In Ukraine, thousands of people have lost their jobs and sources of income as a consequence of the war. This has severely affected people’s ability to access food, sustain livelihoods, and afford basic necessities. Creating livelihood opportunities is key to helping communities recover and improve food security. Home food production allows families to grow food for their own consumption while also contributing to the local economy.
Beyond economic support, these initiatives can also restore a sense of stability and relief. When everything seems lost, amid constant power outages, rising food prices and strikes, help, even in the shape of a furry friend, can bring back a spark of hope and joy to war-affected communities.
To support the livelihoods restoration of war-affected communities, Acted, with support from the European Union, is providing help in the form of grants in the regions of Sumy, Kharkiv and Mykolaiv. These grants are helping beneficiaries start or rebuild home-based economic activities and reduce their reliance on humanitarian aid. The activities supported by the grants range from agricultural activities, like poultry farming, horticulture and food processing, to non-agriculture services, like tailoring, handcrafts and beauty services.
In Sumy Oblast, one of the regions most impacted by the ongoing war, 221 families have received this support since June 2025, including Olena*, Valentyna*, Svitlana* and Mariia*, neighbours of the small community of Lebedynska hromada.
Acted recently visited them to see how the grants have helped them. Here is their story.
Restoring much more than livelihoods
Olena is a widow that now lives alone. However, there was a time where she was sharing her life with her husband and worked at the local post office. After working at the post office all her life, she had to leave everything behind to take care of her sick husband. Unfortunately, Olena not only had to deal with the mourning of her husband, but also with the difficult situation of the labour market and the inability to find any suitable positions for her after her husband’s death. With the grant funds, she bought a cow and hay. Thanks to this support, Olena is now selling dairy products in her village and travels to markets in neighbouring villages, which allows her to cover her basic needs.
Valentyna* is a single pensioner. With Acted’s support, she purchased rabbits and chickens, and allocated some funds for repairing their cages. Since receiving the grant in September 2025, she has successfully grown her livestock, ensuring a steady supply of eggs for personal use and occasional sale. She also plans to expand her rabbit stock for future sales. This support has strengthened her food security and provided a source of additional income.
Svitlana* is a single mother and lives alone with her two school-aged children. She has been worried about their mental health due to isolation as many families have left the village, and her children study online. Nonetheless, with Acted’s support, Svitlana bought two piglets and care for them bringing joy to the household to the household and engaging her son in their care.
Mariia is an internally displaced personnnow living with her husband and two toddlersin Velykyi Vystorop. Before the war , the family was living in Bilopillia and was also engaged in beekeeping. Forced to flee their hometown, they lost their equipment and therefore could not continue working in beekeeping. With Acted’s support, the family could purchase a new basic honey extractor and renewed their beehives, allowing them to return to their profession and plan for future expansion.
Mariia estates that receiving the grant has given her and her family hope and faith in the future and has shown them that they are not left alone coping with the challenging circumstances that war has brought them.
With support from the European Union and in partnership with the Estonian Refugee Council, Acted provided grants to 824 households in rural, war-affected communities across Ukraine to restore their livelihoods in 2025 and 2026, including 144 grants in Lebedynska community, where Olena, Valentyna, Svitlana and Mariia live.
This financial support aims to reduce food insecurity and dependence on humanitarian aid, create new sources of income and encourage business activity among the local population, helping beneficiaries achieve a sustainable living wage. It also represents new opportunities to numerous families whose lives have been severely impacted by the consequences of the war, while supporting the recovery of local economy.
*Names have been changed to protect individuals ‘privacy.
Views and opinions expressed are however those of the authors only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union, or the European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.