Project Kesher Ukraine

 

HISTORY

Project Kesher Ukraine (PKU) is an independent, non-partisan, grassroots women’s organization founded in 2010 to support the re-emergence of Jewish life post-Communism.  PKU’s mission expanded beyond the Jewish community and committed to developing women leaders throughout Ukrainian society. PKU built a network of more than 40 Jewish women's groups and interfaith coalitions and 300 trained leaders who work to build civil society and promote gender equality. Before February 2022, PKU operated across 23 of the 27 regions of Ukraine, one of the only non-profits in Ukraine to do so and had developed partnerships with more than 1,100 other non-profits, academic institutions and government entities. As a feminist, volunteer-driven organization, PK Ukrainian activists donated nearly 100,000 hours per year to promote women’s economic empowerment, build interfaith coalitions to foster religious, racial and ethnic tolerance, advocate for social justice in women’s rights, women’s health, domestic violence and human trafficking. 

TARGET POPULATION

Ukrainian women, leaders, activists, Jewish leaders and secular feminist leaders, ages 18 - 98. This now includes Ukrainian women and people who have been displaced by war and reside elsewhere.

CRITICAL NEEDS

The Project Kesher Ukraine (PKU) team made a quick assessment of the needs of Ukrainians at this time: 

1) Those sheltering in place need of food and emergency supplies;

2) Those evacuating homes and moving across Ukraine need transportation to safer locations;

3) Those leaving the country to a bordering European country in need of refugee resources;

4) Those making refugees and new immigrants to Israel from Ukraine

PROGRAMS WE SUPPORT

  • Emergency cash grants to displaced Ukrainian women (180 grants to date totalling $64,000);

  • Emergency evacuation from key cities by bus and minivan (3,000+ evacuated this past month);

  • Investing in mental health support for displaced Ukrainian women, Russian and Ukrainian-speakers in Israel and the Jewish community in Russia; 

  • Creating anti-trafficking content and refugee resources in Ukrainian for widespread distribution

  • Women’s Resource Centers for Ukrainian women and refugees