By Anna Romandash
Nina Pakhomiuk is a human rights defender and a disability activist working together with the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine. She is also the head of a civil society organization “Volyn Perspectives”, which she founded twenty-three years ago. The organization, located in the northwest of the country, close to the Belarusian and Polish borders, supports people with disabilities, as well as survivors of human trafficking and other vulnerable individuals who often find themselves alone with their problems. After Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Nina’s work expanded in its scope – because with the war, many new challenges and risks for Ukrainians appeared.
“I went through difficult trials myself, so I know what it is like having nowhere to go to seek help,” Nina recalls, “For me, helping others is also a way to help myself – because this is what gives me the most energy after decades of work.”
The First Steps on the Hard Way
When Nina launched “Volyn Perspectives” in 2001, Ukraine was a very different place to work – much less familiar to the concept of volunteering or civic activism. There were fewer NGOs, and there was a severe shortage of resources, infrastructure, or professional experience in the field – not to mention a lack of international support. In a society that was just recovering from the constraints of Soviet communism, little was said about dealing with gender-based violence, promoting equality, or about inclusion and support for vulnerable people.
“When I got into this field, I didn’t even know what NGOs were,” Nina recalls, “That was almost a quarter of a century ago. I was almost forty, and I had limited experience volunteering or advocating, having worked as a teacher most of my life.”
“At that time, I had just broken out of a toxic relationship with an abuser and was looking for opportunities to support myself and my children,” she continues, “But when I realized that I could help and support those who have an even more difficult situation than me, it gave me a lot of strength for this work.”
Nina started helping people who were illegally trafficked or enslaved abroad, and who were brought back home and struggled to adapt to the new, post-traumatic reality. She and her team also focused on helping survivors of domestic abuse and gender-based violence – topics which were surrounded by a lot of stigma. Some of the survivors never managed to integrate into their home communities after living in captivity for years – while others were able to recover and rebuild their lives despite the experiences.
Over time, people with different needs began to turn to “Volyn Perspectives”, and Nina realized that her organization should deal with the problem of domestic violence, but also other social challenges, including support for people with disabilities. This work has grown into a focused activity that helps thousands of disabled war victims obtain the material and emotional aid they need.
War and new challenges
“After February 24, 2022, our lives changed forever,” Nina sighs, “It was real chaos. People with disabilities, elderly people who could not get to a safe place on their own, and other vulnerable groups became the easiest target for the Russian missiles. There was little protection for them, and not enough institutional support.”
Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022 turned the lives of millions of Ukrainians into a struggle for survival. According to official data, about 2.7 million people with disabilities lived in Ukraine before 2022. The war brought new challenges for many of them, as most were forced to evacuate in conditions that often did not take into account their needs. In 2022, more than 7 million Ukrainians became internally displaced, including many disabled with limited mobility.
Volyn, the region where Nina works, became a home to many of the displaced people – as well as a transit area for thousands of Ukrainians fleeing further west toward the European Union (EU). As Volyn is bordering Poland, it is considered safer than many other parts of Ukraine – which are much closer to the frontline or regularly targeted in bombardments. As a result, many internally displaced people from the East and South of Ukraine, where the security situation is worse, have arrived in this region.
Nina recalls how her team organized the distribution of food kits and hygiene products for displaced people streaming into her region.
“We even found a restaurant, the owner of which provided premises for free every week so that we could gather, communicate, and support people in need not only with food, but also psychologically,” she shares.
For Nina, who also has a disability, these meetings were a reminder that vulnerable people need not only material support, but also engagement and communication.
“Yes, people sometimes come for lunch but stay for company, to socialize, to share their anxieties,” she adds.
Integration & Advocacy
“We not only try to help financially, but also morally support people who need it,” the activist remarks. She emphasizes that society often knows little about the problems of people with disabilities or pays much attention to their plight during wartime, so many of the organization’s efforts are aimed at raising awareness and actively advocating for the rights of these people.
Nina recalls how, after February 24, 2022, many Ukrainians with disabilities found themselves in critical conditions, which required new approaches to supporting them.
“We realized that we needed not only ordinary food or hygiene kits, but also ensuring their active integration into the life of the community,” she says.
One of the important steps in this direction was joining the Empower Ukraine project. This initiative, launched by the European Disability Forum, provides comprehensive assistance to people from vulnerable groups in different regions of Ukraine. Nina leads this initiative in Volyn, together with the National Assembly of People with Disabilities of Ukraine.
“Empower Project has helped us not only provide support but change our approach to advocating for the needs of people with disabilities,” says Nina. “In the Volyn region, we got the opportunity to help people with disability not only financially, but also in psychological and social aspects. This helped to involve local councils, social protection institutions and, most importantly, the people themselves, who were previously left without assistance due to isolation or lack of awareness of their rights, to work together on inclusion and engagement for all.”
“In particular, we actively organize trainings and meetings with representatives of local authorities, where we discuss the issues of accessibility and protection of the rights of people with disabilities,” she continue. “Previously, many people with limited mobility remained invisible, but the war is changing our perception of inclusivity and accessibility. Now we are talking about the involvement of different groups of people in the reconstruction of Ukraine, even at the smallest, local levels. This is especially important because we see changes even in remote rural areas.”
For example, through the initiative, locals launched art-therapy classes and support groups for people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups located in urban areas and small villages – something that was not in place before the full-scale war. More community members are volunteering to form classes or programs to help fellow villagers. This not only provides an opportunity for people with disabilities to develop skills and creativity, but also unites local residents in their desire to unify their community.
Changing the culture of engagement
“There are times when I think about retirement, but seeing this change makes me keep on working,” Nina smiles, “As a person with disability and someone who experienced a major life change thanks to activism, I find this advocacy work empowering and very much needed for Ukraine today.”
Her dream is to contribute to a society in which everyone, regardless of physical abilities or life circumstances, feels protected and accepted. She believes that thanks to projects like Empower and the daily efforts of her team, Ukraine will step-by-step become an inclusive country where everyone will receive support and the opportunity to live a full life.
One of the most significant outcomes of the Empower project is fostering a culture of integration of people with disabilities. Supporting vulnerable groups, especially during hostilities, has become a matter of national importance. Thanks to the joint efforts of local NGOs and international partners, Ukrainians were able to respond to urgent challenges and help each other even in a situation of war and limited resources.
“Integration of people with disabilities is key, especially as we restore and rebuild our country amid the war,” Nina concludes, “After all, the true strength of our society is measured by how we support the most vulnerable. By helping people with disabilities, we are building a country where dignity is for everyone.”
Anna Romandash is a Ukrainian freelance journalist.