By Andriy Kopyl, managing director, HOPE Ukraine
It’s been three years since Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. And life in my country continues to feel more and more fragile with each passing day.
Thousands have been killed. The constant threat of attacks and the sound of sirens have become a part of our daily lives, causing many to experience sleep deprivation and stress.
There’s so much we’re grateful for as we reflect on 2024. From bringing more hearts to saving faith to empowering Ukrainian IDPs and members of Zimbabwe’s isolated Doma community, God has done incredible things across the HOPE International network.
Of the stories we shared last year, the HOPE community loved these five the most. May these top five stories of 2024 encourage you today—and prompt you to praise God for all He’s done!
Imagine your lunch break being interrupted by bombs exploding in the next town over. Hearing of war coming closer on the news. Realizing that to remain safe, you and your family need to leave your home. Packing up your car and waiting in traffic for hours. Living in another family’s house for months, not knowing if you’ll ever make it back home.
This is the reality for millions of Ukrainian men, women, and children today. Two years after Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the United Nations Refugee Agency, or UNHCR, estimates that there are now 3.7 million internally displaced people (IDPs) in Ukraine.
Many in eastern Ukraine fled west, now living as IDPs with Ukrainian host families. As the war continues, they’ve had to adjust to being far from home with no end date. It hasn’t been an easy road.
Yet even amid loss and adjusting to a new life, these families are displaying determination, community-mindedness, and generosity. And at HOPE International, we’re dedicated to walking with Ukraine’s men and women—as we have been since 1997.
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“When I need help, God supports me,” reflects Moldovan farmer Evgheni Malai.
As the Russia-Ukraine war presses into a third year, many families in the surrounding region live in fear that the violence will spread across their borders. Moldova is especially vulnerable, sharing a border with Ukraine and economic ties with Russia. Farmers like Evgheni Malai and his twin brother Denis in Moldova face a difficult choice: leave their livelihoods behind and flee, or stay and learn to adapt their business to a wartime economy. Continue Reading…
All three of our expansion announcements—Kenya, Benin, and Dominican Republic—were among our most-read stories of 2023!
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“Any business is a challenging one right now in Ukraine.” -Serhii, a farmer in western Ukraine
When Russia began its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, Ukraine’s economy shrank by about one-third—the largest annual fall in more than 30 years of Ukrainian independence. 18 months after the war began, Ukraine’s economy ministry reported that their gross domestic product grew by 2.2% year-on-year in the first seven months of 2023.
This is welcome news, but the stark reality remains: It’s challenging to do business in a country at war. Continue Reading…
