Despite the Sirens: Kulykivka Community Advances with Support from IOM and Germany

In Kulykivka, an agricultural community located 40 kilometres from Chernihiv, daily life unfolds against the backdrop of almost constant air raid alerts. Yet despite these challenges, the community continues to move forward. Dozens of agricultural businesses operate here, and recently Kulykivka officially opened a socioeconomic hub renovated and equipped by IOM with funding from the Government of Germany through the KfW Development Bank.

The new space has already hosted events for local entrepreneurs and health-care professionals, and now regularly provides psychosocial support sessions for veterans.

Serhii joined the military at the start of the full-scale invasion and served on the Donetsk front. Today, he enjoys attending drawing and clay-modelling workshops organized by the community.

“First and foremost, it is emotional relief,” he says. “For veterans, it is not easy to focus only on household responsibilities, family life, and everyday routines. The most important thing for us is communication and knowing that we have our own community.”

IOM supports initiatives that bring different groups together around shared solutions and contribute to long-term recovery, even amid the challenges of the full-scale war.

Read more about Kulykivka community’s experience: https://bit.ly/4iLTpsa