"It's Not Enough To Rely on Luck. You Have to Catch It by the Tail," an Entrepreneur from Kryvyi Rih Finds Resources Through Comprehensive Grant and Psychosocial Assistance from IOM

Kryvyi Rih is an industrial city in Dnipropetrovsk region that is regularly shelled by the Russian Federation. Despite the danger, local entrepreneurs continue to develop their businesses and make ambitious plans for the future. One of them is Dmytro, who, together with his wife, founded a leather goods business in 2016.

"At the time, I was working in wholesale, and my wife was teaching in a kindergarten. Friends supported us in every way possible, so our hobby quickly grew into a full-fledged business," says Dmytro.

Over time, the couple's business became so successful that they were able to quit their day jobs to focus solely on entrepreneurship.  However, when Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, the future of their business and well-being was under threat. 

"Many of our regular customers have left the city," says Dmytro. "However, people who used to prefer foreign manufacturers have started supporting Ukrainian business and buying our products. As a result, we managed not only to maintain our pre-war positions, but also to improve them over the past year."

Last summer, the couple had to decide whether to buy a house in a safer location or continue to develop their business.   

"It was a serious choice between personal safety and our life’s work. Right at that moment, I discovered the opportunity to apply for a business development grant from IOM. I was able to apply easily and received a response within a month. The situation was resolved most positively: not only did we not have to sacrifice anything and moved to a home in a relatively safe area, but got a chance for our business’ development," says Dmytro.

With the grant, Dmytro and his wife bought a sewing machine to increase the number of workplaces in the studio, a camera to shoot advertising content, a leather engraving machine, as well as leather and accessories to create new designs. 

Besides receiving the grant, Dmytro started attending peer support group sessions that focused on strengthening different work-related and other psychosocial life and soft skills, organized by IOM's mental health and psychosocial support specialists. At these sessions, participants engage in exercises designed to develop different skills, including time and stress management, leadership and conflict resolution skills that can be useful for every entrepreneur and person starting a new business during times of conflict.

"I started attending the sessions to get basic psychological support," recalls Dmytro, "In Kryvyi Rih, we regularly experience attacks, and I need to be calm and balanced enough to take care not only of my family but also of my employees. Now the psychologists know my character and lifestyle. This personal approach is especially valuable."

Dmytro eagerly shares his experience of the programme with his friends and invites them to apply for future activities.   

"It is not enough to rely on luck. You have to be attentive to catch it by the tail. We looked for every opportunity to do so and found it," smiles Dmytro.  

Dmytro's story is one of many examples of successful cooperation between IOM’S Livelihoods and Mental Health and Psychosocial Support Units. The project was implemented with the financial support of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of the Czech Republic.