During the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by the Russian Federation, the NGO “Initiatives of Slobozhanshchyna” established close cooperation with the territorial communities of Sumy region in order to study and analyze the needs of residents with disabilities who are currently in the combat zone and living under constant shelling. Thanks to partner grant support, we are able to meet the needs of these people.
Thus, since June 2025, the NGO “Initiatives of Slobozhanshchyna” together with the NGO “National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine” has been implementing the project “Humanitarian Response and Recovery: Strengthening the Leadership of Women's Organizations with Disabilities” with the financial support of the Women's Fund for Peace and Humanitarian Aid. Within the framework of this project, material humanitarian assistance is provided and measures are taken to support mental health.
During this period, 175 women with disabilities and older women from the Sadivska territorial community were provided with quality food packages. The beneficiaries accepted this assistance with trepidation and sincerely thanked for the support with tears in their eyes. The oldest woman is 97 years old, she is single, and she desperately needs help because she has a small pension.
Sets of detergents and personal hygiene products were received by 271 women with disabilities from Sumy and Stepanivska TGs, including IDPs who found themselves in difficult living circumstances, some of whom were even left without their own homes.
One of the beneficiaries complained to us that she often has to ask for used clothes from humanitarian organizations because she has nothing to wash, and she is forced to throw dirty, worn-out clothes in the trash.
Women from low-income families sincerely thank you for the much-needed assistance for their families.
When we hear such feedback, we are convinced that during war, girls and women with disabilities need our help and support. So, let's not be indifferent and, if possible, help those in need so that they are not left alone with their problems!
We also want to note the work of the humanitarian headquarters and social protection departments of the Sadivska and Stepanivska territorial communities, which actively participated in the process of providing humanitarian aid: they compiled lists of those in need, provided a warehouse for unloading and placing humanitarian aid.
We are sincerely grateful to these people for their concern and care for the well-being of disabled residents of these communities.
The initiative is implemented by the NGO “Initiatives of Slobozhanshchyna” within the framework of the project “Humanitarian Response and Recovery: Strengthening the Leadership of Women’s Organizations with Disabilities”, which is implemented by the National Assembly of Persons with Disabilities of Ukraine (NAIDU) with technical support from UN Women in Ukraine and funding from the UN Women’s Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF). However, this does not mean that the views and content expressed during the trainings are officially approved or recognized by the United Nations.
The UN Women's Peace and Humanitarian Fund (WPHF) is a flexible and operational funding instrument that supports quality interventions to enhance the capacity of local women to prevent conflicts, respond to crises and emergencies, and harness key peacebuilding opportunities.
