Svitlana Agadzhanian is originally from Druzhkivka, where she returned with her family from occupied Donetsk—where she had been working as a journalist—following the Russian invasion in 2014. In her hometown, she became deeply involved in community work, implementing dozens of projects that improved the quality of life for the local community as a representative of several civic organizations.
Thanks to a series of projects, her hometown now has a playground, a safe space for youth and active community members, a medical clinic for infected mothers, and many other useful facilities.
Her story is told by Suspilne. Donbas.
The full-scale invasion radically changed the direction of the activist’s work. After moving to Perechyn in Zakarpattia, Svitlana immediately began looking for ways to help other displaced persons. She reached out to the “Sхід SOS” Charitable Foundation with a request for humanitarian aid for the east. The first trucks with aid set off for the Donetsk region: to Druzhkivka, Pokrovsk, Myrnohrad, Velyka Novosilka, and Dobropillia. Svitlana also distributed humanitarian aid to displaced persons at the volunteer hub and helped set up temporary housing.
After moving to Uzhhorod, where the “Sхід SOS” Charitable Foundation team had relocated, Svitlana was offered a position at the foundation—not as a volunteer, but as a manager.
“At first, I coordinated a project to distribute food and hygiene kits to people, and later joined the reconstruction team,” says the IDP.
In her new role within the “Reconstruction” division, Svitlana and her team worked on minor and moderate home repairs in the Kharkiv and Donetsk regions. Assistance was provided to the most vulnerable: older adults, people with disabilities, and those who could not receive support from the government.
Svitlana is now embarking on a new phase of her journey: she is seeking resources for geriatric and regional centers that are taking in evacuees.
“The most important thing for me is to be with people and do something useful,” says Svitlana.
The Ukrainian people are hardworking and indomitable!