A story of long-term partnership that has helped improve access to healthcare, create safer environments for children, and support the medical teams who save the lives of newborns every day.
Three Projects. More Than a Decade of Partnership. One Shared Goal — Human Security.
Sometimes the greatest impact is measured by a chance to live
When a newborn cannot breathe on their own, the expertise of the medical team and the availability of modern medical equipment can make all the difference.
Yet this story did not begin with a mechanical ventilator.
It began more than a decade ago—with a shared commitment to advancing human security and a partnership that, step by step, helped address the evolving needs of communities across the Ukrainian Carpathians:
- Providing access to timely medical diagnosis;
- Creating safe environments for children to grow and learn;
- Supporting the medical teams who work every day to save the lives of newborns.
Viewed separately, these projects may seem entirely different: modern diagnostic equipment for a district hospital, the comprehensive renovation of a kindergarten in a highland community, and a mechanical ventilator for newborns.
However, when viewed as a single story, they reveal something far more significant.
This is more than a story of three separate grants.
It is a story of trust and sustained partnership between the Youth Public Environmental Organization “Our Home – Manyava” and the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine through the Grant Assistance for Human Security Projects of the Grassroots Program “KUSANONE”,.
Each project responded to a different, yet equally important, community need. Together, they demonstrate how long-term international partnership can improve access to healthcare, create safer environments for children, and equip medical professionals with the tools they need to save lives.
Three Projects. More Than a Decade of Partnership. One Shared Goal — Human Security.
Bohorodchany Central District Hospital: When Timely Diagnosis Changes the Future
The first joint project focused on ensuring timely and accessible medical diagnosis.
With the support of the Government of Japan, Bohorodchany Central District Hospital received a modern E-CUBE 9 ultrasound diagnostic system and an endoscope.
Two medical professionals also received specialized training to operate the new equipment.
As a result, local residents—especially women and children—gained access to modern diagnostic services without having to travel to distant medical facilities.
This project marked the beginning of the long-term partnership between the Youth Public Environmental Organization “Our Home – Manyava” and the Embassy of Japan in Ukraine.
Verkhovyna: When a Safe Kindergarten Becomes an Investment in the Future
The second project addressed a very different community need.
In 2017, during the implementation of the Slovak–Ukrainian project “Green Energy: Slovak–Ukrainian Experience,”supported by SlovakAid, the team of Youth Public Environmental Organization “Our Home – Manyava” worked with local partners to assess the energy efficiency and infrastructure of public institutions in Verkhovyna.
It was through this assessment that we identified one of the community's most pressing needs: creating a safe, warm, and suitable environment for children at the “Sonechko” kindergarten.
The kindergarten building was constructed in 1972 and had never undergone a comprehensive renovation since then.
The roof leaked, the floors had deteriorated, mold had developed on the ground floor, and significant heat loss made conditions especially difficult during the long winters in the Carpathian highlands.
For the community, this was about far more than energy efficiency or comfort.
It was about protecting children's safety, providing appropriate conditions for early childhood education, and ensuring that the kindergarten could continue delivering an essential service to local families.
For years, the local authorities, kindergarten administration, parents, and educators had advocated for the renovation. However, the community lacked the financial resources needed to implement such a large-scale project.
Following a needs assessment, the development of a technical solution, and the search for an international partner, the project was implemented in 2020 with the support of the Government of Japan through the Grant Assistance for Human Security Projects of the Grassroots Program “KUSANONE”, the kindergarten building underwent a comprehensive renovation.
The project was implemented amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
COVID-19 restrictions, complex logistics, and the more than 200-kilometre distance between Manyava and Verkhovyna posed significant challenges to the implementation of the project.
Despite these challenges, the project was successfully completed.
The Project Continues to Serve the Community
Six years later, the project’s results continue to benefit the community.
Each year, the improved conditions benefit 192 children and 46 staff members at the kindergarten.
A follow-up monitoring visit conducted in 2026 confirmed that the project’s results have been sustained, the facility continues to be used for its intended purpose, and the improved conditions continue to provide a safe and high-quality early childhood learning environment for children.
A successful international project begins long before a grant application is submitted.
It begins with a thorough needs assessment, the trust of the community, a well-developed solution, and consistent work that may continue for years before funding becomes available.
When Equipment Means a Chance at Life
Not every project can be measured by the number of books, educational sessions, or participants in educational programs.
Sometimes the greatest impact is measured by a chance to live
The Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Perinatal Center provides care for newborns, including babies born prematurely or in critical condition who require intensive care.
In such situations, modern medical equipment can make the difference between life and death.
In 2025, with the support of the Government of Japan through the Grant Assistance for Human Security Projects of the Grassroots Program “KUSANONE”, for the Perinatal Centre, a modern AVEA mechanical ventilator and the necessary consumables were procured.
The equipment helps the medical team provide respiratory support for newborns who are unable to breathe adequately on their own and deliver intensive care during the most critical period of their lives.
We have deliberately chosen not to provide an estimated number of children who may benefit from this equipment each year until verified official data become available.
But one thing we know for certain: when a newborn’s life depends on the expertise of the medical team and the availability of appropriate equipment, a ventilator like this can make all the difference.
"Saving the Lives of Ukraine's Smallest Patients"
This was the core objective we set for the project.
Not equipment for the sake of equipment.
Not a grant for the sake of reporting.
The opportunity to equip doctors with a modern tool that helps them save the lives of the smallest and most vulnerable patients.
What Becomes Clear When the Three Projects Are Viewed Together
Taken together, these three projects represent not three separate grants, but the evolution of a long-term partnership.
Together, these three projects reflect different but interconnected dimensions of human security:
- Timely access to medical diagnostics;
- A safe environment for children's development;
- Intensive care for the most vulnerable patients.
The geographical scope of the partnership also expanded—from the Bohorodchany community to the highland community of Verkhovyna, and then to the Ivano-Frankivsk Regional Perinatal Centre.
This was not about expanding the scale simply for the sake of expansion.
Each project began with an identified community need, followed by a thorough assessment, the development of a well-founded solution, and collaboration with an international partner whose priorities aligned with that need.
The Logic of a Long-Term Partnership
First came access to modern medical diagnostics. Then came the creation of a safe environment for children’s development. Next came support for doctors who save newborn lives every day.
Timely Medical Diagnostics
The new equipment improved access to modern medical diagnostics for local residents.
A Safe Environment
The comprehensive renovation created warm and appropriate conditions for the children and kindergarten staff.
A Chance at Life
The modern ventilator helps doctors provide intensive care to newborns.
The Greatest Value of Partnership
In our view, this is where the greatest value of partnership lies: not in funding individual activities, but in creating solutions that continue for years to protect people’s health, strengthen communities, and improve quality of life.
Three Projects. More Than a Decade of Partnership. One Shared Goal — Human Security.