For the people of their city

May 7, 2025

Four individuals in various settings: a smiling older woman, a serious man in red, a confident young woman, and a thoughtful woman with long hair.

“We’re teaching people to walk again”

A therapist assists a man sitting on an exercise ball during a rehabilitation session.

Not long ago, Polina Tiutiunnyk, a 23-year-old physical therapist from Dnipro, considered stepping away from her profession. Instead, she took part in a training programme supported by the European Union and UNDP. After completing it, Polina discovered a new professional path — working with adults recovering from strokes — and rediscovered her sense of purpose.

For five years, Viktor worked as an ambulance driver. But then he decided not to just wait in the vehicle — he wanted to act. That’s why Viktor became an emergency medical technician. Thanks to a training programme supported by the European Union and UNDP, he gained critical new skills in cardiopulmonary resuscitation, bleeding control, and catheterization. Now, Viktor is studying to become a paramedic so he can help even more effectively. Because for him, this is more than a job — it’s a calling.

By profession, Valentyna Tsyrkun is a lawyer. In February 2022, her hometown of Horodnia in Chernihiv Oblast was under occupation for 37 days. When the Ukrainian government regained control of Horodnia, Valentyna immediately sprang into action: she volunteered, brought people together, and founded the non-governmental organization “Rozkvitai” (Blossom). Later, she launched a social enterprise — a laundry that not only provides services but also supports those who need it most. She submitted her idea to a grant competition supported by the European Union and UNDP — and won.

A woman with short dark hair and a patterned blouse sits at a table with art supplies.

For 45 years, Nina has been by the side of her daughter Olena, who has cerebral palsy. Nina spent her life working as a preschool teacher, and even after retiring, she never stopped. She leads a civil society organization, supports other parents of children with disabilities, and does everything she can to make her daughter’s life as comfortable as possible. A vital place for their family has become the Social Adaptation Space, created with support from the European Union and UNDP.

Photos: Danylo Pavlov, Oleksandr Himanov, Viacheslav Ratynskyi, Danylo Antoniuk / Reporters / UNDP in Ukraine

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