Rebuilding with Strength and Vision

This month, the Women’s Opportunity Fund of Ukraine awarded a $2,000 grant to Yevheniia Ruzhentseva, founder of La Ruje, an eco-friendly women’s clothing brand she courageously launched during the war in Ukraine. Her business produces lingerie and loungewear in an inclusive size range (S–8XL), with a special focus on plus-size women.

On July 4, tragedy struck when the premises of La Ruje were hit during a heavy Russian attack involving 24 drones and 3 missiles. While the equipment survived, nearly everything else—cutting tables, office supplies, fabrics, and finished products—was lost to water and fire damage.

Despite this devastation, Yevheniia has refused to give up. With the help of the grant, she is restoring operations, covering essential expenses like rent, fabrics, and furniture, while temporarily relying on contractors to keep production going.

“Clients and caring people gave us tremendous support,” Yevheniia shared. “We received so many custom orders that it restored our faith that our products matter. We decided to continue.” Looking ahead, she plans to fully recover—and to launch a new line of adaptive underwear for wounded people, bringing her long-time vision to life.