Serving Against All Odds

Founded in 1997 as Lions Club Donetsk Universal, Lions Club Svyatogorsk is the oldest Lions club in Ukraine. Despite facing tremendous odds in a country enduring more than a decade of conflict, the club members are holding on tightly to their resolve to help those in need — and each other. It’s an enduring testament to the spirit of Lions.

Lion Elena Gryadusha, who started the club, first learned about Lions when her husband was invited to a meeting in the city of Makiyivka in eastern Ukraine. “I learned about the projects Lions were doing all over the world, and I was very interested in establishing some projects in Ukraine,” she said.

At its height, the club had about 25 members. They were an active and thriving club — with a focus on supporting youth — until 2014, when their world came crashing down around them.

When the conflict began, the eastern part of the country, where the club was headquartered, became occupied territory. To distance itself from the danger, the club relocated to Sviatohirsk, a city in the northern part of Donetsk Region, and two years later changed to their current name, Lions Club Svyatogorsk, reflecting their new homebase.

But danger proved to be unavoidable. In 2022, the club’s headquarters in Sviatohirsk — the place for their meetings, future plans and future hopes — was destroyed in an attack. They lost all of their archives and resources, but not their desire to serve those in need. Today, the 12-member club, some of whom have dispersed to other countries, continues to meet via Zoom, another sign of their remarkable perseverance.

“Our club is like a small family,” said Club President Vira Griadushcha. “We maintain a positive spirit and we support each other no matter the distance or political landscape.”

Staying Positive

One of the club’s more recent projects was to work with the community of Sviatohirsk to create a “Fairy Forest,” a public space 20 kilometers from a combat zone with swings and other playground equipment, playhouses, and a small stage for performances.

The club built some of the amenities in the park and also raised money and sponsorships to create this space that provides respite for young and old alike.

“It was a very big project,” said Lion Elena Escot. “It gives parents a place to go with their children. Everything nearby has been destroyed.”

Continuing to thrive as a club is challenging, but the members, some who are children of the founding members, are committed to keeping their work going. The club has maintained traditions as best it can, including celebrating the Chinese New Year and holding an annual meeting in Sviatohirsk at the end of the Lions’ fiscal year to discuss upcoming projects and plans.

“This is our positive spirit and we support each other no matter what the difficulties or what the political landscape is now,” said Lion Olia Haiges.

Promoting Peace

Since 2014, the club has paid special attention to the theme of peace. It participated in a peace marathon that attracted 150 runners, wheelchair athletes and cyclists, as well as peace festivals and multiple exhibitions of posters submitted for the annual Lions International Peace Poster Contest.

One of their entrants, Angelina Harbuzova, earned third place in 2019. Her poster featured a nest holding people of many different ethnicities nestled in a colorful bed of flowers.

In a statement accompanying her entry, Harbuzova wrote, “We are people of different nationalities. The earth is our nest, and we all live on it. And people should be kind and love each other.”

Similar themes will likely be found in a time capsule dedicated to peace that the club buried in 2017. The capsule contains pieces of papers with wishes for peace written by children. The club looks forward to removing the capsule and reading those messages in 2050.

“Our dream is to read what the children wrote when peace is settled,” Haiges said. “This is our biggest and most important goal — to spread peace in the world.”