Category: News

Almost every second veteran believes that society does not respect people like them: presentation of online survey results

A survey of veterans and servicemen in February 2023 showed that 4% of respondents 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.

The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs has conducted another online survey, Portrait of a Veteran. We are ready to present the results. And they are disappointing.

We invite veterans, journalists, the public and government officials to participate in the presentation. You will learn about the results of the survey and get answers to your questions:

• How do veterans assess respect from society and support from the state?
• What problems do veterans consider most likely to arise in civilian life?
• What should the state and society do to strengthen veterans right now?

The event will take place on November 20 (Monday) at 15:00 at the Ukraine Media Center of Ukrinform.

📩Registration is required. The registration form is available here: https://forms.gle/dcLpyM8cuJLET7zs9

Participants:

• Yulia Laputina — Minister of Veterans Affairs
• Ruslana Velychko-Tryfoniuk — Acting Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation 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

For reference:

The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs has conducted the fourth 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.

Reading an interview with a veteran is good. But visiting him, talking to him and seeing his business with your own eyes is even better.

Yesterday, we introduced Ukrainian media journalists to veteran businesses in Vinnytsia region. All of its owners are winners of the competition programs of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation. The press tour was intimate and cozy. We share our impressions with you.

Svyatoslav Nikolaychuk and his rehabilitation center for the treatment of chronic and phantom pain “Genesis & System Solutions”.

The premises and medical equipment are new. The center is about to open. The doctors talked about pain management techniques. And Svyatoslav shared how he rehabilitated after being seriously wounded near Bakhmut. Now he will help other veterans overcome their pain.

We are pleased that the Vinnytsia City Council has joined the project’s co-financing. This is how local authorities also effectively care about veterans and their rehabilitation.

Oleksii Logachov and his Veda printing house.

The spirit of dedicated service, love for their work, and persistent movement into the future for the sake of victory lives in the printing house. It is clear that the employees devote a lot of time to this work. That’s why they create a cozy atmosphere for themselves and their guests: cats, flowerpots, and friendly communication.

Viacheslav Strazhets and his production of the Dzhmil 4.5.0 UAV.

The veteran started making drones after being seriously injured. The UVF provided funding for the civilian component of his project – the agricultural sector.

Accompanying the journalists on the trip were Vita Kostyk, Deputy Executive Director of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, and Liudmyla Klishchuk, leading specialist of the UVF Communications Department.

New trips are ahead. Expect announcements and come with us. The UVF is interesting, sincere and, of course, respectful to veterans.

We are grateful to the International Renaissance Foundation for its support!

We invite NGOs working for veterans to the final workshop before the end of the application period for the #Varto: Ednannia.

Where and when the workshop is

November 14th, Tuesday. 12:00. Zoom.

The number of seats is limited.

To join, please register via this link.

On the day of the workshop, check your emails and spam folder, we will send a link to Zoom.

We are holding this meeting so that you can improve your applications and apply for the competition without worries.

To make sure everything goes efficiently, it is imperative that you:

• read the competition guidelines – they are available here
• create a list of questions for lawyers, financiers, experts, or project managers of the Foundation

The last workshop had 97 (!) participants. This proves the desire to work for the benefit of veterans.

The winners of the #Varto: Ednannia will receive from UAH 800 thousand to UAH 2.5 million for projects for veterans, their families, and the families of fallen defenders.

You can apply for the competition today by following this link.

For reference:

We would like to add that public associations with the status of a legal entity (public organizations or public unions) that are registered in accordance with the requirements of the law no later than one year before submitting an application for participation in the competitive selection and have the status of a non-profit organization, whose statutory activities include the protection of rights and freedoms, satisfaction of public, in particular, economic, social, cultural and other interests of veterans and their families, can apply for financial support.

Projects that meet the following priorities are eligible to participate in the above-mentioned competitive selection:

1. Providing mentoring support and counseling to veteran entrepreneurship from start-up to development;
2. Social support for veterans, their family members and family members of deceased war veterans, family members of deceased defenders of Ukraine;
3. Social support for children of veterans and children of deceased (fallen) war veterans, children of deceased (fallen) Defenders of Ukraine;
4. Reintegration of veterans and their families into active social life, ensuring the preservation and restoration of their physical and mental health.

More than 10 Ukrainian media visited Zhytomyr region and met with veterans, winners of the Foundation’s competitions and their businesses.

The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs, with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation, showed the Ukrainian media “Veteran’s Way. Business”: how veteran businesses live and develop.

We met with a group of deminers from GK GROUP LLC.

The company was founded by veteran Vitaliy Kucherenko, winner of #Varto2022. Deminers showed how they inspect an area that needs demining. They also demonstrated the work of drones and drone operators.

We learned more about the business of veteran Oleksandr Vyhovskyi.

After leaving the Armed Forces, Oleksandr started his own business. Now he installs solar panels at his service station.

The press tour was accompanied by Vita Kostyk, Deputy Executive Director of the UVF, and Lyudmyla Klishchuk, leading specialist of the Communications Department.

The team of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs visited Sumy. We call events in the regions Dialogue Meetings for a reason.

Sumy: with whom we talked, whom we saw

Vita Kostyk, UVF Deputy Executive Director, and Daniil Momot, specialist of the Department of Organizational Development and International and Regional Relations, talked to representatives of Sumy Regional Military Administration, NGOs and veterans.

This time, they focused on the ongoing competition program for NGOs. The winners of #Varto:Ednannia will receive from UAH 800 thousand to UAH 2.5 million for a project for veterans, their families and families of fallen defenders. Details can be found at this link.

We thank Volodymyr Mykolayovych Artyukh, Head of Sumy Regional Military Administration, Olena Anatoliyivna Boyko, Deputy Head of the Regional Military Administration, and more than 40 community representatives who joined the dialogue meeting.

We visited the NGO “Ukrainian Association of Combatants and ATO Volunteers in Sumy Oblast”.

These are the winners of the previous competition program #Varto+GO. The team organized the “Brave Weekend” in three cities of Sumy region. This is a bright event for children of veterans and fallen defenders. They could draw, play musical instruments, have fun, and experience the benefits of childhood.

What’s going on with veteran businesses in Sumy region?

Our team also visited Ivakh Ivan’s veteran business.

Ivan, an ATO veteran, won the UVF competition program #Varto: Support for Veteran Business. He is taking his first steps in agribusiness. He is currently building a warehouse for storing agricultural products. The veteran is expanding his business with the support of the Foundation.

An important achievement of the meeting in Sumy:

The head of the Sumy Regional Military Administration instructed to develop regional programs to support veterans and allocate regional budget funds for them.

The Ukrainian Veterans Foundation invites you to a dialogue meeting in Sumy, which takes place on Wednesday, November 8th, at 10:00. The UVF team will talk about development opportunities for veteran businesses and NGOs.

How to register for a meeting

Please be sure to register if you plan to attend the meeting via this link.

Due to security issues, we will inform you about the venue in an email before the event.

We look forward to speaking with:

• veterans and their loved ones
• families of fallen defenders and defenders
• military personnel
• representatives of the military and local self-government bodies
• civil society organizations working with veterans and their families

Vita Kostyk, Deputy Executive Director, will present the activities and projects of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, tell how to apply for and win funding for your own business, and share details about the new competition program Varto: Ednannia for non-governmental organizations. The application deadline is November 16th.

We will talk about how we support veterans on their way back to civilian life. Register and come.

We remind you that the UVF invites NGOs to a workshop on November 9th at 12:00. During the event, lawyers, financiers, experts and project managers of the Foundation will tell participants how NGOs can prepare a competitive application to win up to UAH 2.5 million in support for a project for veterans and their families. We invite you to meet online and discuss your concerns. To join, please register: https://forms.gle/7jkXnmquxLdUXCVCA

We will send a link to your email on the day of the event. Be sure to check your spam folder if you have not received the email.

On November 9th, at 12:00, we invite NGOs to a workshop of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs.

Why the workshop is valuable

During the event, lawyers, financiers, experts and project managers of the Foundation will tell participants how non-governmental organizations (NGOs) can prepare a competitive application to win up to UAH 2.5 million in support for a project for veterans and their families.

Prepare your questions and be sure to ask them during the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation workshop. We kindly ask you to indicate the emails you check in the registration form — we will send you a link to ZOOM.

How to sign up

We invite you to meet online and discuss your concerns. To join us, please register: https://forms.gle/7jkXnmquxLdUXCVCA

We will send a link to your email on the day of the event. Be sure to check your spam folder if you have not received the email.

Read all about the competition program for the NGO #Varto: Ednannia, please follow this link.

For reference:

We would like to add that public associations with the status of a legal entity (public organizations or public unions) that are registered in accordance with the requirements of the law no later than one year before submitting an application for participation in the competitive selection and have the status of a non-profit organization, whose statutory activities include the protection of rights and freedoms, satisfaction of public, in particular, economic, social, cultural and other interests of veterans and their families, can apply for financial support.

Projects that meet the following priorities are eligible to participate in the above-mentioned competitive selection:

1. Providing mentoring support and counseling to veteran entrepreneurs from start-up to development;
2. Social support for veterans, their family members and family members of deceased war veterans, family members of deceased defenders of Ukraine;
3. Social support for children of veterans and children of deceased (fallen) war veterans, children of deceased (fallen) Defenders of Ukraine;
4. Reintegration of veterans and their families into active social life, ensuring the preservation and restoration of their physical and mental health.

Bohdan Pantiushenko. In 2014, he was a tanker with the 1st Separate Tank Brigade, codename “Armor”. Tank commander.

On January 18, 2015, during fierce fighting near the Donetsk airport, Russian militants hit his tank and captured the crew during an operation near the village of Spartak.

Five (!) years of captivity. Together with other prisoners of war, he was released from captivity during an exchange on December 29, 2019.

Now, in 2023, Bohdan is starting to take steps, quite confidently, in business.

With the support of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation, he and his wife are working on opening a family cafe in a village near Kyiv.

The name of the establishment is TrePoїsty.

“My wife and I have been planning to open a cafe for a long time. At first, we had a burger joint in mind, then we learned about the UVF grant program. We discussed our idea with experts and consulted a lot. It’s a very hard work, I read a lot, technologists and other specialists work with me,” Bohdan tells us.

The Pantiushenkos are young parents. That’s why they decided, based on their own experience, that the concept of the restaurant should include a children’s menu and a children’s area.

” First and foremost, we will create a cozy family cafe in the Kyiv suburbs that will welcome families with children. Our goal is to provide them with a comfortable atmosphere. Where they can relax and enjoy quality food and a relaxed atmosphere. It will be possible to organize children’s parties with animators, etc.”, say our applicants.

“We want to create a restaurant that combines modern fast European cuisine, modern eco-interior with traditional Ukrainian elements. We want to support and popularize Ukrainian things in our restaurant at every opportunity. Although the format of the restaurant does not provide for the education or upbringing of children, we will create an atmosphere and a children’s area that will promote love for the Motherland,” emphasize the Pantiushenkos.

The UVF has allocated almost three million hryvnias to implement this idea.

“We will spend these funds on kitchen equipment, repair work, and partially cover the rent of the premises,” says Mr. Pantiushenko.

Members of the Defense Forces and veterans of the Russo-Ukrainian war will have significant discounts on products, and the establishment will be included in the discount system of the All-Ukrainian Association of Defenders of Ukraine “Ukrainians Together,” our applicants say.

Currently, active work is underway to equip the family cafe. It is expected to open in the spring of 2024.

You can also read the story of veteran Dmytro Polishchuk and his business at this link.

Photo from Bohdan Pantiushchenko’s personal archive

November 2nd, 2023 marks the start of the competitive selection of experts (three main and reserve) to the Expert Council of the Ukrainian Veterans Fund for the competitive selection of projects “Varto: Ednannia”.

How to apply and when is the deadline

We are looking for experienced professionals who are familiar with the specifics of NGOs and social projects.

The application deadline is November 14th, 2023 (inclusive).

You can apply by following this link.

Applicants will be notified of the results of the selection by e-mail.

What are the responsibilities of the UVF experts and requirements for candidates?

Conducting an expert evaluation of application packages in accordance with the Expert Evaluation Methodology (evaluation criteria – Annex 2);
Participation in the public presentation (defense) of projects by applicants;
Formation of a rating list of the winners of the competitive selection.

Requirements for a candidate for the Foundation’s experts:

• Higher education at least at the second (master’s) level;
• Experience in NGOs and social projects;
• At least one year of project budgeting experience;
• Knowledge of business Ukrainian;
• Impeccable business reputation.

Candidates for the Expert Councils are selected in accordance with the requirements of the Regulations on the Expert Councils of the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation and the Regulations on the Commission for the Selection of Experts to the Expert Councils.

Please note: the Foundation’s experts are not entitled to simultaneously be applicants for the competitive selection or participate in the implementation of projects submitted to the Foundation (for this or other competitive selection of projects).

How to apply for the competition: key tips

To submit documents for the competition, you must:

1. Familiarize yourself with the Regulations on the Expert Councils of the budgetary institution “Ukrainian Veterans Foundation” (in particular, with clause 2.11) and the Methodology of expert evaluation

• application (in accordance with Annex 1 to the Regulation on Expert Councils);
• motivation letter (in any form);
• a copy of an identity document;
• a copy of the individual tax number;
• consent to the collection and processing of personal data (in accordance with Annex 2 to the Regulation on the Expert Councils);
• a detailed professional resume in the state language with annexes confirming the profile activity;
• copies of the candidate’s documents confirming higher education not lower than the second (master’s) level.

All copies of the documents shall be submitted in Ukrainian and/or in the original language with a translation into Ukrainian and EXCLUSIVELY in PDF format. Documents in any other format will NOT be considered. If you need to upload more than one document in one field (for example, passport pages), it is advisable to combine them into one file.

2. Prepare and sign the documents (mandatory signature is required in the Candidate’s Application and Consent to Personal Data Processing). This can be done using an electronic signature or by sending scanned documents with a physical signature.
3. Fill in the information and submit the documents for the competition for the selection of experts in this questionnaire within the time limit.

If you have any questions, please contact us at a.ivaniuk@veteranfund.mva.gov.ua.

Civil society organizations working to support veterans and their families will be able to receive from UAH 800 thousand to UAH 2.5 million in financial support under the new competition “#Varto: Ednannia”.

The goal of the co-financing program “#Varto: Ednannia” program is to reintegrate and support veterans and their families through the services of public associations, which, in turn, will strengthen their capacities and the quality of services in the field of protection of rights and freedoms, satisfaction of public, economic, social, cultural and other interests of veterans and their families.

What veterans and their families will receive as part of the competition:

• mentoring and counseling of veteran entrepreneurs from start-up to development;
• social support for veterans, their families and family members of the deceased;
• social support for children of veterans and children of the fallen;
• support in reintegrating veterans and their families into active social life

The uniqueness of this cooperation is that budget funds will be targeted to support veterans and their families, while the public sector will provide these services and strengthen its organizational capacity.

How to participate in the competition?

• Read the details
• Write a project plan
• Submit your application by November 16th, 2023, 23:59 Kyiv time
• Wait for the results on December 15th, 2023

We would like to remind you that at a press conference held on October 31th at the Ukraine-Uninform Media Center, all the features and opportunities of the competition were discussed in detail.

All details of the contest are available at https://veteranfund.com.ua/contests/varto-unity/.

The contest program “#Varto: Ednannia” is funded by the state budget through the Ukrainian Veterans Foundation of the Ministry of Veterans Affairs. Additional funding is provided with the support of ISAR Ednannia within the framework of the Civil Society Sectoral Support Initiative project implemented by ISAR Ednannia in consortium with the Ukrainian Center for Independent Political Research and the Center for Democracy and Rule of Law thanks to the heartfelt support of the American people through the United States Agency for International Development (USAID).