Suppressing emotions is unnatural and harmful to our sanity. Conscious perception helps to live through them and reduce their intensity.
A place where you can regularly analyze life events and find support is the weekly support group of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation. They are conducted by qualified psychologists.
📌 The nearest support group is on December 3, at 7 PM.
We meet online, in Zoom. So you can join from home or another safe place.
One of the options is to open your own veteran enterprise. This will increase the employment rate of veterans and strengthen the economy. But veteran entrepreneurship needs support from the state.
👤 Maksym Muzyka, a veteran and manufacturer of Panisher drones, promotes the importance of adopting the Law on Veteran Entrepreneurship. He is its co-author:
“The draft law will help reduce unemployment among veterans, reducing social tension and improving their well-being,” writes Maksym Muzyka.
The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation describes in detail the procedure for submitting and selecting projects for participation in its competitive programs. Applicants must follow the established guidelines and requirements, including filling out the application form and submitting the required documents.
Steps for applicants
Applicants wishing to participate in the Foundation’s competition must fill out the application form and attach all the necessary documents listed in the instructions.
After submitting the application package, the applicant will receive an automatically generated letter with the application number to their email. Applications are technically selected within five business days, during which the completeness and compliance of the submitted documents with the established requirements are checked.
If the application package is found to be incomplete, the documents are not properly filled out, false information is provided, or if the application is submitted after the deadline, the applicant will be notified by the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation by email. The applicant has the right to submit corrected documents within five business days after receiving the notification.
Application packages that have successfully passed the technical selection will be submitted for review and expert evaluation in accordance with the evaluation methodology. Experts will provide recommendations to applicants on project support, implementation mechanisms, terms and amounts of funding.
Experts and evaluation
Expert councils of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation are formed for each competitive selection of projects. They consist of experts recommended for inclusion in the councils on the basis of selection that meets the requirements and criteria set forth in the relevant regulations and orders. The quantitative and personal composition of the Expert Councils is approved by the Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation.
The experts of the Expert Councils evaluate the submitted application packages in accordance with the requirements of the Methodology for the Expert Evaluation of Projects and the Guidelines for Applicants. They provide recommendations to applicants on project support, implementation mechanisms, terms and amounts of funding.
Applicants must take into account the recommendations of the experts and the financial department of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation and submit corrected documents within three business days. An open presentation of the projects is also planned via the Internet.
Based on the Expert Council’s assessment, a list of winning projects will be formed. The results of the competitive selection will be published on the Foundation’s official website.
Questions and clarifications regarding the submission of the application package can be sent to uvfprojects@veteranfund.mva.gov.ua with the subject line and application number.
Important.
The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation informs that the Foundation’s employees do not provide individual consultations to applicants, as well as do not provide legal and accounting advice.
On November 20th, the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs presented the results of a regular online survey, Portrait of a Veteran. The survey examined the opinions of veterans and active military personnel. The Foundation’s analysts have recorded a tendency to deterioration of public attitudes toward veterans of the Russo-Ukrainian War and assessments of the state’s fulfillment of its obligations to the military in the opinion of the military and veterans.
Yulia Kirillova, a veteran and head of the Department of Educational and Analytical Work of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, emphasized:
“An anonymous online survey is a reliable tool that reflects the key issues and moods among the target audience, in our case, among veterans and military personnel. The vast majority of our respondents are young people. We understand that they will need employment, as this is one of the most popular needs among veterans in the future. Thanks to regular measurements, we can clearly see the areas for supporting veterans and creating opportunities for them.”
The results of the survey emphasized a steady upward trend in the share of veterans who believe that the state does not fully fulfill the obligations and guarantees provided for in policies to support veterans and their families.
Answering the question “In your opinion, is the state fulfilling its obligations to veterans today?”, about half of the respondents – 44.6% – said that the state is rather not fulfilling its obligations. In less than a year, the percentage of veterans who believe that the state does not fulfill its obligations to them at all has doubled (21.4% in October, compared to 8.3% in February 2023). On the other hand, 18.8% of respondents believe that the state rather fulfills its obligations.
Veterans who have transitioned to civilian life believe that society does not respect them. According to a similar survey conducted in February 2023, 4% believed that society “does not respect” veterans at all. This figure doubled to 9.8% in October 2023. The overall share of veterans who are convinced of the lack of respect for them has also increased – 44.1% compared to 25.4% in February 2023 (these are the total answers for the categories “no respect at all” + “rather no respect”).
Oleksiy Tarabukin, Advisor to the Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine, noted
“The issue of respect for veterans in society and the state’s capabilities should be analyzed in a comprehensive manner. Judging by the figures of systematic surveys, more and more citizens are applying for public services and assessing their quality from different perspectives. High quality services should be the norm for the state. And a clear articulation of problematic issues in society helps to improve them. The study highlights the problems — and this is a red light that should become a guide for further action. We need to create a comprehensive reform of legislation in the field of veterans’ policies, implement global and local projects.”
The current survey showed that the following risks are relevant for veterans: physical health problems and difficulties in obtaining medical care – 55.2% of respondents; psycho-emotional instability – 53.8%; lack of inclusive space and adapted workplace for people with disabilities – 53.2%; lack of understanding of society – 46.6%; problems with obtaining social benefits – 44.5%; lack of work – 42.5%.
At the same time, respondents consider the occurrence of such phenomena as: violation of laws, participation in crime – 36.6% and suicide – 29.1% to be mostly unlikely.
Ruslana Velychko-Tryfoniuk, acting Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, said:
“The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation regularly conducts surveys of both veterans and society in general. The difference in the results we track indicates the stigmatization of the image of a veteran. When stigmatization begins (and it has already begun), we need to work with it quickly. We need to explain to society that the image of a veteran is not the only one. Veterans are all different, and their problems are individual. And they need to be solved together. For example, in close cooperation with civil society, as it works in the United States. There, legal advice to veterans is provided not only by government agencies, but also by universities that work for public or private funds. Therefore, it is naive to expect that one or two ministries in Ukraine will be able to solve all the problems. Let’s work together.”
One of the most common needs of veterans in civilian life is the need for employment. According to the survey results, UVF analysts noticed persistent uncertainty about returning to their jobs after demobilization. This is not surprising, as war and participation in hostilities often change people’s outlook, priorities and plans for life.
In its research, the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation analyzes the attitudes of military personnel and veterans about returning to their jobs or starting their own businesses. This issue is covered in the research “Veterans’ Needs 2023” and “Veterans’ Needs and Obstacles to Employment 2023“.
An essential element of building social harmony is understanding each other’s needs. The lack of information or its falsity provokes the formation of myths, rumors, and prejudices, which can result in a deterioration in the quality of the dialogue between veterans and society. Mutual understanding and support of veterans and military personnel are important not after the victory, but now.
Nadiya Adamenko, Deputy Director of the Department of Digital Development and Transformation at the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, highlighted:
“The data of opinion polls are not about numbers, but about people who return to their communities every day. Therefore, the transition from military service to civilian life requires a personalized approach. This topic is very relevant now. And comprehensive solutions are important. Today, thanks to the veteran’s assistants, we see two key requests in communities. First, it is support for those veterans who are undergoing treatment and rehabilitation in hospitals. For them, the assistants provide a range of consultations and services. Second, it is communication in public spaces about the needs and requests of veterans and their families. This study is a navigator in how to reach the individual policy of the veteran and the real capacities of the community.”
The results of the online survey “Portrait of a Veteran” are available here: https://veteranfund.com.ua/portrait-of-veteran/
You can watch the recording of the event on the Facebook page of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation: https://fb.watch/orcGoMqhXs/
The event was attended by:
Ruslana Velychko-Tryfoniuk — Acting Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs
Nadiya Adamenko — Deputy Director of the Department of Digital Development and Transformation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs
Yulia Kirillova — veteran, Head of the Department of Educational and Analytical Work of the Ukrainian Veterans’ Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs
Oleksiy Tarabukin — Advisor to the Minister of Veterans Affairs of Ukraine
For reference:The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs conducted a regular online survey among veterans and active military personnel. The survey results demonstrated the current needs and problems of the respondents. The online survey of veterans was conducted from October 10 to 22, 2023. A total of 2457 people took part in the survey.
“While I was in the hospital, I ordered components for the drones. I cannot solder myself because it is difficult to hold a soldering iron. So my wife soldered and my son helped. That’s how we assembled the first drone.”
For Vyacheslav, it was his first attempt at writing an application for the competition. And it was successful on the first try! We share the veteran’s difficult but stubborn path.
Vyacheslav Strazhets is an engineer by profession. He was a railway worker for 10 years. Later, he switched from the tracks to the roads, driving a truck to transport goods across Europe. Before the full-scale invasion, he was preparing a visa for new routes. However, his intuition told him that he would no longer need to use it. In anticipation of the invasion, he prepared all the documents and bank cards. But his family stayed at home. For Vyacheslav, it was his first attempt at writing an application for the competition. And he succeeded on the first try! We share the veteran’s difficult but stubborn journey.
“Even if I had gone abroad, I would have come back right away. I felt I had to do it. But I didn’t go to the military enlistment office right away. My wife wouldn’t let me in, she took the car keys away. But the next day I went there by bike. I stood in line, passed the commission, and so I enlisted. I had no military experience, I did not participate in the ATO. I felt that I had not fulfilled my duty. In February 2022, I didn’t hesitate for a minute,” says Vyacheslav.
Photo 1: Vyacheslav Strazhets, a soldier with the Separate Machine Gun Platoon of the 38th Infantry Battalion of the Vinnytsia Region’s Angels
For the first two months, Strazhets served in a local defense unit. Later he joined a combat troop. From April 17, 2022, he fought in Donbas. In late May, during a mortar attack, he was seriously injured while helping a fellow soldier. Doctors amputated his right arm, but managed to save his left.
During his rehabilitation, Vyacheslav was thinking about how he could be useful after his recovery. So he turned to the topic of FPV drones. The veteran became interested in them a year ago.
“While I was in the hospital, I bought components for the drones. They came in the mail at the same time as I returned home. I can’t solder myself because it’s hard to hold a soldering iron. So my wife soldered, and my son helped. That’s how we assembled the first drone,” Vyacheslav recalls.
Photo 2: Tests of the assembled drones are successful
For some reason, people think that veterans will come, because they fought, and they will do everything locally.
The veteran taught his son to pilot. Before that, he practiced flying a drone on a simulator. He also took several specialized courses. In particular, he learned how to start a drone assembly business. Viacheslav is convinced that if he had been assembling drones on a volunteer basis, he would not have gotten very far. So he chose the path of an entrepreneur to be self-sufficient.
Strazhets recently opened a sole proprietorship. He sees a number of advantages for a veteran entrepreneur. First, he pays taxes and supports volunteer funds. Secondly, he is ready to work with budgetary institutions. To do this, the product needs to be certified. The veteran has found partners to help him with this.
Vyacheslav Strazhets has already received his first orders. On the way to realizing his idea, he learned about the competition from the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, which helped him to do so.
“Back in the rehabilitation center, I took courses in strategic community development. I thought I was going to organize life on the ground. But no. For some reason, people think that veterans will come, because they fought, and they will do everything on the ground. But this will not happen. A veteran is the first person who needs help from society.”
I thought it was unrealistic to get a grant, that you had to be a super-duper entrepreneur or a prodigy.
During the course, wounded soldiers were taught about writing projects. After weighing the pros and cons, the veteran decided to start his own business. He learned from his fellow soldiers about the UVF’s funding programs for veteran businesses. A meeting with the veterans who won these programs had a decisive impact:
“This is Volodymyr Skosohorenko, he is engaged in garlic. Taras Yakobchuk, he deals with kitchens and equipment. I talked to them more closely. Volodymyr helped me a lot, explained everything. He told me to stop walking and to run. And so I applied for the VARTO competition: Golden Hands from the UVF and won in the first attempt. I didn’t expect it myself. I thought it was unrealistic to get a grant, that you had to be a super-duper entrepreneur or a prodigy. But no, everything is much simpler,” says Vyacheslav Strazhets.
Vyacheslav knows for sure that as soon as you start doing something, the process goes on. When asked what it’s like for him to be a veteran running his own business, he answers cheerfully and with enthusiasm:
“I have less free time, almost none. I get up in the morning and go. We are just starting to work because we don’t have all the equipment yet. But we already have two employees. I hired my brother-in-arms. He was wounded at the same time as me. My son is the pilot. He sometimes tests our drones, even though he is only fourteen.”
Photos 3-6. Vyacheslav at his workshop
Active communication and the need to engage specialists are issues that are particularly relevant to entrepreneurs today. And although the veteran is used to solving everything on his own, he has run out of resources after starting his business. In the near future, he will be looking for accountants. After all, there are more and more documents, and he needs to keep things in order. Vyacheslav is convinced that a mistake can cost much more than paying a qualified person.
Photos 7-8. Soon, the veteran’s drone assembly workshop will be replenished with new equipment thanks to the financial support of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs
“We need basic respect from people”
The responsibility for people has also increased. Vyacheslav cares about the comfort of his employees and carefully arranges workplaces. He says it’s hard to find good specialists nowadays. And not only for him. He gives an example: “Once a man came to the store. He said to me, “Do you want to work here as a loader?” And I showed him my iron arm, so he said, “I’ll help you. He apologized, of course. But the situation is indicative.”
The veteran is brief and precise about what he expects from society: “We need basic respect from people. Veterans are those who have given more than just taxes to the state. But people are often afraid to look you in the eye or say something. They try to pretend that you don’t exist.”
Photo 9. Details
Family is what keeps you going
The veteran considers his family to be his greatest support in his rehabilitation and return to civilian life. Recalling the long period of treatment and rehabilitation, he cannot imagine how he would have managed without the help of his wife. Vyacheslav is convinced that family is what keeps you going. Especially in critical situations:
“During the evacuation, I was seriously wounded and had to walk another three kilometers. I had to make an effort to survive. That’s why I remembered my children, my wife, and got up again. I thought that if I fell asleep now, I would definitely not get up. And so I kept going. That’s why my family is so supportive. And also my parents, friends, and comrades-in-arms.”
The family has become Vyacheslav’s support in his recovery and his desire to make drones. And the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation financially supported the veteran on his way to entrepreneurship and the successful realization of his dream. Such projects are very valuable, because when a veteran develops his own business, he brings the spirit of brotherhood to civilian life. In this way, they continue to support their comrades-in-arms on the path to victory.
We thank the veterans for their service, for their conscious stance, strong spirit and perseverance.
The author: Olesya Matsutevych
Photo: from the personal archive of Vyacheslav Strazhets
The program is as simple as possible and does not require many documents. So, read the answers to the most frequently asked questions and take advantage of the opportunity.
📌 What goods can be purchased?
Charging stations, generators, laptops, sewing machines, fabrics, etc. The main thing is that the expenses correspond to the NACE of your sole proprietorship.
Veterans returning from combat often come back with not only heroic memories, but also physical and mental trauma
Sport helps veterans on their way home:
✅ distract from intrusive memories
✅ feel strong and healthy
✅ believe in their abilities again and feel their own value
The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs is a provider of productive civilian life for veterans. We consider different ways of reintegration. One of them is sport.
🔵 Today we start publishing a series of materials in partnership with the leading Ukrainian sports publishing house Tribuna.com.
🔹 talk about sports events dedicated to veteran sports
🔹 publish interviews with veteran athletes about their journey and results
This cooperation is a logical consequence of a deep understanding of the psychological and social challenges faced by veterans. The government, NGOs, defenders, veterans – everyone will find something important in these materials.
The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation is actively moving to popularize veteran sports across the country.
In the photo: Viktor Legkodukh, veteran, winner of the Warrior Games and Invictus Games.
Just imagine how much the map will increase the recognition of your company, brand or service 📈
Add your own veteran business to the map for free:
1️⃣ Follow the link and press the “💬” button: https://bit.ly/3s9XqyK
2️⃣ Fill out the form and in a few days your coffee shop, service station, printing house, etc. will appear on the map
We have a bonus for you! LUN City will be conducting training lectures on marketing, creativity, and communications. This will strengthen and accelerate the development of your projects. Follow the news.
Thank you LUN and Uklon! Thanks to you, Ukrainians are recognizing and supporting veteran businesses.
The veteran’s wife, a member of the weekly support group, says: “It is important to feel that I am not alone in this. To know that there is a place where I can weep about my condition, experiences and fears.”
So join and share everything that bothers you. People who are not strangers will listen to you, because each of them is going through a similar experience.
📌 The nearest support group is tomorrow, November 19, at 19:00.
We meet online, in Zoom. So you can stay at home or in another safe place.
🔗 Register and we will send you the link a few hours before the start: https://forms.gle/1jiLHbgZt5KhhtzF8
🔵 This project is made possible by the Ukraine Rapid Response Fund program, implemented by IREX in Ukraine with support from the U.S. Department of State.
Technical work on public services, which began yesterday at 23:00, has become an obstacle for our applicants. At this time, the opportunity to submit application packages for the #VARTO: Ednannia was not available. So we have continued to accept applications. It will last until 18:00, November 17.
You still have a few hours to finalize all the processes and submit applications for the competition program for NGOs. Don’t miss the last chance to get from UAH 800 thousand to UAH 2.5 million for a project for veterans and their families in 2023.
🔗 Apply by following the link: https://veteranfund.com.ua/contests/varto-unity/
