Tetiana Krasko and her team from the “Studio of Women’s Civic Initiatives” lost their home, but not their purpose. After evacuating from New York in Donetsk region, they began a new chapter in Myrhorod, where they created a support network for displaced women.
In 2019, a group of women — educators, healthcare workers, and teachers — became the driving force of their community. Over time, they united to form the “Studio of Women’s Civic Initiatives” to address humanitarian and safety issues in their settlement.
Eventually, the team focused on women’s rights and gender equality — not only in legislation, but also in everyday opportunities.
Gradually, their first projects took shape. One of them, “Women of Ukrainian New York,” highlighted how women, even on the front line, remain strong, responsible, and active.
They also created safe spaces in the settlement and even envisioned historical projects, including the ambitious idea of establishing a cultural-historical center, “Ukrainian New York.”
In the early days of the full-scale war, the organization helped set up bomb shelters, distributed pillows, blankets, and food. But as the threat grew, evacuation became necessary. Tetiana’s family settled in Myrhorod in the Poltava region — the place where the organization was reborn.
One of the team’s first initiatives in their new home was the project “IDPs as a Resource for Community Development” in partnership with ISAR Ednannia and funded by UNDP. It included psycho-emotional support, integration, and the creation of conditions for collective interaction.
The organization never lost sight of its core mission — supporting women. To assist displaced women in Poltava region, the team launched an entrepreneurship fundamentals training course as part of the “Time to Act” project supported by UN Women in Ukraine. The program helped participants gain business skills, and some were able to start small enterprises that they still run today.
Another initiative launched by the team was self-help groups for displaced women and relatives of the fallen. For many women, these meetings became a safe space to openly share their experiences without judgment.
These self-help groups laid the foundation for the creation of the “Kalyna” collective. Its members met to process their emotions through creativity: painting, crafting, sculpting. After a trip to Lviv and a meeting with a veterans’ organization, they decided to establish its official branch in Myrhorod. Since January 2024, the women have been sewing adaptive undergarments for wounded defenders.
"They’re not just sewing. For them, it’s support and a way to feel useful. They say it doesn’t take the pain away, but it gives them a sense of strength — that they can do something not only for themselves, but for others too," Tetiana Krasko shares.
Now, the organization focuses on supporting families of the fallen, working with youth, and empowering women — especially economically. The team plans to strengthen advocacy efforts so that the voices of displaced women, veterans, and mothers of the fallen are heard more clearly in their communities.
"We have experience, and we want to share it with those just beginning. Because women are power. And together, we are even stronger," concludes the head of the NGO “Studio of Women’s Civic Initiatives.”
The Ukrainian people are unbreakable and undefeated! Together to Victory!