Volodymyr in an interview with STELP
STELP: Briefly introduce yourself. Who are you and in which country do you work with STELP?
Volodymyr: My name is Volodymyr Haponenko and I work with STELP in Ukraine.
STELP: What do you do for a living?
Volodymyr: In my normal life, before the big war in Ukraine, I was a videographer. Today I run the Ukrainian charity organization called Zhyva Nadiya. And I’m still filming; especially our missions on the front line.* The organization takes up all my time, no, the organization takes up my whole life, so you can say that I work full time for Zhyva Nadiya.
STELP: How did your NGO come to cooperate with STELP?
Volodymyr: I don’t believe in coincidences. I met Serkan one day during an assignment in the Donetsk region. From then on, our partnership with STELP began.
STELP: What is your personal motivation for what you do?
Volodymyr: My motivation is my 2-year-old daughter and other children and people. I wish for them to live in a free and peaceful Ukraine. That is why we are doing everything we can to help Ukraine in these very difficult times.
STELP: Which aspect of the project is particularly important to you and why?
Volodymyr: It is very important to me to support the volunteers in our organization. These people do a lot of hard work, they risk the most important thing – their lives – while helping others.
STELP: Do you have a motto for life?
Volodymyr: The winner is determined not by the beginning, but by the end.
The first joint mission of STELP and Zhyva Nadiya
As a videographer, Volodymyr accompanies the joint operations of STELP and Zhyva Nadiya on the front line in eastern Ukraine. The following video was made in October 2023:
In June 2024, our founder Serkan Eren was on a mission on the front line for the third time with our partners from Zhyva Nadiya. During the missions, people in need are provided with essential supplies such as food and hygiene articles. By making a donation to STELP, you are significantly supporting our work in Ukraine.
