Top 5 "Change Drivers" in health care: who will you vote for?

Viktoriia Hubareva

"Change Drivers" is a project of Bendukidze Free Market Center in cooperation with the Friedrich Naumann Foundation Ukraine and Belarus, Atlas Network, and Rubryka Solutions Media launched in June this year. The competition launched in June has selected the initiatives that will be the first to be included in the "Change Drivers" directory. In total, there are already 78 of them, and now the competition has reached the finals; 5 of the most interesting projects have been selected in each of the categories, and each of you will decide which of them will be the winner. In this article, we present the 5 best projects in the category "Health Care," so we suggest you choose the best one!

The Zaporuka Charitable Foundation supports the families of children with cancer and creates conditions for the family to be close to the child during the treatment. "Zaporuka" provides children with cancer with medical supplies, provides psychological and rehabilitation support to their families. The foundation also takes care of hospitals and supports medical staff so that children have timely and quality medical care. One of the fund's projects is the Dacha Center.

Before this project was born 10 years ago, there had been no place in Ukraine where families would stay together for the long-term treatment of their children. It often became "deadly" for the family, and it fell apart. And cancer is a serious enemy that must be fought together. In an atmosphere of concentration, love, and peace. "Dacha" became the first space in Ukraine where families live their normal lives without losing but strengthening their members. This is a unique family home that has therapeutic power. It is felt not only by all "residents," but also by their numerous guests and friends.

Project of the new Dacha Center

Since 2008, the foundation has been providing the opportunity to live in the Dacha Center for families treating children at the National Cancer Institute and the Okhmatdyt National Children's Specialized Hospital, and now Zaporuka is completing the construction of the new Dacha Center. "Zaporuka" believes that "Dacha" is the heart of the foundation because this project embodies its main goal: no disease should take away a child's family, and "Dacha" does the most important thing, restores faith in humanity.

"Winning this competition gives us a powerful chance to tell a lot of people about ourselves and our projects so that we can find like-minded partners among them, who will get hooked on doing good," says the Zaporuka team, hoping to win.

"Tabletochki" is a charitable foundation that assists children with cancer and their families in Ukraine. They consider the need to create conditions for quality medical, psychological care, and full life of children with cancer and their families in Ukraine during and after treatment to be their mission. That is why the primary goal of "Tabletochki" is to make sure that no child in Ukraine dies from cancer. At the same time, with the help of the here and now, the foundation is comprehensively changing the entire system of pediatric oncology: purchasing new equipment for oncology centers, developing an educational program for physicians, and advocating for legislative changes. "Tabletochki" has become a partner of the best children's hospitals in the world and a member of powerful international organizations that fight pediatric oncology on different continents.

In 10 years, the fund has evolved from a volunteer initiative to purchase drugs into the largest fund in Ukraine in pediatric oncology. During this time, more than 5,500 children and their families received targeted assistance. Now under the care of the fund, there are 21 cancer departments throughout Ukraine. Philanthropists donated more than 350 million hryvnias to help children.

The founder of "Tabletochki" Olha Kudinenko

"Together with our partners, we've been making charity accessible for 10 years," the "Tabletochki" team told Rubryka. "Charity is in everyday affairs: you can drink coffee, buy milk or chocolate at home, even go on vacation, and help. You can send a bank's cashback to help children, send a charity SMS, contribute Viber-bot. Charity, for Ukrainians over the years, has become a more systematic process, rather than an impulsive whim. We can't win cancer alone. Everyone needs to be involved for more children to recover. It would be impossible without philanthropists, partners, and friends of the foundation. The foundation thanks everyone who contributes to the fight against children's cancer."

The Monster Corporation Charitable Foundation considers medical support, saving lives, and health to be its main areas of work. Their fund cares for children and adolescents whose parents are unable to pay for treatment, medication, or supplies for the operation. The purpose and mission of the fund are to help people and influence the health care system, the social sphere, its quality improvement, and therefore, even more people.

Monster Corporation

In September this year alone, the Foundation assisted its wards for almost 3 million hryvnias, and in 2021, for about 23 million hryvnias. This year the land on 28 Frantsuzkyi Boulevard in Odesa was transferred to the balance of the fund. It is a historical building, a summer residence of the Entente, which is more than 100 years old. By the way, the exterior of the house fully corresponds to the name of the fund. However, it is in this building that the Foundation won't live, but will build another "corporation," a mobile one, which can be disassembled and transported nearby. It will have three offices for 10 employees, two warehouses for food storage for the elderly, things, diapers and baby food for single mothers and mothers with many children, a warehouse with medical supplies, as well as a "concentrator," i.e. a room where mothers who come to treat children will be accommodated. And a shower, toilet and a small kitchen. Volunteers are now relocating such wards to hostels; their building will save them money which they spent on rent to help those who need help.

"The mission and goal are to help those who are left in a difficult situation and who can no longer count on anything," says Monster Corporation. "We're infinitely happy that thanks to our work and thanks to the people who support the foundation, we have managed to save so many lives and provide various assistance to far less than a thousand people."

"DonorUA" is an automated system for recruiting and managing blood donors, designed to promote the donor movement in Ukraine. The project was created in cooperation with the All-Ukrainian Association of Donors of Ukraine and the Ukrainian IT company DevRain. The team works with specific blood centers to obtain information on current donor blood supplies and encourages other centers to provide data to analyze and improve the situation in the country.

DonorUA aims to promote free donation in Ukraine and information technology to address social issues, as well as to abandon family donation and support national blood service reforms and create a new world-class service.

As of September 2020, the project already had more than 35,000 donors, and more than 4,000 recipients and donor search requests had passed through the system. And the project volunteers carry out "corporate donation" activities when blood center specialists take blood from employees in the office of a company.

The SVOYI Charitable Foundation is an association of caring people whose goal is to assist victims of hostilities in eastern Ukraine, socialization and psychological adaptation of people who are forced to adapt to new living conditions, patriotic upbringing of children, and youth.

Today, the "SVOYI" public network has several main activities. This is the IDP assistance center "Frolivska, 9/11," and assistance to people living in the anti-terrorist operation zone, assistance to orphanages, homes for the disabled, homes for the elderly, hospitals of Ukraine, including in the area of ​​anti-terrorist operation. The center also supports gifted children, has programs for children and youth.

"We cannot stop the war, but we can lend a helping hand to children and their parents affected by the hostilities. We believe that everyone has the right to a dignified life, protection, and safety," the charity's website says.

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