The team of the Luhansk Association of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (LAOPD) has embarked on a new phase of cooperation within the framework of a humanitarian project implemented jointly with VIS (Volontariato Internazionale per lo Sviluppo), STEP-IN and with the support of the Ukraine Humanitarian Fund (UHF). Its goal is clear and vital — to help where it is most needed: in the Dnipropetrovsk, Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia regions.

For LAOPD, this is not a new challenge, but a continuation of its daily work — to be close to people in difficult situations, to seek practical solutions, to provide support not declaratively, but systematically and specifically.

The signing of the Memorandum of Cooperation formalised the values that already unite the teams: trust, focus on human needs and shared responsibility. Importantly, the project's kick-off meeting did not turn into a formality. It was a meaningful dialogue about challenges, experiences, real situations on the ground and common approaches to response.

‘We come from different countries, speak different languages, and have different experiences. But we feel what is most important: we are truly on the same team,’ say the LAOPD team members. They add: ‘There is difficult work ahead. But it is precisely this kind of work that truly changes the situation.’

LAOPD expresses its sincere gratitude to its partners from VIS, STEP-IN and all participants of the meeting for their openness, professionalism and readiness to take action rather than just talk. The cooperation, which began with trust, should become an effective tool for supporting people in the most vulnerable communities of Ukraine.