"The Conversations about Restoration": Larysa Polska, head of the Kherson Community Foundation "Zakhyst", about why people want to help

When the war began, Kherson became one of the first cities to face unprecedented terror. However, the strength of the human spirit, a great desire to help, and common cohesion became the basis for restoration. From the first days of the war, many people in Kherson began to join volunteer initiatives. In the new issue of "Conversations about Recovery" we talk with Larysa Polska, head of the Kherson Community Foundation "Zakhyst", about why people want to help, the challenges of volunteering, cooperation between the public and the authorities, and ways to restore the Kherson community.

From the first days of the war, the Foundation supported the city's residents with humanitarian aid and a cash program for families with children. It still supports the community and works for its future, developing assistance programs for educational, medical, and rescue institutions.

"We are all displaced persons; we all suffered from the war, and we understand the problems of the IDPs. We have no right to leave our people in trouble. If you are a real the people of Kherson, wherever you are, you should help your city. If you really feel yourself like the people of Kherson, and we do! That is why we started to help the locals even during the occupation. And we continue to do it today," Larysa Polska answers about where she finds so much energy and strength for humanitarian work, even though the Foundation's small team is located in different cities and countries.

Charitable foundations and public organizations now find it challenging to work in frontline communities. And it's not just about shelling. The constant search for resources not only for conducting its statutory activities but also for staff maintenance, restoration of the base for work, and building new connections is colossal work immediately invisible from the outside.

We see how often volunteer groups come and go. Not many organizations continue their stable work for years, adapting to different conditions and quickly responding to new challenges. Larysa Polska advises young NGOs and charitable foundations to take their assets and join experienced organizations, strengthen each other, learn to work in a team for a common goal, and gain experience: "Don't be afraid to be open, transparent, accountable, don't be afraid to be public!"

The Kherson Community Foundation "Zakhyst" is currently working on strategic development, conducting numerous surveys among those in Kherson and outside the city. The results are studied by the local authorities and international partners to clearly understand what the Kherson community needs. That is why the Foundation joined in developing a strategic spatial plan for the city's development to ensure a stable and balanced city recovery.

"I always struggle with this 'out of time'. Now, discussing what Kherson will be like is out of time. It is shelled so much, people suffer, houses are destroyed... And it is out of time to talk about tomorrow... And tomorrow will come tomorrow. And we will not be ready, because we did not think, we did not have time... We are thinking already today. We want Kherson to be comfortable for people. We want Kherson to return the people of Kherson," - Larysa Polska, head of the Kherson Community Foundation "Zakhyst".

The future of Kherson depends on the efforts of all its residents. Can we dream about a better future? Of course. It is absolutely possible if we plan it today. Larysa Polska emphasizes: "We want Kherson to be comfortable for people, that Kherson will bring back the people of Kherson, that business and economy will develop, and that children will return to Kherson because they are our future."