It all began with a search for a present for her daughter. 38-year-old Nadiya wanted to surprise her child with some lovely soap on a special day. However, she was disappointed by the price and quality of the products available in the shops. And that was when the thought occurred to her: ‘Why not try making it myself?’.
At the time, Nadiya was working for a municipal organisation in Nikopol and also had a part-time job on the side. However, even combining her main job with her part-time work did not provide the stable income she wanted. It was then that she began making soap, candles, and gift sets.
“At first, it was just a hobby and a bit of extra income, but over time I realised that this venture had potential for growth,” said Nadiya.
Due to the security situation, she was forced to move with her daughter to a village where there are virtually no job opportunities.
Nadiya then decided to turn her hobby into her main occupation. This motivated her to apply for financial support under the ‘MESH: Multi-sectoral Emergency Support for High-Risk Communities’ project.
The funds were received quite quickly. Nadiya allocated the money she received towards materials, moulds, packaging supplies, advertising and related promotional activities.
“I channelled the lion’s share of the funds into production. To date, I have already purchased a great many materials, moulds and forms,” said Nadiya.
At present, she makes handmade soap, soap bouquets, gift sets and candles. Nadiya is not resting on her laurels and wants to grow her business.
Although she does not yet have a regular customer base or a large number of repeat orders, she is actively working on this.
In addition, Nadiya is keen to teach the younger generation how to make soap, which is why she held her first workshop. Due to the security situation, the event was postponed several times, but this did not deter her – in the end, she went ahead with it.
The aid is provided as part of the ‘MESH: Multisectoral Emergency Assistance to High-Risk Communities’ project run by the ‘Shchedryk’ Charitable Organisation, coordinated by the ‘Right to Protection’ Charitable Foundation and supported by the Humanitarian Fund for Ukraine (UHF).