Help in Change

At our Annual General Meeting, members elected a new Board that will lead Help in Change into the next phase of its development. As we reflect on the past year, we are proud of what has been achieved together with our volunteers, partners, members, and supporters.

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In 2025, Help in Change continued its mission of supporting the integration of Ukrainians in Sweden through community-building, advocacy, education, and empowerment initiatives.

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Some highlights from the year include:

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🏃‍♀️ Organizing and supporting community sports initiatives, including Heroes Run 2025 and Kyiv 10K of Resilience, bringing together more than 400 participants across multiple cities while raising awareness and support for Ukraine.

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📖 Completing the distribution of all 500 copies of Okuvliga / Nezlamni (“Indomitable”), a storytelling project sharing the experiences of Ukrainians who fled the war and rebuilt their lives in Sweden. The book reached universities, libraries, policymakers, civil society organizations, and readers across Europe.

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💙 Donating 50,000 SEK to Beredskapslyftet, supporting educational pathways for Ukrainians entering the Swedish healthcare sector and contributing to long-term integration and employment opportunities.

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📢 Continuing advocacy efforts through participation in migration and asylum forums, meetings with public authorities, and dialogue with decision-makers to ensure that the perspectives and needs of Ukrainians in Sweden are heard.

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🚀 Developing SHE-UNET: Pillars of Power, a new European initiative focused on empowering Ukrainian women through confidence-building, practical skills development, networking, and community support.

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As part of this transition, Ira Sjölund has stepped down from her role as Chairperson and left the Board. Since co-founding Help in Change in 2022, Ira has played a key role in transforming the organization from a grassroots volunteer network into a trusted civil society actor. During the past year, she contributed significantly to strengthening governance structures, internal processes, and strategic development, helping prepare the organization for its next stage of growth. We are grateful for her leadership and commitment during this important chapter.

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We are pleased to introduce the newly elected Board:

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🔹 Maria Verbitskaya – Chairperson
🔹 Ekaterina Pchelnikova – Board Member
🔹 Iryna Oriekhova – Board Member
🔹 Anna Aristova-Danemar – Deputy Board Member
🔹 Svetlana Drobot – Deputy Board Member

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Looking ahead, we remain committed to creating opportunities for integration, participation, and empowerment, while strengthening collaboration with partners across Sweden and Europe. Thank you to everyone who has been part of this journey.

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Together, we continue building support, inclusion, and solidarity.