The Patriarchal Foundation “Mudra Sprava” Reports on the Transition from Immediate Aid to Strategic Recovery in Ukraine

The report covered the past year, 2024, during which the UGCC actively responded to the challenges facing Ukraine.

From Response to Reconstruction: The Evolution of Aid Strategy

Founded just a few days before the full-scale russian invasion, the Mudra Sprava Patriarchal Foundation focused on providing immediate assistance from the very beginning. In the first months and years of the war, its work was aimed at immediate crisis response. This included evacuating people from frontline territories, assembling and distributing food and hygiene kits, and preparing and delivering hot meals for those affected in the Kyiv region. The peak of this work was, in particular, during the cleanup after the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP dam.

However, as Fr. Lyubomyr Yavorskyy emphasized, the Foundation now recognizes a more complex task—the reconstruction of the homeland, which begins with the recovery of the people themselves and the healing of their wounds. Throughout 2024, with the support of His Beatitude Sviatoslav, Mudra Sprava began a gradual shift from crisis response to strategic initiatives and programs. These new projects are designed not just to meet current needs but to provide people with the skills and knowledge for their future independent self-reliance.

Statistics of Change

This strategic shift is clearly visible in the changes to the Foundation’s budget allocation:

• Food Security: While 53.7 % of the budget was allocated to food security projects in 2022–2023, this share decreased to 35.5 % in 2024.
• Evacuation: In 2022–2023, 7.4 % of the budget was used for evacuating people, whereas no such activities were conducted in 2024.
• Sanitation and Hygiene: Spending on sanitation and hygiene decreased from 6 % in 2022–2023 to 3.1 % in 2024.

Meanwhile, the share of the budget directed toward strategic areas significantly increased:

• Strengthening Resilience: The share grew from 3.8 % in 2022–2023 to 13.3 % in 2024.
• Community Transformation: Projects for community transformation showed the most rapid growth—a 25-fold increase, from 1.8 % in 2022–2023 to 26.5 % in 2024.

Following Sheptytsky: A Path to Integral Recovery

Fr. Lyubomyr Yavorskyy underscored that the Foundation’s work follows the example and directives of the Righteous Metropolitan Andrey Sheptytsky, particularly in the entrepreneurial and social spheres. “We believe today that education and knowledge, combined with rehabilitation and psychological and spiritual recovery, can lead Ukrainians to the integral recovery of themselves, their communities, and all of Ukraine,” the foundation’s director noted.

This purposeful service of Mudra Sprava, under the leadership of Patriarch Sviatoslav, is a powerful testament to the UGCC’s adaptability and foresight in responding to the challenges of the time, prioritizing human dignity and the future recovery of Ukraine.