The village of Zelenyi Hai in the Dnipropetrovsk region has become an example of how veteran business can change communities. On the site of a former spontaneous landfill, Anatoliy Pylypenko, a veteran of three wars, together with his wife Yevhenia Molchanova, founded the "Zelenyi Hai" farm-cheese factory. Thanks to the "MHP Poruch" support program for military personnel, veterans and their families, this project has become not only a sustainable agricultural business, but also a space for rehabilitation and development for defenders, reports UNN.
We just wanted to escape the city and be in silence. The plan was simple: buy a plot of land, run a farm. But from the first days, everything went according to a different plan
The inspiration for launching the farm was a chance find - an old milk bottle, which reminded locals of the former farm. The idea was supported by the MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation, which provided grants for equipment, infrastructure and training. Thus, a grant of UAH 100,000 allowed to purchase a loader and a feed mixer, and another UAH 200,000 to equip a hayloft. Currently, the farm keeps more than 500 animals, produces cheeses, and receives guests and veterans.
The feed mixer allowed us to feed more animals and get better quality milk. We used to do everything manually
Over time, "Zelenyi Hai" has become a rehabilitation space for veterans. They are implementing garden therapy, hippotherapy and are preparing for canistherapy certification. The farm also won the grant competition for social initiatives "Time to Act, Ukraine!".
After Afghanistan and Yugoslavia, I had no opportunity for rehabilitation. I want the guys not to go through what I went through
The partnership with the MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation provided not only material support, but also a sense of shared values and mutual understanding.
We know for sure that our entrepreneurial experience can be passed on. We go to communities, see what they have. And we help to create a working model from this
The MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation is convinced that supporting such initiatives is an investment in strong communities.
"Over 10 years of operation, we have become convinced that the best changes are born where there is courage, experience and a desire to act. All of this is inherent in veterans - people who not only defended the country, but are now ready to rebuild it. Therefore, supporting veteran businesses for us is not just assistance, but an investment in community leaders and drivers of economic growth.
We are focusing our efforts on providing veterans with the tools and creating the conditions for starting: from grants to mentoring and training. Their resilience and determination are impressive - and we are there to ensure that this strength becomes an opportunity for sustainable development," - says Oleksandr Pakholyuk, Director of the MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation.
Veterans bring to business the same determination, leadership and endurance that helped them on the front lines. And today they are becoming drivers of change in their communities, creating jobs, inspiring others and building the future
Thanks to the "MHP Poruch" program, initiatives such as "Zelenyi Hai" are becoming an example of how veteran experience, community care and partner support can change an entire region.
Reference
"MHP - Hromadi" is a Ukrainian charitable foundation that started its activity in 2015. Its main mission is the comprehensive development of communities. The geography of activity includes 13 regions of Ukraine: more than 700 towns and villages. Since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine, the Foundation has systematically supported people in the war zones, Ukrainian defenders and rescuers, communities, hospitals and maternity hospitals, charitable institutions that care for orphans and the elderly, as well as people who have been left without homes and livelihoods due to the war.
"Agrokebety. Grow Your Own" is an educational grant program for entrepreneurs in the agricultural sector that combines online training, business plan development and financing. Participants are trained to work with banks and investors, and the best projects receive grants for business development in rural areas.
"Do Your Own" is a competition to support micro-entrepreneurship in communities, which combines grant funding for business ideas and training in entrepreneurial skills within the framework of the "Entrepreneur's Path" course.
"Time to Act, Ukraine!" is a micro-grant competition that stimulates partnerships between public organizations, businesses and local authorities. Within the framework of the initiative, 150 social projects were supported in 2024 for a total amount of over UAH 44 million.