In the midst of winter, on February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Despite the relatively mild nature of that winter, the cold soon proved to be a major problem for both soldiers and civilians. Nobody was ready. Both basic resources and even rudimentary security were lacking.
Nevertheless, in spite of these difficulties, Ukrainians managed to persevere by using their capacity for self-organization and the creation of tiny areas of human warmth and light where it seemed impossible—during the coldest and darkest times.
Even in the midst of conflict, life thrives because of these deeds of compassion and solidarity.
The project's beginnings
The volunteer project "The Sewing Company" is described by Kseniia Samoilych, a young woman from Dnipro, the capital of an eastern Ukrainian region.
With the help of more than 800 volunteers worldwide, the organisation has created more than 300,000 pieces of adaptive clothing for injured civilians and soldiers receiving care in more than 90 Ukrainian hospitals since its founding.
"Together with Maryna Palchenko, we started the initiative on February 28, 2022," Kseniia says. "It started with an Instagram call for people who could make balaclavas for young Territorial Defence members. We brought our sewing machines, enlisted the help of other women from the sewing class Maryna and I were taking, and some Dnipro IT employees gave us a place and money to purchase fabric.
The group quickly achieved a production level of up to 495 balaclavas per day—an unimaginable amount prior to the war—thanks to meticulous planning. Later, requests grew to include thermal underwear despite significant challenges in obtaining materials due to the closure of many stores and the difficulty in finding appropriate fabrics. The group looked to social media for assistance when their funds ran out.
Many of the seamstresses were displaced by the fighting and came from different parts of Ukraine to offer their assistance. The group started raising money, buying fabrics in bulk, and distributing sewing kits to volunteers all over the nation.
The Sewing Company has 25 hubs in Ukrainian cities as well as in Canada, Switzerland, Montenegro, the United Kingdom, Poland, the Czech Republic, and Germany thanks to the sharing of patterns and instructions on the internet.
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