“I really want young people from the temporarily occupied territories to know: Ukraine remembers them and is ready to support them,” – Education Program Manager at East SOS

Yuliia Kishenko is originally from Luhansk. Until 2014, she worked as a methodologist at the regional children’s and youth center for tourism and local history. She also led the “Young Archaeologists” club, where she taught children to explore the history of the steppe region and seek answers about how people lived in the distant past.

When russia’s armed aggression began and her hometown was temporarily occupied, Yuliia’s family was forced to leave urgently. With no time to pack, they took only one backpack, knowing it was too dangerous to stay. At the time, the occupiers were hunting down pro-Ukrainian activists. The family relocated to Kyiv.

Yuliia’s active participation in the Luhansk Euromaidan and her volunteer work later evolved into helping people affected by russia’s war against Ukraine. She was among the activists who launched the Luhansk SOS civic initiative in the spring of 2014, which later grew into the East SOS Charity Foundation.

Today, Yuliia manages education programs that support access to Ukrainian education for young people from temporarily occupied territories (TOT). She also advocates for graduates who continue to live under occupation and later move to government-controlled territories of Ukraine to pursue their education.

“I understand what it means to live under occupation and to start life from scratch. Some of my students who stayed in Luhansk are now adults. When I think about their dreams and hopes, about how their lives might have unfolded, I really want young people from the TOT to know: Ukraine remembers them and is ready to support them,” says Yuliia.

Together with the Foundation’s team, she organizes educational events for teachers and instructors, consistently emphasizing the importance of supporting educators – especially those working in frontline regions, whose schools remain under occupation or have been destroyed.

Yuliia compares her many years of work to a marathon that requires time, patience, and steady, everyday effort. When young people from TOT are admitted to Ukrainian universities on a state-funded basis and achieve their dream of studying there, it becomes the strongest motivation to keep going.

Graduates and applicants from TOT can receive admission counseling and information about support programs at the East SOS Call Center: 0 800 332 614

We also provide consultations via messengers:
Viber: +38 (099) 710 48 72
Telegram: +38 (096) 108 60 48