2025 has become another year of endurance and growth for Ukrainians. We are no longer just holding on. We are learning to live, work, create, and build a future in the face of a protracted war. This year we acutely value community, trust, and simple human encounters. Ukrainian voices are heard more confidently in Ukraine and the world.
Ukrainians have been defending their independence for over ten years. Throughout this time, YMCA-YWCA Lviv has been supporting veterans’ families and developing veteran initiatives. It has always been obvious to us: the rehabilitation and reintegration of veterans is a shared responsibility of the entire society.
Three years of full-scale war have further sharpened this awareness: the survival of our state depends on those who stand on its defense today. Most of them are not career soldiers, but ordinary people who left their peaceful lives, professions and dreams to protect their loved ones and the country. Creating conditions for their return to active public life is our duty and an opportunity for the entire society to change. The return of thousands of young strong-willed veterans (often with disabilities and traumatic experiences) with a new vision of values – is a restoration resource for Ukraine. Having this awareness we create art rehabilitation projects for veterans and their families.
For YMCA–YWCA Lviv, 2025 has become a year of transformation. We took an important step to expand our identity towards YMCA–YWCA emphasizing gender equality, inclusivity, and female power of leadership in our community. We continue to top-up the meaning through people, projects, and daily work.
In 2025, we systematically worked in a few key areas. We developed the youth community through the Leadership School, creative initiatives, and international exchanges. New ideas, voices, and responsibilities were born. We worked with children creating a space of safety, and developed programs through learning, singing, camping and technologies. We created art projects to talk about preserved culture and mutually supportive things. Especially important for us was being close to veterans and their families through art rehabilitation, singing, stories, joint trips and creating safe spaces.
This year, the voices of Ukrainian veterans were heard not only in Ukraine but also far beyond its borders — in books, audio projects, international events, and festivals. Young people discovered the world for themselves and at the same time told the world about Ukraine. And our space in Lviv remained a point of support — a place of meetings, creativity, and mutual help even despite all the challenges with blackouts and lack of physical resources.
We couldn’t have done it alone. This year is about partnerships: about trust of our friends from Denmark, Sweden, Canada, the USA, Japan and other countries; about support of the international YMCA-YWCA network, donor organizations, local partners and communities; about people who are nearby – volunteers, friends, beneficiaries who create our organization together with us.
Despite fatigue, uncertainty and loss, 2025 has proved that we are unstoppable. We learn to recover, keep balance and move forward. We build a community that supports, develops and gives meaning. We are grateful to all who got involved and open to ideas and partnerships.
