LocationsCommunity laundry offers hope
Volunteer in Chernihiv Oblast launches laundry service for her community, with support from EU-UNDP grant
Valentyna Tsyrkun, a 30-year-old qualified lawyer, had no prior experience in entrepreneurship, but she did have a strong background in civic engagement. Her hometown of Horodnia in Chernihiv Oblast was among the first to face the Russian invasion in February 2022, enduring 37 days under occupation.
When the Government of Ukraine regained control over Horodnia, Tsyrkun immediately sprang into action as a volunteer, seeking out and bringing together like-minded people. Eventually, she founded the non-governmental organization “Rozkvitai” (“Blossom” in Ukrainian) to take her work to the next level. Her NGO implements projects for veterans, civilians, military families, and the general community.
By April 2022, Russian forces had occupied two-thirds of Chernihiv Oblast. According to regional authorities, local infrastructure has suffered severe and ongoing damage, with 15,000 civilian facilities affected as of November 2024. Supporting and developing businesses in these areas is a crucial factor in the region’s recovery.
When Tsyrkun learned about a grant competition for social entrepreneurship projects under the flagship “EU4Recovery – Empowering Communities in Ukraine” partnership between the EU and UNDP, she decided to apply. For the first time in her life, Valentyna wrote a social business plan to establish a community laundry service, which she submitted to the grant competition.
“A washing machine is not a luxury nowadays,” she explains. “But I know how hard it can be to wash blankets, bedcovers, carpets, and outerwear. A household machine can’t always handle these. That’s why I decided to purchase more powerful equipment.”
She says she envisioned creating a business that would offer services to everyone in need but would also have a social impact: washing items for free for large families facing difficult circumstances.
“We have 26 such families in our community,” Tsyrkun says. “Social entrepreneurship is vital for community development — it’s about taking responsibility for our country. I chose this path consciously.”
Tsyrkun believed in her idea so strongly that she had already purchased a washing machine and dryer by the time she presented her plan. She was delighted when she won the grant. She invested the EUR 4,500 grant in more equipment, and while the city council provided a space for the laundromat. She planned to operate the facility, which she named “Beauty Free,” in Horodnia herself.
Tsyrkun is delighted that she has achieved her primary goal of providing a social service for the community and addressing a specific need. She also sees it as an excellent lesson on entrepreneurship, not only for herself but for others. Looking ahead, she plans to move the laundry into a new building: a future veterans’ hub being developed by her NGO.
“I always try to motivate others by example,” says Tsyrkun says, and notes that her experience has inspired many others to take action. “If you have a strong initiative, it will find support. I wanted to show people that such projects help communities grow. Now, I can confidently say that we’re seeing more NGOs being created, more people learning and applying for grants. There are visibly more initiatives.”
Photo credit: Danylo Pavlov / Reporters / UNDP in Ukraine
