Neonatal Support From Nova Ukraine

Childbirth is difficult and emotional even in the safest hospitals, and there are myriad complications that can suddenly arise and force mothers and doctors to make difficult decisions. After birth, an infant needs care and stability.

In many hospitals throughout Ukraine, however, even basic items and equipment for childbirth are in short supply. Many hospitals still maintain Soviet-era equipment, and of course, with Russia bombing critical infrastructure, some hospitals have had to operate in conditions of energy scarcity.

And then there are those mothers who are forced to give birth without any professional care and few if any, medical options in basements and bunkers. Far from the peace and security that newborns deserve, they experience the beginnings of their lives within the range of artillery shells.

Nova Ukraine and our partners, including ZDOROVI distributing agency, have worked hard to put donations to use, supplying hospitals around Ukraine with essential modern medical equipment. Neonatal support had gone out to more than 34 hospitals in 16 regions as of March 2023, and we have continued our efforts since, recently reaching more than 50 clinics in need of neonatal care supplies.

These deliveries include tech such as portable incubators that stabilize infants’ temperature and keep them comfortable, and which can be readily removed to safer locations in the event of shelling or air strikes. Other incubators are specifically designed to transport babies safely in ambulances and evacuation vehicles. The latest delivery of incubators and ventilators included equipment from GE, ATOM, and Dräger.

An illustrative example of the impact can be found in Pavlohrad, which still uses gynecological beds from the early ‘60s and children’s beds from the mid-’80s, received 30 new baby cots, a modern gynecological examination chair, and three skin temperature sensors, along with 500 more gynecological examination kits. It is influxes of equipment like these that allow doctors to continue to welcome new Ukrainian life into the world, even in the darkest of times.

Donate to Support Our Efforts

Your continued support makes our continued support possible. Please donate today to provide Ukrainian hospitals, mothers, and babies with the care they need.

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Nova Ukraine’s Prosthetics Projects and Successes

In times of great crisis and dislocation, few efforts speak to the essence of humanitarian aid quite like medical projects, and due to the cost, expertise, and material demands of delivering medical care, this mission is especially difficult. Nova Ukraine’s deep commitment to the medical community is finding incredible success through the hard work of its team of volunteers organizing and conducting the purchase, delivery, and implementation of medical supplies and operations.

Now that Ukraine is at war, increased attention needs to be given to those men, women, and children who lost limbs from Russian artillery and missile attacks. Soldiers, who serve on the front defending their country from invasion, often suffer horrible injuries. Since October 2022, Nova Ukraine has run a joint initiative with @ProsthetiKa and @Protez Hub – a Ukrainian prosthetics manufacturer and rehabilitation provider. The goal of this project is to provide Ukrainians who have suffered the loss of an arm with high-quality prosthetic replacements.

These prosthetic arms are technically complex, highly functional pieces, built with quality elbow joints, electric hooks and bionic brushes. As opposed to simple, non-mechanical prosthetics, patients receiving arms constructed by Protez Hub can develop a wide range of movement. Using myoelectric sensing technology, these arms provide wounded soldiers and civilians with opportunities that people with similar injuries in the past could not have dreamed of.

A couple of success stories include that of Ivan, who received enhanced prosthetic components through our joint project and was able to quickly master his prosthetic’s operation.

Andriy, who lost his arm near Bakhmut, now has improved elbow control and a receiving case that strengthens the myoelectric signals he sends to his new arm. He underwent rehabilitation to learn how to optimize the functionality of the arm; myoelectric apparatuses are complex and require training to use effectively.

Donate to Support Our Efforts

The prosthetics projects and all of Nova Ukraine’s humanitarian medical efforts are funded and made possible by donations from people who want to make their contribution to the fight against the cruelty and injustice of the war. Please, consider donating today!

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Medical Beds Urgently Needed

Getting urgently needed medical supplies to Ukraine’s most devastated cities and regions is a race against time. Rehab facilities desperately need specialized, state-of-the-art beds for soldiers with devastating injuries. Nova Ukraine has so far delivered 150 Hill-Rom Evolution beds to rehab facilities in cities and regions such as Ternopil’, Lutsk, Zhytomyr, Vinnytsia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Bila Tserkva, Lviv, and Khmenytskij. These deliveries have made a critical difference in treating these patients.

Why? The beds come already equipped with lifting poles and handrails. These features provide additional support and enable wounded soldiers with external fixation devices or craniocerebral injuries to adjust their seating positions on their own. For patients with amputations, the beds’ advanced functions help them regain some independent ambulation, reducing bedsores and restoring a sense of personal dignity.

Last but not least, the independent movement gained by patients takes some of the burden off the shoulders of over-worked healthcare staff.

In addition to supplying Hill-Rom beds, Nova Ukraine has provided more than 20 Hill-Rom and Ario mattresses, both considered best in class. At the Thermal Trauma and Plastic Surgery Clinical Center at Vinnytsia Regional Pirogov Clinical Hospital, the delivery of these mattresses has made an almost miraculous difference in patient comfort and care.

Because of their wound healing capabilities and even weight distribution, long term burn patients and patients with multiple injuries experience less pain moving in bed and are able to adjust the settings without the aid of staff. This little bit of incremental relief and independence makes a world of difference in the body and spirit of these soldiers.

Donate to Support Our Efforts

We are hugely grateful to our donors for making this possible. Through their generosity and partnership, we have been able to do a lot, but not enough. To increase supply, Nova Ukraine volunteers in the U.S. and Europe have cleaned, repaired and refurbished more than 200 beds and stretchers donated by medical facilities. But as the war continues, the need grows greater. So, too, does our commitment. So please, if you are a medical facility, write to [email protected] or donate by clicking this link and help us help Ukraine.

Donate Now

Nova Ukraine’s Impact Report, March 2023

Message from the Board: Learnings from the 2022 & Priorities for 2023

We’re marking one year and one month since Russia’s brutal full-scale attack on Ukraine. Looking back to where we were one year ago with Nova Ukraine: our operations have grown exponentially over the course of weeks, if not days. Our primary goal was to help as many people in Ukraine as possible, as quickly as possible, knowing that we were saving lives.

We had hundreds of volunteers willing to help, but we knew that sheer will was not enough. Achieving our goals required strong organization and operational discipline. With Nova Ukraine’s roots being in Silicon Valley, we turned to technology to help organize our work. Our IT volunteers quickly onboarded us on a modern tech stack, including Google Workspace, Slack, Asana, Confluence and a number of other tools.

Read the full report here.

We made a decision to invest time in adopting Salesforce for our grant processing and donor operations. This investment paid off many times and was one of the key factors for us to sustain through the massive growth. We became much more professional in our operations, established budgets and policies, and turned from being purely reactive to planning ahead.

To ensure our finances were spotless, we hired a professional finance team and switched to effective and well-controlled financial instruments. We also hired a Global General Manager and General Manager in Ukraine to run our global and Ukrainian operations. We built a strong organizational structure and solid
onboarding process, with background checks for new team members, ensuring the safety and security of our team and operations.

None of this happened overnight, and we had to build out our processes while trying to deliver aid to Ukrainians in the critical conditions of war. We made mistakes. We fixed them. We moved on to become
stronger and more mature. I am proud to see the impact the Nova Ukraine team already had, and I want to thank every volunteer, employee, contractor, donor, and supporter for walking this path with us and having trust in us.

As we move forward, we remain optimistic about the future ahead. We are committed to helping Ukraine win and supporting Ukraine to become a strong, flourishing nation with an empowered civil society. We believe that our efforts will have a significant impact, and we are grateful for your ongoing support.

Ostap Korkuna
Co-chairman, on behalf of the Nova Ukraine Board of Directors

Animal Welfare Monthly Summary – March

Continuous support and compassion from our donors has provided help for 1,416 animals, including 1,063 evacuated animals and 302 medical interventions, during the month of March. This brings our animal welfare spending to $833,027, which has reached 89,661 animals since the beginning of the war.

Behind every dollar is a muzzle, a wet nose, a tail or a hoof. Here are some highlights from this month:

Hatul Madan Animal Shelter

Hatul Madan Shelter was born out of necessity following animal evacuations from the de-occupied Kyiv Regions in the spring of 2022. Irpen and Bucha were full of pets and strays that were left behind in the chaos of the evacuations. Together with other groups of volunteers, Hatum Madan ventured into devastated areas, rescuing emaciated and injured animals from locked apartments, yards, and those wandering the streets. Some were lost, others abandoned, but all of them were waiting for someone to rescue them.

A continuous influx of animals quickly became unsustainable for the existing shelters in Kyiv. In an incredibly kind gesture, the Kyiv Polytechnical Institute granted Katerina Dubrovska and Sofya Danilova, the founders of Hatul, their initial space for the shelter. Volunteers, friends, and family banded together to quickly construct temporary kennels and enclosures to house the animals. It took merely a month to fill up the available space.

To accommodate the continuous evacuees from hot zones like Lysychansk, Bakhmut, and Kherson, the shelter required expansion. In late fall of 2022, a new location was selected and basic remodeling began. With funding from Nova Ukraine, the new shelter was able to install thermal insulation, provide appropriate ventilation, as well as build a quarantine space, divided quarters for different animals, and an ICU.

In addition, a generous grant from the International Fund for Animal Welfare (IFAW) was allocated through Nova Ukraine to install 96 cat enclosures and 14 dog kennels at the shelter. These modular systems provide safe and effective housing on site, and can also be used in case of emergency evacuation to load and secure animals into vehicles.

Over 150 animals have found new homes and families since the establishment of the new shelter location, and success stories continue to pour in. With the help of our supporters and unified work of organizations and volunteers, our accomplishments are limitless.

Evacuations – Even The Fish

What happens when a pet store in a hot zone reaches out for help evacuating 2,000 fish?

The Zoo World pet store has been a safe haven in Konstantynovka – a city in one of the most devastated regions in Ukraine. The city was struck in the first few hours of the full scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, and has remained at the frontlines since, suffering heavy shelling and missile attacks. As people fled for their lives, Zoo World’s owners Elena and Grigory continued to accept surrendered pets. They were able to hold out for over a year until March 24, 2023, when a missile strike near the store damaged the building and left 5 dead. The imminent threat became unbearable, and Elena and Grigory made the difficult decision to evacuate.

Evacuations are complicated processes that involve a lot of planning, and even more resources. Besides the physical relocation of animals, many volunteers and organizations have to come together to create a viable solution – who will drive, who will ensure safe transportation, who will absorb the incoming animals, who will provide basic needs upon arrival, who will provide veterinary treatment – and so on. In addition to the complexities of organizing a rescue mission, all animals require a nuanced approach; visibility between animals should be limited, bonded pairs should remain together, horses must be kept calm, with blinds for boarding and transportation, temperature must be regulated for reptiles, and so much more. Animals are also incredibly perceptive and sensitive to movements, intonations, and pheromones, which makes human nonverbal communication significant in these evacuations. With all this in mind, we strive to do everything we can to make every trip as safe and uneventful as possible, even though we rarely have all the necessary resources to meet these demands.

To rescue 2,000 fish, Animal Rescue Kharkiv, a Kharkiv-based organization that Nova Ukraine has been supporting since March 2022, has arranged a series of evacuations. Three trips have already been made, bringing 570 fish to safety. Fish need to be packaged in bags filled with their fish tank water and then hyper-inflated with oxygen, then placed in insulated boxes to preserve the temperature during the four-hour journey to safety. So far, many of the fish have found homes in smaller tanks in people’s homes. In addition to a large fish tank that was installed in the Animal Rescue Kharkiv veterinary clinic, nearly every member of the team has a small fish tank at home now, and more evacuations are underway to complete the relocation project.

Saving fish may seem trivial in the midst of a war, but saving the lives of every being is about more than just those scaly lives. It is about refusing to give up our humanity and values. It is about bringing light and life in times of darkness and death. It gives hope and opportunity to people enduring the direct effects of war. Zoo World gave people the chance to flee by accepting their surrendered pets. Many of the evacuees admit they would not have left otherwise. Now with the funding from our donors and the incredibly brave volunteers in Ukraine, we are able to give Elena and Gregory a chance to finally seek safety for themselves by saving the lives of their dependents.

Reunification of Families – Dana

Two of the most common and devastating scenarios we see over and over again are animals being given up either because of temporarily unpredictable evacuation accommodations, or because of unbearably dangerous conditions from which the owners refuse to evacuate. In both of these scenarios, families are desperate to stay together, but circumstances make it exceedingly difficult and unsafe. Delayed evacuations deplete resources and put both the residents and the volunteers that continue to supply aid at risk. This is where providing temporary animal housing becomes crucial for families. By providing indefinite shelter to people’s furry family members while they settle in a new location, we provide safety to the animal, security to the family, and an opportunity to reunite them as soon as possible. This is a much more reliable long-term solution for these loved animals than trying to place them in a new home.

Dana and Zina are an archetype of this scenario. During an evacuation mission funded by Nova Ukraine in Bakhmut at the end of November, several residents requested evacuations of their pets because they feared for their animals’ lives. Zina doubted that her cat Dana would survive the winter without power while she prepared for a relocation that could come suddenly and unexpectedly. Animal Rescue Kharkiv was able to take Dana and give Zina reassurance that they would be reunited whenever possible.

It took Zina over two months to successfully evacuate from Bakhmut to Dnipro – she made it just in time before the supply bridge was destroyed and evacuations became impossible. She was able to settle down, find housing that allowed pets, and an income to support them both. Our supporters’ kind donations made these unimaginably difficult times for Zina and Dana a little easier.

We are all vital pieces of this operation. Everything starts with our caring and generous donors, without whom none of this would be possible. You give our Nova Ukraine Animal Welfare team an opportunity to coordinate, strategize, organize, optimize, and distribute aid where it is needed most. And shelter workers, animal caretakers, foster homes, and veterinary workers in Ukraine are able to do the labor. Lastly, kind and compassionate families open their doors to these innocent furry casualties of human conflict. None of these would be possible without every link of this chain. Thank you for your support!

Please indicate “Animal Rescue” in your donation to direct funds towards our animal rescue efforts.

Interview with Rodion Bronnikov

Meet Rodion Bronnikov, Regional Coordinator at Nova Ukraine, Kharkiv

Tell us a little about your background. What were you doing before the war?

I’ve always been involved with creative pursuits. I love theater, poetry, literature, music. And film. The family business was organizing youth film festivals and competitions. I led a film club and was a film critic at Planeta Kino, a modern film theater. I also love to travel, I ran my own travel agency for years before working in film.

How does the war affect your daily life?

Obviously, war has turned my life upside down. In the beginning, I couldn’t think about anything other than “Who am I now, what do I do in this new reality?” I posted my resume on volunteer chats highlighting my abilities and desire to help the victims. “An invisible hand” reached out to me, requesting help with medical supplies, and asking me to start the next day.

Why did you decide to work at Nova Ukraine?

By the end of April 2022, I had built a substantial medical warehouse and organized the logistics. I called it “Just People.” I appealed to Nova Ukraine for assistance with this endeavor. Vlad Dergunov and Oleksandra Rybakovska suggested a meeting to discuss the needs. Once we spoke, it became clear they had a fully developed medical hub project as well, closely aligned with ours in terms of compassionate values. It felt like I had found a home. For me, this spiritual alignment was significant and I supported their initiative (The Fund) without hesitation. So off we went…

What’s your typical day at the office like? Please describe your daily activities and tasks.

I try to split my day into two even parts. The first part is devoted to the internal business of the Fund (the MedHub project, budgeting, ordering from manufacturers, requests, correspondence, assistance with financial operations issues, individual cases, and CRM). The second part is warehouse management and “field” issues (group orders, supply of goods, medicine assembly, accounting, and bookkeeping). However, the “rules of the game” are rewritten almost every week based on the medical situation in each city, and the distribution of medical care and drugs shifts according to an area’s proximity to the front line or state border. The team is constantly reassessing and reconfiguring priorities.

Can you share with us a particular story that struck you?

There are two. The first involved a delivery intended for Bakhmut. We had received an order for medicine that we were going to deliver to the volunteer hub in Bakhmut. Tragically, a Russian missile had landed, killing the female volunteer who was supposed to receive it. We faced a similar situation with a territorial community in Dvorichna (Kupyansky district, Kharkiv region), where Russian artillery had destroyed the administration building, the warehouse, and almost the entire village. We have stored those two intended deliveries in our corridors. The recipient names are marked on them. We cannot bring ourselves to unpack those boxes. They are reminders of the costs of war.

What do you think Ukrainians need the most right now? (Besides victory.)

A sense of security, protection, and support from the Western alliance. Nothing is more critical in terms of our security than modern NATO weapons for the Ukrainian Army. We are fighting for all democracies in Europe and the West. That said, the volunteer movement, which I only discovered after February 24, 2022, has become an impressive branch of auxiliary power. For me, becoming part of a large international charitable team has put levers of influence in my own two hands. It is quite extraordinary to feel that.

What is the most challenging part of your work at Nova Ukraine?

Being effective every day is difficult, but required. We are constantly trying to optimize numerous logistic processes in a highly “manual” system. The rules for processing individual cases cannot be standardized. It varies by situation. And correspondence with colleagues is time-consuming. It takes up almost half of my day. I’m trying to become more efficient with that so I can devote more hours to action items such as issuing batches of medicine to beneficiaries.

What is the most rewarding aspect?

The people. The culture of selflessness in the NU team. I see it in their eyes, I feel it in their actions every meeting of every work day, on every issue. This reinforces my motivation and assures me that this is the best possible place for me to be right now.

What else would you like our donors and readers to know about you and what you do at NU?

I understand that the world is a bit “tired” of Ukraine. I felt something similar when I was living in a peaceful city in 2014. The ATO was raging 180 km away from us, and Russia’s invasion was engulfing Eastern Ukraine. It lasted for eight years, with no visible end. I regret not acting then, not anticipating the increasing threat. The future now depends on every person, every community, and every civilized country understanding that Ukraine needs a victory. We will defend ourselves as long as we have to, but victory depends on those who provide continued assistance. Nova Ukraine, with its managerial and operational excellence and its vector of movement, provides me, as one individual, with essential tools for my own action and my own conscience. I never want to feel regret that I did not act.

Interview with Iryna Roik

Meet Iryna Roik, PR and Marketing Manager in Ukraine

Tell us a little about your background. What were you doing before the war?

I was working at an advertising agency. Life was good. I hung out with friends, read books, went to the movies, and dreamed of travels, new experiences, and what was ahead. But after February 24, life as I knew it was gone, and nothing has been the same since.

How does the war affect your daily life?

It’s important to understand that I live in a relatively quiet city. And although it’s nothing like Kharkiv or Kherson, war changes life everywhere. In the beginning, I feared losing my home and my family. Now I’m afraid for the loved ones outside of my family. A few days ago, I learned about the death of an incredible friend. This is the pain of war that will never go away. We are losing extraordinary people.

Right now, it’s as if I’ve become united with strangers. For example, a friend of a friend is raising money for her father’s pickup truck. I don’t know her, but I’m sending money. Because now there is no such thing as a stranger’s father or a stranger’s loved one, you experience every need as your own. Everything now is personal.

Why did you decide to work at Nova Ukraine?

I hadn’t done volunteer work since my days at the university. But when the war broke out, I was looking for a way to be useful to my country. I am so grateful I found Nova Ukraine. Actually, I think we found each other. Now, I can help not just with my hands, sorting products and weaving nets, but also with my managerial skills, my people skills, and my knowledge of marketing and writing. My ability to get things done.

What’s your typical day at the office like? Please describe your daily activities and tasks.

As a marketing and communications manager, I am able to help in many ways. Even remotely, which is how I work, I can help “package” projects for fundraising in America, help with reporting projects, write press releases and social posts, work with photographers, journalists, and branded product manufacturers, advise teams on how to communicate with the media and write scripts for shoots. Actually, it seems like I’ve been preparing for this job my whole life, as it combines all the knowledge and skills I have. And what I don’t know, I can learn quickly.

Can you share with us a particular story that struck you?

In June 2022, a few months after the war began, I was asked to organize a small holiday party for displaced children in my hometown. This was one of my first projects for Nova Ukraine. I didn’t know anything yet about the organization, but my managerial experience helped me. We got together with the Shelter+ Community Center, which had been integrating displaced people for months into an active little community in Kryvyi Rih.

Shelter+ not only raised funds for humanitarian aid, they freely distributed them. They enlisted displaced people in volunteering efforts and gave them a place to share their experiences and transform their suffering into strength to help others in need. Mostly, these were families with children who found new friends in the cultural center where they could once again play soccer, or try theater in the studio, resume kindergarten, and talk about what they had been through. There were about 100 children of different ages for whom we organized an actual book holiday. At the end of this holiday, the children could choose books we had purchased and exchange them with newly made friends.

Around this same time, an actual library was opened at the cultural and community center. Now the children had a new social foundation where they could be further integrated into a larger community through the sharing and exchanging of books. One hundred children may seem like nothing given the scale of this war, but for me, as a coordinator and a person who loves books, this was a very gratifying project. Integrating displaced people into new communities means you have helped them find a place they will eventually call home.

What do you think Ukrainians need the most right now? (Besides victory.)

It’s a difficult question because the war has affected us differently. Someone might need a place to sleep peacefully without hearing explosions in the middle of the night. Someone else might need windows in their apartment. And someone else might just want a shelter where they will be safe.

The one thing we all need is to know we are not alone in this war. There is support for our country.

What is the most challenging part of your work at Nova Ukraine?

I work with many different partners, coordinators and materials. The topics vary, from evacuation to humanitarian or medical aid, etc. And sometimes, I become overwhelmed with emotion. This is the most challenging part of the work: Trying to just stay on course, and document all that has happened so our children and grandchildren will remember what happened to Ukraine. Who was a friend, and who was the enemy.

Join Ukrainian Marathon for Freedom!

Ukraine has been running its marathon for freedom and democracy for more than a year.
We run as a Nova Ukraine team to help Ukrainians on their way.

On Sunday, May 21th, our team of 16 runners will start the Bay to Breakers run in the Embarcadero neighborhood by the San Francisco Bay, and run through nine of the city’s most notable neighborhoods – all the way to the Great Highway, where the breakers crash into Ocean Beach.

We want to turn every step into helping to restore destroyed schools in Ukrainian cities and villages. We are running to raise funds for the savED project. Our goal is to collect $16,000.

savED is an international charitable foundation that restores access to education in Ukrainian communities which suffered from the war.

What they do:

Restore damaged schools
Arrange shelters
Open digital learning centers in UA communities
Help school to attract funds for their reconstruction and developmenProvide technical assessment of infrastructural damages.

Why restore schools now?

School is a place where we can give back to children their right to education, to learn and explore new things so that they grow up happy and conscious, making a change for Ukraine and the World.

How you can help with our goals:

Donate
You can support SavED project by donating to our DonorBox
For Corporate support/partnership: please reach out [email protected]
Support us
You may tell about our initiative your friends, colleagues or share the information about it via your social media.
Meet
We will be happy to meet in person with those, who also run Bay to Breakers 2023 after the race in the finish zone, near the Nova Ukraine tent!

Donate to Support Our Efforts

Every dollar matters! Please help us to reach our fundraising goal – $16,000 – for schools and classroom reconstructions in the Ukraine! Let’s run together for Ukraine!

Recovery During the War

Recovery During the War – is a program for Ukrainian women and their children who are severely affected by Russian aggression and require psychological rehabilitation.

The Vaad of Ukraine, with the financial support of the NOVA UKRAINE Foundation (California, USA), created this program, the first of its kind in Ukraine, in April 2022.

During the course of 2022, over 1,140 Ukrainian women and children attended the Recovery During the War program and received psychological support. Currently, more than 6,000 people are waiting to participate in the program.

The participants of the project are primarily internally displaced families — those who were forced to leave their homes and evacuate to other regions of Ukraine. These are mostly mothers with children whose husbands died or were seriously injured as a result of hostilities, are in captivity, missing or serving in the Armed Forces in the hostilities area. Program participants stay in a safe mountain area at a tourist boarding house in Prykarpattya for at least three weeks. Qualified therapists work with the participants of the project, who experienced trauma, providing the necessary assistance and supporting them in tragic and difficult circumstances with the help of group, individual, and family therapy. Both adults and children receive appropriate psychological support. The program includes art therapy, yoga, nature hikes, and local trips.

Partners and sponsors of the Vaad of Ukraine in this program also include the Ukrainian World Congress, the World Jewish Congress, the Dutch Humanitarian Fund, the “RAZOM, Inc” foundation (New Jersey), a group of private sponsors, the Institute of Psychology of the Academy of Pedagogical Sciences of Ukraine, psychological organizations, “Voices of Children” and “Family Circle” foundations, Kyiv Educational Centre “Tolerspace,” Department of Psychology of the National University Kyiv Mohyla Academy, Centre of Health Psychology of the Ukrainian Catholic University, and the Institute of Health Psychology.

Support Our Efforts

Monthly Summary – February

Continuous support and compassion of our donors has provided help for 4,462 animals, which includes 706 evacuations and 1,125 surgeries during the month of February. This brings our animal welfare spending to $737,837, which has reached 87,224 animals since the beginning of the war.

We continue to support preventative veterinary care and shelter improvements to provide more resources to a controlled animal population. This helps avoid needless suffering, prolongs animals’ lives, and creates a healthier animal population overall.

Behind every dollar is a muzzle, a wet nose, a tail or a hoof. Here are some highlights from this month:

Avelen Animal Center – Odesa:

Avelen Animal Center is owned and operated by Veniamin and Olena, a young couple that has been dedicated to saving animals for over five years. Their staff includes other family members and friends that have joined in an effort to provide all types of species a chance to survive, recover, and ultimately thrive. Their residents are rescued from circuses, petting zoos, street photographers, and more.

When they first reached out to us, their rescue had 35 companion animals (dogs and cats), 25 farm animals (lamas, goats, pigs, sheep), 26 wild and exotic animals (raccoons, foxes, monkeys, coatis, meerkats), 52 rodents (guinea pigs, rabbits, porcupines, chinchillas), 69 birds, and 60 reptiles, for a grand total of 267 animals!

As we discussed the best course of action, we learned that more evacuated farm and companion animals from abandoned ranches at the frontlines were headed to Avelen. Despite their troubles, the owners continued to accept animals that didn’t have anywhere to go. To address the growing population, Nova Ukraine funded the materials for constructing 7 stalls for horses and ponies, and 4 large kennels for dogs inside an existing barn on the Center’s property. The work was completed by the owners and their family and friends. At this time, their animal population has grown to 378 animals, over 150 of whom are evacuated animals from active war zones in the Kharkiv and Kherson regions.

This construction project now provides housing for a maximum of 23 animals – 3 horses, 8 ponies, 12 mid-size dogs. These stalls and kennels are large enough to house more than one animal for bonded pairs or small animals, and to provide enough space and safety for those that feel threatened by proximity to others. With continuous adoptions, these structures will help hundreds of animals while they remain in Avelen.

Karasik

Karasik was evacuated from Kherson as part of a mission coordinated and funded by Nova Ukraine on December 31st. Local volunteers told our team that he was hit by a car four years ago and that he had sustained significant damage to his hind limbs. He was unable to use his hind right leg and struggled to put any weight on the left leg. He stayed alive by learning how to hobble and crawl.

Eventually a local animal volunteer took pity on him and brought him to a veterinary clinic, but euthanasia was the only solution proposed. Unable to make that decision, he was released back to the outdoor market where he had been living.

Nova Ukraine arranged for Karasik to arrive at the “Home for Strays” Shelter in Kyiv as part of the last evacuation of 2022. He was immediately taken to the West Health Veterinary Clinic where he got X-ray imaging that revealed the severity of the damage. The veterinarians were unable to recover his right hind leg, but they were able to preserve his left leg. He was then sent to the Step Up Rehabilitation Center in Kyiv for physical therapy and he is now showing incredible results.

Your generous donations gave Karasik a second chance. Your help provided the opportunity for a hurt and lonely dog to become an enthusiastic and loving dog that can now live surrounded by love.

Bonnie

Bonnie found a Ukrainian Armed Forces frontline military position in February. She was heavily pregnant and gave birth to her kittens almost immediately after wandering into the military camp. Soldiers, seeing the tiny screaming kittens, were very concerned for the feline family, and Oleksandr found a way to bring them into Kharkiv, where they were picked up by Animal Rescue Kharkiv.

Bonnie and her kittens are currently safe, fed, warm, and healthy at the Animal Rescue Kharkiv Veterinary Clinic. The care provided to homeless animals at the clinic continues to be possible because of your donations. The kittens will be looking for new families after completing their vaccinations and spay/neuter procedures. They may not have entered the world in the ideal situation, but they will know love and care because of all the people that chose to get involved and donate, coordinate, organize, and provide care for these animals.

Please indicate “Animal Rescue” in your donation to direct funds towards our animal rescue efforts.

Nova Ukraine Delivers Monthly Record for Generators to Ukraine

Nova Ukraine Delivers Monthly Record for Generators to Ukraine

This past January 2023, Nova Ukraine and partner Razom for Ukraine delivered 1263 generators to Ukraine, a world record in generator deliveries for Ukraine. Nova Ukraine and Razom for Ukraine began fundraising for critical equipment, such as generators, immediately after the start of the systematic bombardment and widespread destruction of civilian infrastructure. The team’s biggest challenge was coordinating and executing the delivery of the equipment.

On December 20, 2022, in Lviv, Nova Ukraine, and Razom for Ukraine set a goal of delivering 1001 generators to Ukraine within 30 days, including purchase, procurement, and shipment. The total delivered surpasses the target by more than 250 generators.

In the absence of reliable electricity after months of shelling, generators are essential items for many hospitals, schools, and other community centers, where refugees and other civilians go for aid. Nova Ukraine and Razom for Ukraine would like to thank their fundraisers, donors, and the thousands of people whose contributions in funding and logistics made this accomplishment possible.

Your donations and support for Nova Ukraine and Ukraine’s people come at a critical time. With your support, Nova Ukraine and its partners can keep providing vital equipment to those who continue to suffer the most from Russia’s unconscionable war.