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UN Women is a United Nations entity dedicated to gender equality and the empowerment of women. During the meeting, the parties discussed prospects for cooperation in the field of humanitarian demining, in particular the implementation of a gender-sensitive approach in programs aimed at clearing territories of explosive hazards, as well as expanding women’s participation in mine action activities. Special attention was given to creating conditions for women’s professional development, their engagement in humanitarian demining, and the implementation of educational and awareness-raising initiatives aimed at improving public safety. An important outcome of the cooperation is already the participation of female specialists working in mine action in international training programs. In particular, with the support of UN Women, our Foundation’s female employees are currently undergoing international demining training in Kosovo, enhancing their qualifications in line with international standards. Kateryna Skrypnikova, Director of the “Return to Life” Charitable Foundation, expressed her gratitude to UN Women for supporting the development of women’s professional potential in the field of humanitarian demining. Background UN Women is a United Nations entity established to promote gender equality and the empowerment of women worldwide. The organization supports countries and partners in implementing programs aimed at ensuring equal opportunities, women’s economic independence, and their participation in peace, security, and recovery processes.

Anna Anisimova, Head of the Non-Technical Survey and Community Liaison Team at the Charitable Foundation “Return to Life”, is enhancing her professional qualifications by attending an international Improvised Explosive Device Disposal (IEDD) course held at the MAT Kosovo – EOD & ERW Training Establishment international training center in Kosovo. The training was organized at the invitation of the NGO Association of Ukrainian Deminers as part of the project “She Is a Deminer,” implemented jointly with the NGO Girls and UN Women Ukraine, with financial support from international partners. The project “She Is a Deminer” aims to strengthen the role of women in mine action and to develop their professional competencies. In addition to Anna, female deminers from other national mine action operators are also participating in the training, including Ukrainian Demining Services and the Ukrainian Demining Agency. The course runs from February 16 to March 13, 2026, and includes both theoretical and practical training in accordance with the international IMAS 09.31 standard. Participants are mastering methods for the search and identification of improvised explosive devices, the use of specialized equipment and personal protective equipment, and procedures for the safe execution of tasks in line with international standards. 💬 “We are proud that our team continuously improves its qualifications and takes part in international programs that strengthen Ukraine’s capacity in the field of humanitarian demining,” said Foundation Director Kateryna Skrypnikova. It is worth noting that approximately 30% of the Foundation’s team are women, who play an important role in implementing humanitarian and security initiatives.

The leadership of the “Return to Life” Charitable Foundation took part in a field demonstration of the Ukrainian remotely operated demining machine Germina-3000, organized by Ukrainian Demining Services (UDS). The event took place on a site previously cleared by the company within the Bucha territorial community of the Kyiv region, near the village of Shybene. The demonstration was held in challenging winter conditions — on snow and in sub-zero temperatures. More than 60 representatives of diplomatic missions, international organizations, government institutions, charitable foundations, and mine action operators attended the event. Among them were the Embassies of Slovenia, Belgium, and Croatia in Ukraine, the American Chamber of Commerce, the UN Resident Coordinator’s Office, UN Women, the UNDP Mine Action Programme, FAO, the Mine Action Center, the Interregional Center for Humanitarian Demining of the State Emergency Service of Ukraine, MAG Ukraine, FSD Ukraine, and other partners. Participants also discussed the challenges and specific features of demining during the winter period, the role of mechanized solutions in ensuring year-round operations, and the importance of developing domestic technologies in the field of humanitarian demining. “Comprehensive demining during winter is made possible precisely thanks to modern machinery — it ensures year-round operations. For us, as a charitable foundation, it is important not only to speak about this but to act. That is why we recently signed a contract with the Kramatorsk Heavy Machine Tool Building Plant to purchase one Germina-3000 machine in order to strengthen humanitarian demining capacity in Ukraine,” said Kateryna Skrypnikova, Director of the “Return to Life” Charitable Foundation. We will continue to support innovation in mine action, as it directly brings people closer to returning to safe lives in cleared territories 🇺🇦

The “Return to Life” Charitable Foundation officially announces the launch of its rebranding process. Our new brand and visual identity are being developed by renowned Ukrainian designer Dmytro Bulanov, Creative and Design Director of Bulanov büro. Our website will soon feature an updated design. Stay tuned for updates! Background Information Dmytro Bulanov is a recognized expert in branding and graphic design. He is known for his contribution to the creation of numerous successful brands and visual identities in Ukraine. In particular, Dmytro was part of the team that developed the national tourism brand “Ukraine – It’s all about U,” as well as brands for cities and regions (including the Skadovsk region, Henichesk, and others). The tourism brand of the city of Zaporizhzhia, which he co-developed, won first place among 238 projects at the “Ukrainian Design: The Very Best Of” competition. In addition, he is: 🔸 Co-author of Ukraine’s national tourism brand “It’s all about U” (2014) – a national identity that presented Ukraine to the global tourism market.🔸 Co-author of the updated brand identity of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine (2017) – contributed to the development of its modern visual identity.🔸 Author of an alternative symbol of Kyiv (the chestnut leaf) – the #newkyivlogo initiative proposed a minimalist chestnut leaf as a people’s logo for the capital.🔸 Developer of tourism brands for Ukrainian cities and regions – including Zaporizhzhia, Henichesk, the Skadovsk district, the Cherkasy region, and the Azov region. Each project combines local identity with contemporary design.🔸 Creator of brand identities for public services and national projects – including the municipal digital service “Kyiv Digital,” the national media literacy project “Filter,” the educational program “My Fortress” (Ministry of Education and Science), the Cabinet of Ministers’ communication campaign “Change Is Here!”, and the State Service for Maritime and River Transport of Ukraine.🔸 Author of logos for well-known organizations and platforms – including Ukrainian Demining Services (UDS), the national tourism portal Zruchno.Travel, the GERMINA brand, and others. Dmytro Bulanov is the founder and head of Bulanov büro, curator of the Visual Communications program at Projector Institute, and a member of the Hospitality Industry Association of Ukraine. His professional experience and creative approach ensure that the rebranding of our Foundation will be carried out at the highest level. Stay tuned! We are confident that the new brand of the “Return to Life” Foundation will help us communicate our mission and values even more clearly and effectively. The exact date of the updated brand presentation will be announced soon, so follow our website and social media channels for updates. Thank you for staying with us — many important changes and achievements lie ahead!

On February 3, 2026, a Localization Workshop in Mine Action took place in Kyiv — a platform for dialogue between government institutions, international partners, donors, and Ukrainian mine action operators. Participants discussed current sector challenges and ways to strengthen national capacities. The leadership of the “Return to Life” Charitable Foundation took part in the event, joining discussions on the role of Ukrainian operators in international projects, access to funding, and the development of partnerships in humanitarian demining. Key workshop topics included:🔹 needs and barriers for Ukrainian mine action operators;🔹 training and capacity development opportunities;🔹 donor approaches to supporting local organizations;🔹 successful examples of partnerships and cooperation;🔹 mechanisms for strengthening interaction between national and international stakeholders. We are convinced that engaging Ukrainian operators in international projects and programs is an important step toward the systemic development of the mine action sector and the safe recovery of Ukraine. The workshop was organized by the Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture of Ukraine and Demine Ukraine, with the support of the Geneva International Centre for Humanitarian Demining (GICHD), the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Principality of Liechtenstein, the Government of Sweden (Sweden Sverige), and the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (SDC). We thank the organizers for creating an important space for professional dialogue and exchange of experience!