The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation marks 21 years: more than two decades of standing with people, for people

Today, 15 July, marks the 21st anniversary of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. It is more than two decades of genuine care, resilience and daily commitment to protecting what matters most — human life. Over these years, the Foundation has become a true humanitarian shield and a reliable source of support for the country during the most difficult moments in Ukraine's history.

Since its establishment, the Foundation has implemented around 70 programmes and projects across a wide range of social sectors. Every one of these initiatives has been about people and for people. Over the past 21 years, assistance and information support provided by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation and SCM businesses have reached more than 33 million people.

"Charity begins with a simple decision — not to walk past someone else's suffering. Twenty-one years ago, when we established the Foundation, we chose to follow our hearts and be where our help was truly needed. Over these years, the Foundation has helped millions of people. Circumstances have changed, and the scale of our work has grown. Today, our foremost responsibility is to support Ukraine's defenders and help civilians affected by the war. We stand by those who have lost their health, their homes, their loved ones or their confidence in tomorrow. We invest in Ukraine's recovery and in the people who will build its future. Our country faces enormous challenges, and our task is to strengthen the Foundation's work and become even more effective every day. We have helped, and we will continue to help everyone who needs our support here and now," said Rinat Akhmetov, the Foundation's founder.

Throughout its 21 years of work, the Foundation has developed effective solutions to respond rapidly to Ukraine's most severe crises and the challenges brought by war. Since 2014, its work has focused on helping those affected in eastern Ukraine, and following the start of the full-scale invasion in 2022, these efforts evolved into the Rinat Akhmetov Saving Lives initiative. Nearly 13.5 million food parcels have been delivered to frontline communities.

Today, one of the Foundation's priorities is supporting the defenders of Mariupol. In partnership with the Azovstal Heart project, the Foundation provides comprehensive assistance to servicemen and those who have returned from captivity. Through the Home and Health programmes, the defenders of Mariupol receive permanent housing, undergo comprehensive rehabilitation and return to active life.

Caring for Ukrainian children remains one of the Foundation's longstanding priorities. Through the Rinat Akhmetov to Children! programme, nearly 6 million boys and girls have received support. More than 5,000 children affected by the consequences of the war have taken part in the Blogger Camp project, where they have received opportunities for personal development, social interaction and psychological support. Through the No to Orphanhood! project, nearly 11,000 orphaned children have found new families. In addition, hundreds of children have undergone treatment and rehabilitation after suffering injuries caused by russia's war against Ukraine.

In 2026, the Foundation expanded its focus to supporting young people by launching the pilot project Youth Chooses Ukraine, designed for young people aged 18 to 23 who had been deported, forcibly displaced or were at risk of deportation and have returned to Ukraine under the President of Ukraine's Bring Kids Back UA initiative. The project is implemented jointly with the Office of the Ukrainian Parliament Commissioner for Human Rights and the Ministry of Youth and Sports of Ukraine, helping young people adapt after traumatic experiences.

Over the years, the Foundation became the first organisation in Ukraine to establish a unique system of psychological assistance for people affected by war. By drawing on the world's best practices and training 250 Ukrainian psychologists, it has already provided psychological support to more than 2 million Ukrainians in schools, hospitals and shelters.

To preserve the truth about the events in Ukraine for future generations, the Museum of Civilian Voices founded by the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation was established. Today, it is the world's largest archive of eyewitness testimonies, containing more than 145,000 stories. These testimonies have already become a chronicle of the nation's memory and a body of evidence for international courts.

Over the past 21 years, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has demonstrated that systematic and timely assistance can change people's lives even in the most difficult times. Today, in response to unprecedented challenges, the Foundation is working with even greater determination, remaining true to its core mission — providing prompt support to those who need it here and now.