Helping is now easier than ever: a National Volunteer Platform is to be launched in Ukraine

UNICEF in Ukraine and the Ukrainian Volunteer Service with the Ministry of Youth and Sport encourage everyone to visit the National Volunteer Platform. Non-governmental organizations can add their volunteer projects to the online portal, while all those interested can easily find opportunities and engage in volunteering in their cities.

The project’s ultimate goal is to help the volunteer movement grow in Ukraine, and therefore to develop civil society. The Volunteer Platform creates a bridge between non-governmental organizations and youth activists.

“For more than ten years we have been developing the volunteer movement in Ukraine. Each month more than 100 non-governmental organizations contact us from cities and towns, asking for help to find volunteers for social, educational, and environmental activities or projects. A Ukraine-wide platform will enable like-minded people to find each other and organizations to join,” says Anna Bondarenko, CEO of Ukrainian Volunteer Service.

The mission of the Volunteer Platform is to introduce Ukrainian youth to the opportunities that volunteering provides, and to become a guide in the world of good deeds. On the platform, non-governmental organizations can publish announcements about volunteer projects, while volunteers can browse opportunities in their regions and choose the best initiatives.

“Youth volunteers in Ukraine inspire us with their selfless commitment and enthusiasm. They are a vast source of ideas, solutions and innovations in their communities. Together with our partners, we are glad to launch this platform promoting volunteer opportunities and supporting young people, who are leading the way, taking action and showing that change is possible,” emphasizes Lotta Sylwander, head of the UNICEF representative office in Ukraine.

The creation of the Volunteer Platform became possible thanks to the cooperation of the Ministry of Youth and Sport, the Ukrainian Volunteer Service, UNICEF, and the SoftServe IT company.

“I am convinced that volunteering is inspiring. This is exactly why we are trying to show youth that active participation in community service not only has an impact on the future of the country, but also gives chances to feel the joy of helping others. The creation of the Volunteer Platform is a great occasion to find like-minded people from all around the country and to establish great partnerships for future work on joint projects,” notes Vadim Gutzeit, Minister of Youth and Sport.

The website is created in a way that means both volunteers and representatives of organizations can find or make public volunteer opportunities in just a few clicks, whether helping in an animal shelter or volunteering online.

“In SoftServe, where a culture of open-mindedness and support is highly developed, we are well aware of the power of volunteering. People united by a mutual vision, values, and mission can create incredible things. Therefore, we felt compelled to tackle the technical side of such a powerful idea and bring it to life. One of the aspects of the corporate responsibility of SoftServe is to support communities by implementing the technical projects; which we do both on a pro bono basis and thanks to the SoftServe volunteers”, says Yaroslav Lyubinets, co-founder and head of the board of directors of SoftServe.

It is already possible to enter and explore the world of volunteering: hundreds of opportunities and like-minded people are awaiting you on the website https://platforma.volunteer.country/.