We have launched our support project for young Ukrainian veterans and volunteers.

“Voices of Defenders” is a long-term Ukrainian-Danish project aimed at supporting the agents of social change in Ukraine — young defenders and war volunteers. The project is being implemented by the YMCA Lviv team in cooperation with KFUM og KFUK i Danmark, with funding from CISU (Civil Society in Development), Denmark.

The core idea of the project is simple: the best way to support Ukrainian society is to empower those who are already creating change on the ground.

The project offers comprehensive support to young veterans and volunteers (aged 19–35), focusing on four key areas: reintegration, capacity, rights advocacy, and the creation of a safe environment.

Project activities include:

  • publishing collections of veteran and volunteer novels with translations into Danish and English;

  • sharing the open-access playlists of audio novels;

  • art rehabilitation through singing;

  • speeches by Ukrainian veterans and volunteers at Denmark’s Folkemødet festival;

  • joint media literacy and leadership trainings for Ukrainian and Danish youth;

  • stage reading courses;

  • meaningful theatrical performances;

  • an advocacy campaign supporting young activists;

  • a communications campaign to amplify the voices of young veterans and volunteers.

To make this vision a reality, CISU, the Danish civil society development platform, has awarded a grant of 4.4 million DKK.

“This project gives us an opportunity to support young activists in Lviv in a way that can truly make a difference. At YMCA, we understand how crucial it is to build communities and equip young people with the tools to amplify their voices in society. Thanks to this project, young veterans and volunteers won’t just be heard — they will become part of a greater movement for democratic development and hope during challenging times,”

— said Jørgen Kvist, Secretary General of KFUM og KFUK in Denmark.

A special mission of the “Voices of Defenders” project is to shape the image of veterans and volunteers through their own creative expression.

Over the course of three years, the project will annually publish a collection of short stories by 10 authors — young defenders and volunteers. In addition to print publication, these stories will be recorded in audio format and made available as free playlists for streaming or radio broadcast.

“Even the most beautiful image of a Hero is meaningless if we fail to see the real people behind it. The only way to create an honest portrayal of a veteran is to let the defenders themselves tell their stories. And no one can explain the value of life better than those who defend it every day,”

— says Yurko Vovkohon, coordinator of the “Voices of Defenders” project and a veteran of the Russo-Ukrainian war.

The “Voices of Defenders” project did not emerge out of nowhere. It is rooted in long-standing international cooperation between YMCA Lviv and organizations within the YMCA YWCA (KFUM og KFUK) network in Denmark. Thanks to the continued support of KFUM og KFUK Aarhus, who have partnered with YMCA Lviv since 2012, dozens of initiatives have been implemented in Lviv to support volunteers, veterans, and their families.

These initiatives have included: theatre workshops and tactical/first-aid training; art rehabilitation through singing and floral design classes for military spouses; comic book, singing, and acting workshops for children from veteran and volunteer families; medical supplies for defenders on the frontline, and more.

“The support Denmark is offering during these difficult times deeply moves Ukrainians. At YMCA Lviv, we’ve worked with our Danish friends for over a decade, and we know we can always count on them. Thanks to KFUM og KFUK i Distrikt Aarhus and Fairbar, we’re able to develop creative courses for children and teens in Lviv, support veteran-led initiatives, and launch burnout prevention programs for volunteers. Our buses, donated by Danish partners at the start of the full-scale invasion, have already made over 50 aid missions to frontline defenders. Now, this cooperation has reached a new level, and this project can become a powerful platform for our young veterans and volunteers to work alongside Danish activists in making the world a better place,”

— says Oleksandra Sorokopud, Strategic Development and International Partnerships Manager at YMCA Lviv.

In 2025, “Voices of Defenders” begins its activities. Ukrainian volunteers from the singing formation “Circle of Heaven (Kolo Rayu)” are preparing performances for the Danish political festival Folkemødet, a collection of short stories by defenders is being organized, and the search for young veterans to record audio continues. Over the next three years, the project aims to provide young veterans and volunteers with tools to work on changes in their communities — both during and after the war.

Follow the events of the “Voices of Defenders” project:

On the website: https://ymca-lviv.org

On social media: www.facebook.com/ymcalviv | www.instagram.com/ymca_lviv

#VoicesOfDefenders

Subscribe to the project’s activist network on WhatsApp

Comments and collaboration:

Communication Manager: Oleksandra Basarab

Email: voices.of.defenders@gmail.com

Phone: +38 096 50 42 368

CISU (Civil Society in Development) is the largest association in Denmark that unites organizations dedicated to global civil society development. CISU member organizations represent a broad spectrum of Danish society. CISU collaborates with local partners around the world to strengthen civil society by providing communities with the opportunity to solve their own problems.

KFUM og KFUK i Danmark (YMCA and YWCA Denmark) is the Danish national organization of the global YMCA and YWCA community, working to expand opportunities for youth based on Christian values. The organization runs programs and activities for children, youth, and families in local communities, at festivals, and camps throughout Denmark. In Denmark, the organization has 9,000 members.