Anniversary of the “Ecological network of Ukraine”. Results of 2024.

Today marks another anniversary of the public organization “Ecological Network of Ukraine.” Over the past year, we have grown and participated in numerous events related to the LGBTQ+ community. Our team members have conducted informational campaigns featuring pop stars, organized focus group surveys, and launched regular psychotherapeutic support groups for women and psychological support groups for LGBTQI+ men in Kyiv.

We took part in the LGBTQI+ Pride March and human rights actions, attended grant-writing training and LGBTQI+ workshops, and participated in state pilot projects both at the implementation level and as first-patient initiatives in Kyiv and Lviv. Additionally, we represented our community at HIV/AIDS coordination councils in Kyiv and Lviv, attended the National LGBTQI+ Conference, and took part in the XIII Forum for Civil Society Development – “(We) Stand Together.”

Overall, it has been an amazing year, and we are proud that, despite the challenges of war, we continue to make a meaningful impact.

As per our tradition, our Membership Coordinator, Artem Natoka, prepared a special surprise today – a delicious cake shaped like the “Ecological Network” logo. We are celebrating another year of teamwork and solidarity.

Let’s take a moment to remember how it all started:

The non-profit public organization “Ecological Network of Ukraine” traces its origins back to March 3, 2022. Amid forced internal displacement caused by the full-scale military invasion of Ukraine, the organization’s experts gathered in the town of Tatariv, Ivano-Frankivsk region, to discuss the humanitarian crisis affecting LGBTQI+ communities and to formulate a response.

From that moment, the organization began its research and informational activities, which led to the creation of the “Ecological Network of Ukraine.” It took a year and a half from the first meeting to the decision to register legally.

The founding assembly of the organization took place in Kyiv in December 2023, officially granting EcoNetwork legal status. This step allowed the team to continue developing EcoNetwork’s services, implement its ideas and vision, and contribute to positive social change in Ukraine.

The establishment of an NGO also enabled the organization to secure official funding for its projects through community donations and grant applications from international donors.