded defenders in one of the capital’s medical facilities together with the American military.
Our defenders signed the Ukrainian flag for the US veterans and presented them with their chevrons.
Olena Prikhno, an employee of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, told about the programs of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, the recently launched US-Ukraine Veterans Bridge organization, and other opportunities that our institution provides for defenders.
Finally, Will Attig invited our defenders after treatment and rehabilitation to visit the United States of America.
We are sure that such conversations and meetings are not only about partnerships but also about supporting the spirit and bringing us closer to victory.
The event is devoted to the topic of the reintegration of veterans into civilian life and the role of business and the state in this process. An example of their synergy is the business of veterans who are winners of the #Varto funding program of the UVF. Our colleagues and partners visited them.
Merlion Veterinary Clinic has an excellent reputation. Veteran Oleg Kashlyak takes care of it. It is not surprising that he chose this particular line of business. While he was in the service, he helped vaccinate homeless animals wherever the National Guard of Ukraine served in the ATO. In 2022, the man retired due to his health. At the same time, together with his son, he decided to start his own business. Professional animal health care has become a veteran family business.
American veteran and co-founder of the US-Ukraine Veterans Bridge William Attig warmly supported Oleg’s mission. His belief in the therapeutic influence of four-legged companions in boosting veterans’ morale has deep roots. When William still faces difficulties, his beloved dog always helps to fight stress.
Our colleagues also visited the construction eco-market “WoodBud”, founded by veteran Dmytro Polishchuk. His team is currently working on the automation of processes, and coordination of temperature regimes in the conditions of the threat of blackout. The company is expanding and it supplies its products throughout the territory of Ukraine. Financial support for the veteran business “WoodBud” is provided by the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.
American veterans William Attig and George Chewning saw with their own eyes the successful projects of #Varto winners. They were sincerely impressed by the perseverance and professionalism of our veterans in conducting business. Battle-hardened, Ukrainian veterans know how to solve non-standard situations, respond coolly to moments of crisis, and work in a team. These skills, acquired during the service, more than once became useful in civilian life. We believe that with such an arsenal of skills and support from the state, the veteran business has wide horizons.
The masters of the Petrykivka painting traveled all night — across Ukraine — to arrive in Kyiv on time and take part in the VI International Veterans Forum.
But they had no idea that they would conduct their art therapy — a master class on Petrykivka painting — even for the American veteran.
George Chewning flew across the ocean to share his veteran experience and, as it turned out, for the first time in his life he painted Ukrainian patterns, which have over 200 years of history behind them.
Masters of the public organization “Masters of Petrykivka Painting” conducted art therapy and demonstrated during the master class that each of us can not only join the historical roots of Ukrainians but also master such an authentic and beautiful technique.
A craftswoman from the Dnipropetrovsk region – Maryna Guba – has been engaged in Petrykivka painting for over 20 years. She teaches children and adults, and during a full-scale war, together with his colleagues, he even goes to the hospital and conducts such art therapy with the defenders of Ukraine. Marina says that art therapy is the realization of personal potential through art, the combination of Ukrainian traditions of the past and present, and restoration through creativity.
American veteran, George Chewning, who joined the Veterans Forum at the invitation of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, shared his impressions of drawing: “Wonderful, I feel relaxed because the process itself relaxes. I don’t know if I will draw in a way that I will be proud of my work, but I will take it to the United States to show it to my family and friends,” added George Chewning.
For reference: Petrykivka painting, or “petrykivka”, is a Ukrainian decorative and ornamental folk painting that originated in the Dnipro region in the village of Petrykivka, which is where the name of this art form comes from. Some items with patterns in the style of Petrykivka painting have been preserved since the 18th century. Petrykivka painting is not only folk art that preserves the customs of decorating Ukrainian homes, but also modern painting that develops and acquires new features.Activate to view larger image,
Veterans are not just about the military and physical rehabilitation. They also encompass education, psychological support, business, and various aspects of civil society. Veterans unite different spheres of society.
What unites society is respect and gratitude towards veterans for their contribution to victory.
On this day, state institutions, civil organizations, businesses, educational and rehabilitation institutions, international partners, and veterans themselves have come together in side events within the framework of the VI International Veterans Forum “Ukraine. Defenders. Future.”
The events were moderated by Olena Rybinska, a collaborator of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation Minveteraniv. She noted, “The side events have shown that there are many active organizations working for veterans, and today they had the opportunity to meet and listen to each other in order to continue doing even more beneficial work for veterans in the future.”
Thank you to all participants, and we look forward to powerful projects!
● Центр психічного здоров’я НУ “Києво-Могилянська академія”
● Денис Дудник та заснований ним психологічний хаб “Tanto”
● ГО “Обласна ветеранська спілка учасників АТО Рівненщини” – арттерапія бійцям з пораненнями
● ГО «АСОЦІАЦІЯ УЧАСНИКІВ ТА ІНВАЛІДІВ АТО» – Комікс “Мій тато повернувся з війни”
● Наші спортивні амбасадори
● Олена Яновська, головна тренерка збірної команди “Ігри Нескорених 2023”. Включилися онлайн збірна з Хорватії та представники команди збірної України, поранені військовослужбовці
On Tuesday, August 22, the VI International Veterans Forum “Ukraine. Defenders. Future” took place in Kyiv. It was organized by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine and the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation.
The main goal of the forum was to discuss the issues facing veterans, ways to address them in the areas of rehabilitation, reintegration, and the prospects of veteran policy in the country, as well as the participation of veterans in the state’s recovery after the Victory.
The event was attended by over 500 participants, including Ukrainian veterans, foreign veterans, defenders, government representatives, members of partner country governments, diplomats, members of civil society, veteran organizations, veteran businesses, and international partners.
The forum featured panel discussions where topics such as state veteran policy, veteran health and rehabilitation, veterans’ return to civilian life, and community reintegration were discussed.
At the invitation of Forbes Ukraine, Nataliia Kalmykova, Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, and William Attig, an American veteran, Executive Director of the Union Veterans Council, and co-founder of the US-Ukraine Veterans Bridge, spoke at the charity forum “Nezalezhni” in Lviv. Will and Natalia had a Public Talk on the topic “The American experience. How veterans strengthen the company”.
“A veteran is a potential. First of all, for yourself. And our task is to create conditions for realizing this potential. Second, for companies and the state. We have to understand and appreciate it. And hire veterans right now,” stressed the Executive Director of the UVF Nataliia Kalmykova.
Thank you to the Forbes Ukraine team for the invitation and organization.
Deminers, creators of women’s military uniforms, those who craft unique embroidered shirts, and prepare garlic paste – what unites them?
They are all veteran entrepreneurs.
Today, within the framework of the VI International Veterans Forum “Ukraine. Defenders. Future,” in a closed location, they had the opportunity to showcase their projects and products and share their stories.
These veterans are representatives of nearly 400 veteran-owned businesses that have received financial support during the activities of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation Minveteraniv.
“Returning to civilian life, I aimed to make this land safe for myself, my children, and my grandchildren,” says one of the participants, veteran Vitaliy Kucherenko, who is involved in humanitarian demining of territories. He trains deminers and is the founder of “GK GROUP” LLC.
And veteran Taras Yakobchuk, who creates professional kitchens for restaurateurs, from design to equipment procurement, and works under the brand “TopRest” with his wife Valentina, says about their business: “We are a family company. People come to us as family, as friends.”
In turn, veteran Kateryna Priymak, who is also present at the event, together with her sisters, dresses up in uniforms for Ukrainian servicewomen under the brand “by VTRNK.” They create uniforms tailored to the needs of women. Kateryna says, “It’s not just a workshop for us, but a workshop that actively supports the front.”
Another unique veteran-owned business is developed by Anton Brostovsky. He designed a children’s entertainment interactive and educational park called “Dragon Land.” His family also helps bring the idea to life. Anton himself comments, “It’s all for the children, including for the military to bring their sons and daughters to this unique park.”
Veteran Marko Melnyk introduced visitors to his publishing house and, in particular, the five books he published with the support of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation. Marko is the founder of one of the first veteran-owned publishing houses in Ukraine, called “markobook.” He says that he provides the military with intellectual support.
“All that unites our books is the victorious Ukrainian worldview,” comments the veteran.
Veteran Taras Leliuk is involved in high-tech entrepreneurship in the agricultural sector. He founded the agribusiness company “Деметра Агро-Груп” (Demetra Agro-Group). In his work, he relies on his fellow veterans, stating, “By trusting each other on the battlefield, we continue to do so in business. Reliable comrades have become reliable partners.”
Today, the following individuals also shared their businesses:
Bogdana Sydorenko, a veteran, co-founded a clothing manufacturing company with her sister Renata. They produce clothing for the Armed Forces of Ukraine and uniforms for businesses.
Volodymyr Skosohorenko, a veteran, specializes in turning garlic into paste and is developing the brand “Часничок” (Chasnychkok).
Serhiy Pyrogov, a veteran, collaborates with his brother Vitaliy under the brand “Active Season.” They manufacture products that improve the daily lives of military personnel on the front lines.
Volodymyr Dovhan, a veteran, along with his wife Oksana, established the artisan pottery workshop “DOVGAN-ART.”
Oleksandr Tkachuk, a veteran, founded the brand “Вишиваночка” (Vyshyvanochka) and creates clothing in ethnic style, as well as military uniforms.
Andriy Sarvira, a veteran, opened the “First Wave” restaurant and brewery.
Dmytro Martinenko, a veteran, established a network of patriotic coffee shops called “Тихе місце” (Tikhe mistse, Quiet Place).
Today, at the Forum, veterans have showcased themselves and their businesses. For them, business is one of the ways to reintegrate into civilian life after the war, and it also supports the veteran and their family. The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation Minveteraniv is ready to assist in this endeavor.
In 2023, the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation (УВФ) has already conducted three competitive programs under the #Varto, in which winners received grants ranging from 500,000 to 3 million hryvnias. You can find information about the current competitive programs at the following link: https://veteranfund.com.ua/contests/#2023
As a reminder, the VI International Veterans Forum “Ukraine. Defenders. Future” took place in Kyiv on Tuesday, August 22. It was organized by the Ministry of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, and co-organized by the Charity Organization “International Charitable Foundation “Come Back Alive.”
The organizers of the International Veterans Forum express their gratitude to their partners, including the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), UN Women in Ukraine, the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ukraine, and ISAR Unity.
More than 500 participants visited the VI International Veterans Forum “Ukraine. Defenders Future”.
Among them: Ukrainian veterans and veterans, as well as foreign veterans, our defenders, representatives of the government, members of the governments of partner states, diplomats, representatives of the public veteran organizations, veteran businesses, and our international partners.
We have collected the impressions of the participants and would like to share them:
Головна мета форуму: обговорення проблем ветеранів, шляхів їхнього вирішення у сфері реабілітації, реінтеграції, розбудова ветеранського суспільства і готовність всіх українців до повернення ветеранів у цивільне життя, озвучення перспектив ветеранської політики у країні й участі ветеранів у відновленні держави після Перемоги.
Відкрив VI Міжнародний ветеранський форум Президент України Володимир Зеленський.
Із вітальним словом до гостей форуму звернулися Голова Верховної Ради України Руслан Стефанчук, Прем’єр-Міністр України Денис Шмигаль, Секретар РНБО Олексій Данілов, Міністр оборони України Олексій Резніков, Міністр у справах ветеранів України Юлія Лапутіна, Міністр оборони Нідерландів Кайса Оллонгрен, заступник Державного секретаря парламенту Сполученого Королівства Великої Британії та Північної Ірландії у справах оборони, ветеранів і сімей військовослужбовців Ендрю Меррісон.
Організатори: Міністерство у справах ветеранів України, Український ветеранський фонд, співорганізатор — Благодійна організація “Міжнародний благодійний фонд “Повернись Живим”.
