Tatyana owns two cafes in Ivano-Frankivsk and can offer work to other displaced persons. From war to a new start: UN grants help Ukrainians rebuild their lives and build their businesses Peace and security
Since the start of Russia’s full-scale invasion, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners have provided one-time grants to 56 Ukrainian internally displaced persons. The financial assistance has enabled these people not only to start their own businesses or undergo vocational training, but also to create jobs for other Ukrainians who were forced to flee their homes.
For many, the mention of Mariupol evokes images of widespread destruction and admiration for the resilience of its residents. For Tatyana, it is the home she was forced to leave at the very beginning of the Russian invasion. She fled first to the Dnieper and then to Ivano-Frankivsk with her young daughter. In this once bustling city on the shores of the Sea of Azov, Tatyana left behind her elderly parents, her career as a bank branch manager, and her familiar, peaceful life.
“A Piece of Soul in Every Cup of Coffee”
Tetiana, in her own words, was able to take “the spirit of the city” out of Mariupol, which now “resides” in a cozy café called “Dusha,” which she opened in Ivano-Frankivsk with a grant from the UNHCR. The cafe’s motto is “A piece of soul in every cup of coffee” – inviting guests to experience the warmth and hospitality of Tatyana’s hometown.
The café quickly became successful, and Tatyana came up with new ideas. She opened a second location and hired two employees, including a displaced person from the Odessa region. As a person who constantly strives for professional growth, Tatyana signed up for culinary courses in France. The new business not only provided her with financial stability, but also helped her find her place in an unfamiliar city.
“We offer visitors not only coffee, sandwiches and desserts, but also a heart-to-heart conversation. I like to put my soul into everything I do, and people feel it,” says Tatyana.
In 2022-2023, UNHCR provided 34 grants for business development and 22 grants for vocational training to internally displaced Ukrainians. The programme was implemented in four western regions of Ukraine, including Zakarpattia, Lviv, Ivano-Frankivsk and Rivne. Of the 56 people who received assistance from UNHCR, 38 have an operating business as of the end of 2024. These businesses helped create jobs for an additional 28 people, many of whom were also internally displaced.
Olga’s beauty salon offers free manicure training for women displaced persons.
“Little Dream”
The Petite Rêve (Little Dream) beauty studio was opened by Olga, who fled to Ivano-Frankivsk from the occupied city of Melitopol in the Zaporizhia region. She currently employs seven women, including internally displaced women like herself. Thanks to a grant from UNHCR, Olga expanded her entrepreneurial initiative and turned it from a modest manicure service into a full-fledged beauty studio offering hairdressing, eyebrow shaping, and much more. Olga teaches local and displaced women manicure techniques for free.
“The business development grant was a boost for me,” Olga shares. “Of course, I had to invest my own money, but the UN assistance covered about 70 percent of what was needed to open my own enterprise. If it weren’t for this grant, I wouldn’t have decided on such a large-scale undertaking. Now I help other women master the same skills. I really want them to succeed too.”
Sports Club “Pride”.
Come Back and Stay
For another UNHCR grant recipient, Alena, the path to her own thriving business lay through fleeing Zaporizhia, spending six months in Italy as a refugee, returning to her country and moving to Ivano-Frankivsk. After overcoming many difficulties, she finally decided to make her dream come true – to open the sports club “Pride”. The UNHCR grant allowed Alena to expand her business, and now the club offers classes in Thai boxing, gymnastics, karate, Pilates and stretching for children and adults.
“I am a choreographer, and my husband is a Thai boxing trainer,” says Alena. “In Italy, we quickly realized that we would not be able to find work in our specialty, and I felt that this life was not for me. We decided to come back and start something new. Our club is not only fitness, but also establishing contacts between displaced persons and local residents.”