Volunteers do not receive salaries, but simply help people: Alla Syrotenko on the work of the "Doloni" foundation

For almost eight months, the charitable foundation "Helping Hands of Nikopol" organizes and distributes humanitarian aid among the population of Nikopol and the district. Initially, the fund looked after the interests of immigrants, low-income families from Nikopol, pensioners and people with disabilities. In July, when the Russian army began to mercilessly destroy the city, the category of Nikopol residents who suffered as a result of artillery shelling was added.

Nikopol's stay in the war zone did not change the approach of the foundation's volunteers to their work. They continue to work for the benefit of those for whom "Doloni" appeared.

Alla Syrotenko, one of the founders of BF, told about the beginning of the journey, the volunteer team, cooperation with foundations and donors, as well as the motivation to continue working in the Nikopol.City editorial office.

It would be right to make a fund

The idea to create the charitable foundation "Helping Palms of Nikopol" belongs to three residents of Nikopol - Alla Syrotenko, Maria Yankinia and Anna Kuznetsova. By that time, Anna and Maria had already volunteered during the war, but in a different fund. Alla also had experience in organizing volunteer events for children and citizens at one of the city's enterprises, where she once worked.

"In April, after the large-scale invasion, the three of us met and decided that it would be right to create a foundation in Nikopol that would provide humanitarian aid to people. All the more so because at that time our city was actively accepting forced migrants from Donetsk, Luhansk and Kharkiv regions," - says Alla.

The first steps were to collect information about the documents that are needed for its official opening together with the account.

"Everything had to be transparent," - the volunteer emphasized.

Anna Kovtyukh, Nikopol notary, helped "Dolony" to develop the Articles of Incorporation free of charge. Then the registration and account opening process began. Already in May, the charitable foundation "Helping Palms of Nikopol" officially started its work. The idea to create the charitable foundation "Helping Palms of Nikopol" belongs to three residents of Nikopol - Alla Syrotenko, Maria Yankinia and Anna Kuznetsova.

Joint work with fellow volunteers

The first humanitarian aid to "Dolon" was organized and provided in cooperation with the experienced Nikopol charitable foundation "New Life" under the leadership of Natalia Mezentseva.

"Our foundation prepared transport and fuel, and "New Life" prepared food kits. Another foundation provided us with clothes. Together, we left for the village of Borysivka, Nikopol district, where the residents needed support at that time. This was the first practical experience of our foundation. We learned how all this works in reality," - the volunteer says.

Andriy Zvagolskyi provided a warehouse for unloading humanitarian aid to Dolonyam in Nikopol free of charge. Currently, the foundation operates the premises independently, but previously it had to be shared with colleagues from Dnipro

"One part of the composition was secured by the Our Business Ukraine fund, and the other by us. That's how we cooperated. I believe that there cannot be competition between funds engaged in the same activity. It does not matter which fund or volunteer will provide assistance to a person, the main thing is that he will receive it. We have one goal," - Alla says.

Another example of a healthy relationship between funds was the volunteer's mention of the distribution of humanitarian aid from Poland. This summer, FUNDACJA WELCOME RZESZOW sent a whole truckload to our city at the request of Dolon:

"We divided the humanitarian aid between three funds - ours, "Ukraine is our business" and "Ukraine is a fair country". The Centravis plant helped us with the transportation of humanitarian cargo."

"It doesn't matter which fund or volunteer will provide help to a person, the main thing is that he will receive it. We have one goal," - says Alla Syrotenko.

They are looking for donors themselves

"Doloni" is looking for donors and humanitarian aid on its own. Sometimes donors choose them themselves, as the World Central Kitchen Foundation did. It happens that contacts are transferred by acquaintances. Thanks to this familiarity of the Nikopol Foundation with the group of companies "Milk Alliance", Tetra Pak and Svitlana Bukomovets, in September, the distribution of milk to Nikopol residents and displaced persons who remained in the city despite the shelling was organized.

Another bridge for new acquaintances and useful ones - recommendations from people whom "Doloni" has already helped. In the summer, donors from Kyiv contacted the fund and offered to apply for household chemicals. Thus, the Nikopol Foundation became a partner of the humanitarian initiative Shelter Ukraine, which was organized by SILab Ukraine, Teple Misto, VPLYV and Valores Foundation in cooperation with Razom For Ukraine. Thanks to this cooperation, the fund has already received humanitarian cargo twice.

Recently, thanks to SILab Ukraine, "Doloni" got in touch with the Netherlands, shares the founder of the fund Alla Syrotenko: "Because we have emergency problems in the critical infrastructure of Ukraine due to shelling, they sent us a 250 kW generator, which we handed over to the city." .

It was also possible to establish cooperation with the Team4ua foundation, which helped with humanitarian food kits.

"Doloni" takes care of the interests of IDPs, families with many children and low-income families, children with disabilities, and Nikopol residents injured after artillery shelling.

They also take care of the military

By the way, the fund undertakes to provide assistance not only to residents, but also to the Ukrainian military. At one time, volunteers opened a special account to collect funds for the purchase of ammunition.

"With the funds from the collection, we bought a minibus, car wheels for our defenders. They handed over small pots, a generator, and humanitarian aid. "Sometimes the military comes to us on their own," - Alla shares.

The team was scattered all over Ukraine

The composition of the foundation's volunteer team changed over time due to the systematic shelling of Nikopol. For example, Anna Kuznetsova temporarily left for Lviv, and Maria Yankina for Kyiv. However, as the director of the fund, she is looking for donors in the capital. Recently, the volunteer agreed on cooperation, as a result of which "Doloni" received a humanitarian cargo.

Alla and her right hand Ruslana Malatsai remain directly in Nikopol, as well as volunteers who help unload humanitarian kits, issue and fill out lists, and answer phone calls. Among them are local residents and immigrants from Vugledar, Soledar, Kurakhov. There were volunteers from Kharkiv and Donetsk.

In total, there are almost 20 people in the "Dolon" team. And each of them makes their own efforts to help as many people as possible.

Volunteers do not receive salaries

Being a charity fund volunteer means devoting the maximum amount of time to work that does not bring a salary or bonuses. At the same time, it requires being responsible to people and donors.

Alla says that, unfortunately, some people do not understand this and perceive the foundations as some kind of government institution led by an evil director who will fire all the volunteers if they do not perform well:

"Everyone who works in our fund does not have a salary. We all wrote statements indicating that we were working without wages. We just help people. Sometimes, indeed, you encounter unpleasant moments when people behave aggressively. They call with questions: "Where is my humanitarian?! I will complain." But despite such nuances, we continue our work in the interests of IDPs, large and low-income families, children with disabilities, and victims of Nikopol's shelling."

"Everyone who works in our fund has a salary. We just help people", - Alla Syrotenko.

Why is it under fire?

Communicating with Nikopol residents who, despite the shelling, remain in Nikopol and continue to work or volunteer, a traditional question from our editors is the question of why they do not leave the city.

"As for the answer to this question, it is both complex and simple at the same time. Simple - because I want to make my own contribution to our Victory. Difficult - because you, who need help, did not find the strength to quit," Alla answered.