On 23 April, HUG welcomed Ukrainian cultural producer and comedian Mykhailo Zhuravel to Gothenburg for an evening that brought together two things that do not always seem to belong together: contemporary Ukrainian literature and stand-up comedy.

In “Quietly Well-Read" show, Mykhailo shared stories about how he discovered contemporary Ukrainian writers, what reading means to him and how he tries to pass that interest on to his children. He also spoke about Ukrainian authors who are now serving in the war - among them Andrii Liubets, Serhii Dziuba, Artemii Kirsanov, Vasyl Piddubnyi, Vitalii Zapeka and the Kapranov brothers.

The result of this unexpected mix of genres was an evening that was both thoughtful and genuinely funny. Literature became a starting point for conversation, while humour offered a light and accessible way into stories about Ukrainian writers, culture and everyday life.

The event was also part of a fundraising initiative organised together with Ukrainian Volunteer Hub – Stockholm, raising funds for EcoFlow charging stations for the unit where Ukrainian writer and artist Vasyl Piddubnyi serves.

Cultural events create opportunities for Ukrainians in Sweden to stay connected to a culture that continues to evolve, even in the middle of war. For HUG, creating these opportunities is part of supporting a strong and connected Ukrainian community in Sweden.

Thank you to Mykhailo Zhuravel and everyone who joined us for this special evening and helped create such a warm and welcoming atmosphere.  

Co-founders of Help Ukraine Gothenburg (HUG), Mariya Melnyk and Kateryna Aleksandrova had the honour of meeting General Michael Claesson, Commander-in-Chief of the Swedish Armed Forces, Andreas Sveningsson, President of Volvo Defense, and our big friend Yuliia Popova during the General's visit to Volvo Defense in Gothenburg.

General Michael Claesson was recently awarded the Cross of Special Merit of the Ministry of Defence of Ukraine — a recognition of his leadership and of Sweden's steadfast support for Ukraine. We are deeply grateful for the chance to see first-hand the close cooperation between Swedish defence and industry that underpins the country's total defence capability.

During the meeting, we shared HUG's mission with the General — the practical, hands-on work we lead from Gothenburg in support of Ukrainian veterans, active-duty military, and civilians whose lives have been profoundly affected by the war.

Thank you to General Claesson and Volvo Defense for the warm welcome, the genuine interest, and the thoughtful conversation.

As part of the FRID project, Learning Circles provide a dedicated space for facilitators of peer support groups to come together, reflect, and grow.

Sharing the Knowledge

These sessions are designed to support facilitators in their role by creating opportunities to exchange experiences, share challenges, and learn from one another. While each peer support group is unique, many facilitators encounter similar questions around group dynamics, boundaries, and participant engagement. Learning Circles enable us to explore these topics collectively.

A key strength of the programme is the diversity of groups. Facilitators work with children, teenagers, adults, and seniors — each group bringing different needs, perspectives, and energy. This diversity makes the exchange especially valuable: insights from one context often inspire new approaches in another.

Creating a Safe Space

Through these conversations, facilitators:  

• reflect on how their groups affect them emotionally and professionally  

• share practical strategies and activities that have worked well  

• discuss challenges in a supportive and understanding environment  

• co-create a growing “bank of ideas” that others can draw from  

Expanding Support Networks

Learning Circles strengthen a sense of community among facilitators, reducing isolation and reinforcing resilience in their work. We believe that by learning together, they are better equipped to support their groups – ultimately contributing to stronger mental health and social integration outcomes for displaced Ukrainian in Sweden.

When you are thousands of kilometers from home, staying connected to your culture can take on a special meaning. Familiar traditions can create a sense of belonging and keep us connected to the people, places and memories that shape who we are.

Four years ago, HUG held its first Easter celebration at Sjömanskyrkan. Since then, the tradition has grown alongside the Ukrainian community in Gothenburg, bringing people together each year around familiar customs, food, music and the simple joy of celebrating Easter together.

On March 28, we gathered once again for a warm pre-Easter celebration filled with Ukrainian traditions and a strong sense of community.

A tradition that brings generations together

We began the day with pysankarstvo - the Ukrainian art of creating pysanky, decorated Easter eggs with symbolic patterns and colours.

Making a traditional pysanka is a careful, layered process. Patterns are drawn onto an egg with melted beeswax, followed by successive layers of colour. Once the design is complete, the wax is removed to reveal the finished pattern. The symbols and colours carry different meanings, making each pysanka a small expression of Ukrainian cultural heritage.

Families and children joined the workshop, while young people and adults had the opportunity to try the traditional technique themselves. For many participants, it was a chance to reconnect with a familiar part of Ukrainian culture and experience it together with others.

For children growing up in Sweden, activities like these offer a hands-on way to discover the traditions that are part of their family and cultural heritage.

Creating a sense of home

The celebration continued with Easter quests and games for children, Ukrainian songs, spring songs and haiivky - traditional dances and games associated with the spring and Easter season.

Ukrainian coffee and traditional food added familiar tastes and warmth to the day. Together, these small details created something that can be difficult to find when you are far from home: a feeling of familiarity and belonging.

That is what makes cultural traditions so meaningful. They are not only memories of a place we have left behind. When we gather to sing, cook, create and celebrate them together, they become part of our lives here in Sweden too.

Thank you for being with us

The Easter celebration also marked the beginning of HUG’s annual fundraising for children’s summer camps in Ukraine and Sweden. Guests could support the initiative through donations and a lottery, as well as by purchasing Easter gifts and handmade items from our friends at Remeslo.

Four years after the first gathering, this Easter tradition continues to grow with our community. Every celebration gives us another opportunity to connect with Ukrainian culture, share it with others and create a little more of that feeling of home here in Sweden.

Thank you to everyone who helped make this day possible, and to everyone who continues to celebrate and share Ukrainian traditions with us. We HUG you! 💛💙

Feeling heard, understood, and supported can make a real difference

Support often begins with something simple: people coming together. In partnership with Mölndal Municipality, HUG recently brought together Ukrainian participants in Mölndal for a series of peer support meetings focused on mental health, wellbeing, and integration.

Peer support meetings are based on the idea that people facing similar challenges can learn from and strengthen one another. For displaced Ukrainians, these meetings can offer a space to share experiences, talk about challenges and needs related to integration, and encourage one another.

Because displacement often brings stress, uncertainty, and isolation, each meeting was designed to foster a sense of belonging and explore small, practical ways to support wellbeing in everyday life.

The idea behind small steps is that even modest actions can lead to meaningful change, and we were able to witness that change firsthand. Participants explored strategies for coping with stress, techniques for improving sleep, and ideas for staying physically active. They also reflected on the importance of creativity, spontaneity, and cultural and social participation in community life.

Over time, the group became a safe and caring space built on trust, encouragement, and shared understanding. At the final meeting, participants shared that they had become close friends and were ready to support one another even after the group had ended.

As one participant shared, "These groups were important to me because of mutual understanding, the opportunity to communicate freely and safely, and in my native language".

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For us, this experience was another reminder that recovery starts with a sense of belonging and hope.

Yesterday at HUG, we organized a football broadcast for our Swedish and Ukrainian fans.
It was an extraordinary evening of unity of the yellow-blues — emotions, support, and a real sense of community. About 50 people came and donated to our collection for evacuation vehicles for medics on the front.

Donate:
Swish: 123 064 5481
Bankgiro: 5840-2280
Online: https://www.hug.ngo/donate.../5-armored-casevacs-for-ukraine

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We sincerely thank our partner for providing the rights to the official broadcast of the match 🙌

Adaptive sports equipment donated by AD Fitness and David Lega to Hug for Heroes has arrived in Ukraine, where it will support wounded veterans and active service members in their recovery after injury.

The donation was initiated during the first Hug for Heroes programme for Ukrainian veterans and their families in Sweden. David Lega joined the programme as a guest speaker, sharing his personal journey and highlighting the important role adaptive sports can play in rebuilding strength, and self-confidence after injury. During the day, participants also had the opportunity to try the equipment themselves and see how adaptive training can contribute to physical recovery.

From the very beginning, we wanted this donation to reach the people who would benefit from it the most. Our participants were invited to nominate organisations across Ukraine, and together, we selected a hospital that supports both active service members and veterans.

The equipment has now been delivered to the hospital, where it will be used to support the rehabilitation of veterans recovering from injury, helping them regain physical strength, mobility, and functional independence.

A heartfelt thank you to David Lega, AD Fitness, and every participant in HUG for Heroes whose involvement made this donation possible.

Together, we make a difference.  

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Yesterday, we had the pleasure of welcoming Sweden's State Secretary Karin Juhlin to Hug (Help Ukraine Gothenburg). Our team had the opportunity to present our work and share the current situation and challenges that Ukraine and Ukrainians are facing today.

We sincerely thank Karin Juhlin for the visit, the support, and the recognition of our work. We are looking forward to continuing the dialogue and strengthening our cooperation to support Ukraine.

Part of the school furniture donated by Alingsås kommun, Alingsåshem, and Sweco through HUG has now been installed in a kindergarten and a shelter in the Kharkiv region.

Desks, chairs, tables, and cabinets from the former Ingared school in Alingsås are now being used by children who continue their education despite the war. For many communities in eastern Ukraine, schools and kindergartens operate in damaged buildings or underground shelters due to constant security risks.

It is heartwarming to see these materials being reused to support Ukrainian children. We are deeply grateful to our Swedish partners for making this possible and to our local teams for ensuring the equipment reached the classrooms and shelters safely.

“We work with many different types of support, both for Ukrainians in Sweden and for those who remain in Ukraine. This includes humanitarian aid such as medicines and hygiene products, as well as psychological support for Ukrainians living here in Sweden. We also support war veterans who have lost limbs and received prosthetics, helping them recover and return to a normal life,” says Mykola Ivkin, Project Manager at HUG, together with his colleague Olena Petrus.

In total, more than 60 pallets will be transported to Ukraine, and half of the cargo — including equipment and school furniture — has already reached one of the most heavily affected regions of the country.

“Many schools in Ukraine have been destroyed or damaged by Russian attacks, and the front line is constantly shifting. As a result, education often has to take place underground, in shelters, to keep children safe,” says Mykola, continuing:

“Thanks to our donors, who help collect and organize everything here, we are able to send equipment to the Kharkiv region — an area that has been severely affected by the war. The furniture from Ingared School will be of great use there.”

Behind the wheel are often Ukrainian drivers who have a deeply personal motivation to help.

“We had a driver who almost loaded the entire truck by himself because he was from a region that had been under occupation. He knew what this meant.”

Mykola explains that despite the war, it is still relatively safe to remain in the country — but civilians are frequently targeted. Due to constant attacks on residential areas and civilian infrastructure, people must always be prepared for air raids and bombings.

“This is a full-scale war, but many people continue to live their lives. Children go to school, adults work, and people still meet for coffee. After a bombing, a grocery store often reopens immediately. This is part of Russia’s strategy — to destroy our everyday life. So continuing to live as usual is also part of our resistance,” he says.

Also present at the fire station is Karin Hallingström, Recycling Coordinator at Sweco and consultant for Alingsåshem. She explains that the demolition of the old Ingared School became the starting point for a new reuse initiative.

“I saw that there was great potential for reuse. Since then, we’ve been able to implement some reuse solutions, but above all, there was still a large amount of furniture and interior materials left. That’s when we realized it was far better to send them to Ukraine than to throw them away,” she says.

Call to Action

Ukraine continues to need support — and together, we can make a real difference.

👉 Support Help Ukraine Gothenburg (HUG) by donating, partnering, or volunteering.
👉 Help us deliver critical aid, support mental health programs, and rebuild lives.
👉 Every contribution matters.

Join us in standing with Ukraine.

Learn more – https://www.lokalpressen.se/skolmobler-fran-ingared-far-nytt-liv-i-ukraina-6.2.3770.231e7c40dd

This article is about Ukrainian children who, despite everything, continue to learn, grow, and dream. And about the adults who are by their side, so that no one has to do it alone. At HUG, we believe that real change happens where there are shared values ​​and genuine trust. That is exactly what brought us together with Star for Life Ukraine – a shared vision of what tomorrow could look like. We both believe in creating safe environments where young people can learn, find inspiration, and take their first steps towards a new future. When those forces meet, doors that previously seemed closed forever open.

“One of the areas of our work at HUG is creating a safe space where young people can gain knowledge, find inspiration, and take the first steps towards a new profession,” notes the representative of the organization, Yehor Suslenko.

The results are spot on. In the eyes of children, something new ignited. That moment when learning stops feeling like a duty - and starts to feel like something that really matters.

This is a place where children find faith in themselves, feel seen, and know that they are not alone.

Thank you, Star for Life Ukraine, for your trust, your openness, and this collaboration.

Together we make a difference.

When you become a monthly donor, we want to say thank you — with something made in Ukraine, by Ukrainians. Every new monthly donor giving 350 SEK or more will receive a complimentary pack of Ukrainian specialty coffee, shipped straight to your door.

It's a full-bodied coffee where elegant notes of hazelnut meet the sweetness of dark mulberry — crafted with care in Ukraine and brought to you as a small token of gratitude for your big-hearted support.

Every donation creates real, lasting change. HUG takes 0% in administrative fees — meaning every single krona of your monthly donation goes directly to humanitarian aid for Ukraine.

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Thank you for your support - together we make a difference. 💙💛

Thanks to the support of our partners, HUG delivered another batch of tourniquets to Ukraine. A tourniquet is a simple strap that stops life-threatening bleeding by cutting off blood flow to an injured limb.

Applied in seconds, it keeps someone alive long enough to reach proper medical care. On the frontlines, where ambulances can't always get through and hospitals are hours away, these simple straps give someone a chance to survive until help arrives.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who supported our fundraising campaign and helped us to provide more life-saving equipment.

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Tax season is here and now is a perfect time to make a donation that counts — both for Ukraine and for your tax return.

Help Ukraine Gothenburg (HUG) is recognized by the Swedish Tax Agency (Skatteverket) as an approved donation recipient organization. This means that donations made through HUG may qualify for tax deductions in Sweden — both for individual donors and companies.

For private individuals, tax deductions may apply to eligible donations of at least 200 SEK per occasion, provided that the total annual amount donated is 2,000 SEK or more. If you donate through our Donation Page, the option for tax deduction is already built in. If you choose to donate via Swish or Bankgiro, you can submit your transaction details through our Tax Submission Form so that we can report the donation to the Swedish Tax Agency.

All information is handled in accordance with GDPR and submitted through the official reporting system required by Skatteverket. Read more about how tax deductions for donations work on the Swedish Tax Agency's website.

Thank you for your trust and support! Every contribution helps us continue delivering life-saving aid to Ukraine.

In February, Help Ukraine Gothenburg (HUG) was honored to facilitate a unique initiative bringing Ukrainian and Swedish medical professionals together. For over two weeks, doctors from Pavlohrad and Zaporizhzhia participated in a professional exchange at Sahlgrenska University Hospital, sharing clinical expertise and the practical realities of medicine in a war zone.

While the hospital exchange was the core of their visit, the HUG team invited the doctors to lead two community events that focused on both practical skills and personal stories.

First-aid workshop for Ukrainian youth

The doctors conducted a hands-on first aid workshop for Ukrainian youth in Gothenburg. The session was highly practical, covering CPR and how to respond if someone loses consciousness.  

In which the youth could ask the doctors about their. A major focus was placed on the correct use of tourniquets; every participant had the chance to practice, learning how to stop life-threatening bleeding and use improvised materials in a crisis. The atmosphere was warm and engaging, ending with a Q&A where the youth could ask about the doctors’ work in frontline mobile hospitals.

Open talk on 24 February: what it means to save lives in Ukraine today

On February 24th, we invited the doctors to share their journey with the Swedish community. They spoke openly about their path into military medicine and its differences from civilian practice. They walked us through the difficult "medical chain" — describing the journey a soldier takes from the moment of injury on the battlefield to stabilization, evacuation, and the long road of rehabilitation.

The conversation was honest and deeply personal. Besides their professional experience, we asked the doctors what helps them stay focused under such pressure and continue their vital work. They shared that they are sustained by teamwork, by the humor that becomes an inseparable part of working in extreme conditions, by phone calls home, and by the knowledge that they will see their families — twice a year. And by something else: the awareness that even far from the frontline, there are people who care, and who continue supporting Ukraine.

We are deeply grateful for the opportunity to facilitate this dialogue between Ukrainian and Swedish colleagues. Thank you to everyone who joined us and to the doctors for their openness and dedication. Together, we build more than partnerships — we build mutual understanding.

HUG hosted a session dedicated to the safety and well-being of Ukrainian children and teenagers in Sweden as part of our EmpowerHUB project.

We were honored to welcome Klas Friberg, former head of the Swedish Security Service (SÄPO) and the National Criminal Police, who shared his extensive experience with our community.

The meeting focused on the practical realities parents face when navigating a new society. Klas shared vital insights on how to help children understand their rights and responsibilities and how to protect youth from the risk of being influenced by crime.

The discussion also covered how to recognize early warning signs and where to turn for professional support to ensure a child's future in Sweden remains secure. It was a highly engaged session, with live translation into Ukrainian to ensure every parent could participate fully. We are deeply grateful to Klas Friberg for sharing his expertise and to all the parents who joined us for this essential conversation.

EmpowerHUB is implemented by HUG in partnership with Svenska kyrkan Carl Johans pastorat, and co-funded by the European Union through the Asyl-, migrations- och integrationsfonden (AMIF).