“I combine the traditions of Ukrainian culture and modern approaches to medicine” – Liudmyla, a participant in the “Reboot: Expanding Employment Opportunities” programme

Today, Liudmyla is a doctor of integrative medicine, a nutritionist, a barista, and the co-founder of an ethnospace. But it wasn’t always like this. For five years, she lived in Kyiv, raised her daughter, and worked at a medical centre. Her life changed with the outbreak of the full-scale war in Ukraine when she was forced to move with her daughter to Vinnytsia.

In 2023, Liudmyla, together with a friend, opened an art coffee shop there, which became a place to preserve Ukrainian authenticity and promote craft products. The space, stylised as a hut, offers visitors the comfort of home. It is quiet and free from outside noise, allowing people to relax and recharge. Every Friday, the art café hosts gatherings for students from the Leontovych College of Music. With therapeutic music, participants have the opportunity to restore their emotional well-being, helping them care for themselves and others. Liudmyla says that Ukrainian women have a special energy that can restore everything they touch. It is this strength that has helped her move forward despite the challenges.

Liudmyla was supported by her participation in the “Reboot: Expanding Employment Opportunities” programme, implemented by the Ukrainian Red Cross with the support of the Spanish Red Cross. After receiving a microgrant, she purchased the necessary equipment for her coffee shop. She has created a unique Ukrainian coffee made with freeze-dried fruit from the Podillia region, and her herbal teas and natural juices are healthy.