Ukraine has been impacted by eight years of war. The conflict started in 2014 when the Russian troops had occupied a part of the country – Crimea and Donbas. On February 24, 2022, at 5 a.m. Ukrainians were woken up by the intense, horrifying sounds of massive explosions. The Russian leader Vladimir Putin launched a “special military operation,” which is nothing but a full-scale war. Invaders shell villages and cities, direct forbidden vacuum bombs onto hospitals (including kids’ hospitals where children with cancer are gaining treatment), schools, houses of peaceful citizens. Thousands of people died, including more than 70 kids.
How the Ukrainian IT industry is handling the new reality
Ukrainian IT companies quickly responded to the challenges of Russia’s barbaric aggression and handled them pretty well. Based on the IT monitoring research, the majority of Ukrainian tech companies created a BCP plan before the invasion, which helped them reorganize their business and support their operations depending on different scenarios of potential threats.
IT companies took other steps to keep their business operating and support their country:
- Staff relocation. Companies relocated their employees to safer zones inside Ukraine as well as neighboring EU countries to ensure there are no threats to the lives of team members and their families.
- Advance payments to employees. Developers and other experts in the IT industry obtained advance payments to be able to cover additional spending caused by relocation or other conditions.
- Support of remote work. Work from home has become a norm over the pandemic years, so companies strengthened what was already in place and switched to a remote working environment to allow employees to work from safe places.
- Financial aid to relocated employees. Staff members from high-risk zones obtained financial aid to handle the challenge of relocation.
- Donations. Nearly every Ukrainian IT company donated money to fundraising organizations to support the Ukrainian army, civilians, and refugees.
- Volunteering work. Many tech organizations open volunteering centers, arrange the procurement and logistics of the aid to high-risk areas to support civilians and the Ukrainian army.
- Support of organized cyber security forces. Developers joined the IT army to fight on the cyber front. They protect critical tech resources and take other actions to keep Ukraine’s tech infrastructure stable.
How you can help Ukraine
If you would like to support Ukraine through these trying times, there are several things you can personally do. You may also want to encourage your friends and family to do the same.
1. Make donations for humanitarian and military relief
Wars are expensive. So, you can donate a manageable sum of money to support Ukraine. There are funds for raising money for the Ukrainian army, refugees, or citizens. Here are the organizations that accept assistance from citizens living outside of Ukraine.
Take part in president Zelensky’s **United24** initiative.
National Bank of Ukraine
The National Bank of Ukraine opened fundraising accounts on February 24, 2022, to collect money that would allow resisting war. The accounts accept several currencies, including US dollars, euros, UK pounds, and hryvnias.
NGO Come Back Alive
Come Back Alive is the largest fundraising organization gathering money for the Ukrainian army. It has been operating since the beginning of the war in 2014. The volunteers arrange training for military people, provide supplies, repair equipment, and help in other possible ways.
To contribute follow the link. You can support the Ukrainian Army or the fundraising organization itself.
RAZOM Emergency Response
RAZOM (the Ukrainian word for ‘together’) is an NGO that raises funds to provide critical medical supplies.
There are several ways you can donate, including bank transfer, PayPal, cryptocurrency, and check. Please find more details on the organization’s official donation page.
Other donation links
If you would like to learn more ways to support Ukraine financially, you can always find the relevant and up-to-date information here.
2. Read from Reputable Sources About the Events in Ukraine
Ukraine is caught in a hybrid war when military and informational attacks happen. A lot of fake information is spread on the Internet, so it’s better to shield yourself from any manipulative information that might mislead you. Here is a list of resources you can trust from the first hand:
- @ZelenskyyUa – an official Twitter page of the President of Ukraine
- @Ukraine – an official Twitter page of Ukraine
- The Kyiv Independent – Ukraine’s English-language media outlet
- @ukraine.ua – official Instagram of Ukraine
3. Work with Ukrainian Businesses
Economy is Ukraine’s second frontline, people continue working to support their families, national economy as well as being able to donate to various charity organizations that help other fellow citizens in need. They want to be able to keep doing that, here’s how you can help:
- Hire Ukrainians for the positions that involve remote work (below you will find the list of Ukrainian-specific platforms, but you should not forget about Upwork, Freelancehunt, and other global platforms):
– Jobs for Ukraine
– UA Talents
– Hire for Ukraine - Hire Ukrainian refugees:
– Imagine Ukraine - Sign up for the volunteering coach program if you would like to assist the Ukrainian people with a job search in your country.
- Sign up as a hiring partner and post what job offers you currently have. You can also fill out the file if you are ready to provide a workplace for displaced people from Ukraine.
At ORIL, we keep growing our business and supporting our teammates in Ukraine. We understand the importance of economic growth and provide Ukrainian specialists with stable workplaces, making our contribution to the well-being of the Ukrainian people and the country’s economy in general.
We also want to express our gratitude to our clients and partners for overwhelming support – your kind words and deeds strengthen and inspire our team. Together, we can make a difference.
4. Volunteer
Apart from monetary donations, you can always help people in Ukraine live through the war. Collect food, medicines, hygiene products for kids and adults, military supplies, etc., and send them to Ukraine. If you do not know how to arrange the delivery of the goods to Ukraine or what items are in the greatest need, find local volunteers and ask them to provide you with the information.
Here is the resource that would give you hints on what you can collect and deliver to Ukraine. You will also find the aid collection centers there too.
5. Share Your Talent
If you would like to share your talent with the Ukrainian people, you can join the professional army and protect the cyber-front. There is a job for developers, translators, or just anyone with a computer. Jump into this page to see how you can help.
6. Other Ways to Show Your Support
The whole world admires the bravery of the Ukrainian nation fighting with one of the largest armies. If you feel like the above-mentioned steps are not enough for you, and you are ready to contribute more, discover other ways to stand with Ukraine.
How ORIL Helps Ukraine
The Russian-Ukrainian war has affected the way things go in ORIL. One can’t be indifferent to the misfortune of the entire nation, especially considering that many ORIL’s talents live in Ukraine. So, here is what measures we have taken to ensure all our team members work safely.
- The safety of our teammates is the first priority, so we initiated relocation for our experts and their families to more secure areas.
- We arranged the first-aid courses, so now every ORIL member knows how to act in critical situations.
- To support our team psychologically, we frequently conduct activities that help fight stress, fear, and other negative emotions associated with war.
The ORIL company actively supports Ukraine, its army, and its citizens:
- Our staff members help coordinate the volunteering activities;
- We purchase the required stuff and help deliver it to aid distribution centers;
- The company donates all of its profit and more to volunteering organizations.
As of now, ORIL is back on track. Our team is fully involved in projects and keeps delivering quality code and digital products to our clients.
From our part, let us thank you to all our partners for your deep support and understanding. It’s an honor for us to be working with true experts and, what is more important, with people with big hearts.
The Final Word
War is never easy, but the ORIL company is working hard to ensure every team member is well-protected and our partners do not bear any negative consequences due to the situation in Ukraine.
If you are able to support the Ukrainian people in any of the described ways, that would be an immense contribution to the victory of the brave and freedom-loving nation.
Stand with Ukraine!
