Support Blind Veterans in Ukraine

Project Report: ‘Support Blind Veterans in Ukraine’ by Alliance for Public Health (ID74394)

During the current reporting period, the project has remained in an active early-stage focused on fundraising and external visibility building.

We have currently raised approximately $700 through the GlobalGiving platform. These funds remain within GlobalGiving and have not yet been disbursed or utilized, as the project has not yet reached the minimum financial threshold required to initiate program implementation. 

Project Design and Implementation Model

The project is designed to deliver structured rehabilitation and training programs for blind war veterans in Ukraine. The intervention is built as a group-based cohort model, rather than individual support, due to both cost structure and program effectiveness considerations.

A full training cycle is intended to include approximately 10–20 veterans per cohort, depending on final logistics and veterans capacity.

The estimated cost of supporting one veteran through a full training cycle is approximately $5,000 per participant per month of structured rehabilitation programming. This cost reflects the full operational requirements of the program, including:

• professional rehabilitation trainers and specialists
• accessible training venues and adaptive infrastructure
• assistive technologies and learning materials
• transportation and logistics support for participants
• coordination and case management
• safeguarding and individualized support mechanisms

Given this structure, the total budget required to meaningfully launch one cohort is significantly higher than the current funds raised. As a result, the current amount of $700 is not sufficient to initiate any partial or standalone activities in a way that would meet program standards or deliver meaningful rehabilitation outcomes.

For this reason, funds remain unutilized while the project continues focused fundraising and preparation efforts toward reaching the minimum viable funding level for cohort implementation.

Importantly, this does not reflect inactivity, but rather adherence to a structured implementation model that requires sufficient scale to ensure impact, safety, and program quality. 

Fundraising, Outreach, and External Visibility Activities

While the project is still in its early fundraising phase, we have been actively working to increase visibility, build partnerships, and promote the initiative across multiple international platforms. This work is ongoing and represents an important part of our strategy to reach the required funding level for implementation.

During this reporting period, we have significantly expanded communication and outreach efforts beyond the GlobalGiving platform:

1. International media coverage and publications

Our project has been featured in an analytical article published by Crypto Altruists, highlighting new funding pathways for supporting blind war veterans in Ukraine, including innovative approaches such as crypto philanthropy. This article presents the broader context of our work and the urgent need for diversified funding mechanisms in the humanitarian sector.

• Article: New Funding Pathways for the Alliance for Public Health: Supporting Ukraine’s Blind Veterans with Crypto
  https://www.cryptoaltruists.com/blog/new-funding-pathways-for-the-alliance-for-public-health-supporting-ukraines-blind-veterans-with-crypto

Additionally, our work has been referenced in the Crypto Altruists newsletter, further increasing visibility within the Web3 and impact philanthropy communities:

• Newsletter mention: March Edition of the Crypto Altruists Newsletter
  https://crypto-altruists.ghost.io/march-edition-of-the-crypto-altruists-newsletter/

 2. Podcast and public discussions

The project was also highlighted in a dedicated podcast episode where representative of the Alliance for Public Health participated in a broader discussion on bridging the gap between Web3 technologies and nonprofit organizations.

The episode included discussion of our ongoing campaign supporting blind veterans in Ukraine and the role of innovative funding models in humanitarian response:

Podcast episode: Crypto Altruists Episode 242 – Impact Onchain: Bridging the Gap for Nonprofits and Changemakers
https://www.cryptoaltruists.com/blog/crypto-altruists-episode-242-special-live-episode-impact-onchain-bridging-the-gap-for-nonprofits-and-changemakers

 3. Storytelling and lived experience content

As part of our awareness and outreach activities, we produced a podcast episode featuring Ivan Kosyuk, a young Ukrainian war veteran who lost vision in his 20th.

 https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:7450579887490334720

 https://x.com/Crypto_Altruism/status/2044814076618957311?s=20

 In this conversation, the veteran shared his personal journey in detail — including his life before the war-related trauma, the circumstances under which he lost his vision, and the long-term impact this had on his education, independence, and social integration.

Importantly, the discussion also focused on his experience during rehabilitation training, including the specific skills he was able to acquire and how these skills contributed to changes in his daily functioning, confidence, and ability to navigate life with visual impairment.

The episode highlights not only the challenges faced by blind veterans, but also the practical value of structured rehabilitation programs in restoring autonomy and improving quality of life.

This story is being used as a core communication asset for the project moving forward, serving as a real-life case study to support outreach, donor engagement, and advocacy efforts. It will be further utilized as part of our broader storytelling strategy to showcase tangible human impact and lived experience outcomes

Current Focus and Next Steps

The project is currently focused on expanding fundraising efforts to reach the minimum viable funding level required to launch the first full training cohort of blind veterans.

We are actively working on donor outreach, partnership development, and continued visibility building to ensure the transition from preparation to implementation phase.

Appreciation

We remain deeply grateful to all donors who have contributed to the project so far. Even at this early stage, these contributions represent an important foundation for scaling a structured and impactful rehabilitation program for blind war veterans in Ukraine.

We will continue to provide updates as the project progresses toward full implementation.