Turning creativity into a professional opportunity: the story of Viktoriia, a participant in the Reboot programme

When the village in Zaporizhzhia region where Viktoriia lived came under occupation, she had to leave her home and move to another community. Despite being forced to relocate, she continued doing what she loves most — teaching art and design at school.

To expand her creative skills and find an additional source of income, Viktoriia joined the Ukrainian Red Cross’s Reboot programme and completed 100 hours of training in cutting and sewing, as well as hand and machine embroidery, at Poltava University of Economics and Trade.

Today, Viktoriia runs creative workshops on clothing and textile painting, decorating tote bags and making traditional Ukrainian motanka dolls. At the school where she works, she has also started running an after-school club for children, where she teaches them how to create their own crafts.

Her skills have also proved valuable beyond the school. Viktoriia helps deliver workshops for employees of the production facility at the same university where she recently completed her training through the programme. This has become another space where she can work and share her knowledge and skills.

Looking ahead, Viktoriia plans to run more workshops and turn them into an additional source of income. In the future, she is even considering starting her own business.