Meet the EMPOWER Super Team: People Who Are There Every Day (Part 2)
Since February 2026, East SOS has been implementing a project supported by the Government of Germany and the European Union. It provides comprehensive assistance to elderly people and persons with disabilities who have been forced to leave their homes because of the war.
Call center operators respond to dozens of requests every day, speaking with people searching for help. The evacuation team accompanies people as they leave high-risk areas, helps them find accommodation, and understands how important it is to go through this journey together. Social workers, lawyers, and psychologists continue to provide support after evacuation – when people need time to recover and regain their footing.
Each member of our team has their own path, motivation, and reason to be there. But they are all united by one shared purpose: to support those affected by the war.
Meet five members of the East SOS team and learn what drives them to help in situations where it often feel impossible.
Maryna Lemeshko, 45; originally from Enerhodar, now lives in Uzhhorod.
Call Center Operator.
“Every day I receive dozens of requests – mostly about evacuation from frontline territories and legal support. Helping someone solve their problem and hearing gratitude and hope in return gives me strength and motivation to keep going.”
Anna Baranova, 30; originally from Donetsk, now lives in Dnipro.
Evacuation Team Member.
“I have been living with the pain of losing my home for 12 years. My family was forced to leave twice – first Donetsk in 2014 and then Myrnohrad in 2024. My work is a way to transform that pain and love for my home into help. What motivates me most is making the evacuation process a bit easier and helping people feel they are not alone.”
Olha Chukhno, 55; originally from Dnipro.
Psychologist.
“Every time in transit centers, I see how important it is simply to be there – to listen, support, and help people feel grounded again. I am inspired to see how after finding temporary accommodation at the Dnipro shelter people gradually recover and find the strength to move forward.”
Vladyslav Poianskyi, 35; originally from Dnipro.
Evacuation Team Member.
“Since the onset of the full-scale war, I have been evacuating people in Donetsk, Kherson, Sumy, and Zaporizhzhia Oblasts. Today I provide information to people in frontline communities and help them move to safer regions. For me, it is about being useful to my country and to my people.”
The East SOS activities are implemented as part of the EMPOWER project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) together with the European Union and carried out by GIZ Ukraine.
