The story of a foundation that changes lives

Since 2008

The Zaporuka Foundation implements projects that help seriously ill children and their families overcome the challenges of treatment; restore strength and build a new future for those affected by war and danger.

Our main achievements over 17 years of activity:

25 000+ patients received support

€ 1 000 000 directed to charitable assistance

300+ families find comfort at Dacha every year

10 000+ psychological counseling for families

12 hospitals reinforced by the foundation

President of the Foundation

Natalia Onipko

My journey in charity began 20 years ago with a visit to the National Cancer Institute. That was the first time I saw children with cancer and decided to try to make a difference for them.Working every day at the National Cancer Institute, I saw how families are destroyed. Cancer treatment is very long and it is a great challenge for the whole family. I wanted all the relatives to be able to visit their sick child and be together in such a difficult period. That's how Dacha and other projects aimed at improving the conditions of children's treatment appeared. Times change, and so do we, but the humanity with which we help others remains unchanged.

Establishment of the foundation

The history of the Zaporuka Foundation dates back to 2005. At that time, its future founder, Natalia Onipko, visited the National Cancer Institute in Kyiv as a volunteer with the Italian Soleterre Foundation.

For three years, Natalia laid the foundation for a foundation that operates according to international standards. In May 2008, the Zaporuka Foundation was registered as a charitable organization.

The first years of Zaporuka

In 2008, the foundation's main activities were psychosocial care for families with children with cancer and strengthening hospitals to ensure that children with cancer receive proper treatment.

Creating a psychological support service

Since the foundation of the foundation, we have been aware of the importance of psychological support in the process of a child's recovery. Therefore, the first step was to organize a permanent psychological service at the children's department of the National Cancer Institute. To this day, our specialists provide support to both children and relatives who are with the child during treatment both in hospitals and at Dachas.

The first Dacha for families with children with cancer

In 2009, we opened Dacha in a rented building, the first family home in Ukraine to house families with children with cancer near the hospital.

It has become the "heart of Zaporuka" because it embodies the essence of our mission - to enable families to stay together during a long period of treatment without giving up their normal lives.

Updating branches

In 2009, we fundamentally re-equipped the diagnostic laboratory at the National Cancer Institute, which ensured a more accurate diagnosis.

The Institute of Neurosurgery has completely renovated the operating room in accordance with modern standards. This has significantly improved the quality of surgical operations.

What was our 2010 like?

In 2010, the Foundation took a significant step forward by expanding its initiatives in the field of rehabilitation and prevention of childhood cancer.

We launched new support programs, gained national recognition, and provided motivation for children fighting cancer by creating a space for their recovery and inspiration.

Launching a rehabilitation service

Gradually, after the regular work of psychologists was established, a physical therapy room was opened at the hospital. These were the first steps towards the development of rehabilitation for children with cancer.

"Philanthropist of the Year 2010"

We won first place in the National Contest "Philanthropist of the Year 2010" in the category "Charitable Organization".

In the same year, we initiated an information campaign "Let's Prevent the Trouble" among pediatricians in Kyiv, Sumy, Mykolaiv, Volyn, and Ivano-Frankivsk regions. The goal is to help primary care physicians detect signs of cancer in children at the initial stage.

"Winners' Camp"

We started organizing an annual "Camp of Winners" for children who have beaten cancer. In this way, we broke the stereotype of cancer being fatal by showing positive examples to children who continue to fight and seek strength and motivation to overcome it.

Strengthening medical infrastructure

We became the leader of the National Philanthropists Rating 2014 in the Healthcare Expenditures category.

We started cooperation with the Western Ukrainian Specialized Children's Medical Center in Lviv, where we traditionally opened a psychological office.

Subsequently, the hospital was strengthened with modern medical equipment and the reconstruction of the oncohematology department.

Creating an independent "Dacha"

In 2017, we started construction of a new independent Dacha, the first family home in Ukraine for families with seriously ill children near the hospital.

Protecting children during the pandemic

Since the beginning of 2020, we have been providing comprehensive protection against Covid-19 to ensure that the virus does not prevent children from receiving treatment in a timely, uninterrupted and safe manner.

To do this, we introduced free PCR testing, ozonized the department at the Institute of Neurosurgery, and installed disinfectant dispensers and bactericidal irradiators at the Cancer Institute.

During 2022-2023

A few days before the full-scale war that Russia launched against Ukraine, we opened a bone marrow transplant clinic in Lviv, where doctors later successfully performed the first operation on a child.

On February 15, 2022, the documentary Dacha was presented at Mystetskyi Arsenal on the International Children's Day with Cancer.

Since the beginning of the Great War, we have been cooperating with the First Medical Association in Lviv to strengthen the rehabilitation and assistance to people with injuries.

In 2023, despite the war, physical therapy rooms were opened and equipped at the National Cancer Institute, the first such space for rehabilitation at an oncology hospital.

On October 30, 2023, a new independent Dacha in Kyiv was inaugurated.

A part of the admission unit for seriously ill patients at the Lviv Oblast Primary Care Center was renovated.

We created the book "Never Give Up!" with life-affirming stories to support children undergoing physical rehabilitation.

We have launched two more areas of activity: strengthening affected communities and helping to treat and rehabilitate people with war trauma.