Always There: 20 Years of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation
The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation was established on July 15, 2005. Since then, it has become a reliable source of support for millions of Ukrainians facing difficult circumstances. Over 20 years of work, the Foundation has implemented around 70 social programs. Nearly 32 million people have received assistance and support from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, SCM businesses, and FC Shakhtar. Comprehensive assistance has reached approximately 133,000 people every month.
“My philosophy of charity is to perceive someone else’s pain as your own. To see it, feel it, and not remain indifferent. We have many systemic problems and many people who need help. Throughout these 20 years, the Foundation has never left them alone to face their hardships. I am grateful to the entire Foundation team, to every employee who shares my values and has walked this path with me for 20 years. Most importantly, they continue to do so — with faith in goodness and a better future,” says Rinat Akhmetov, Founder of the Foundation.
Since 2014, the Foundation has placed a particular focus on helping people affected by the war. This support has included food packages, medicines, medical treatment, psychological assistance, and care for children. During the most difficult periods — Russia’s armed aggression, the COVID-19 pandemic, and the full-scale invasion — the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has always been there, providing comprehensive support to those who needed it most. Since 2014, assistance from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, SCM businesses, and FC Shakhtar has reached more than 18 million people.
Over 20 years, one of the hallmarks of the Foundation’s work has been its focus on modern and effective solutions that have enabled it to respond promptly to the challenges of the time and the needs of society.
Rapid Support for Frontline Communities Under Fire
In 2014, the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation established the Humanitarian Center, the largest aid program for civilians in Donbas at the time. People received food, medicines, and hygiene products. The program helped prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in eastern Ukraine.
Following the full-scale invasion in 2022, humanitarian aid was significantly scaled up. It continues to reach cities and villages along the frontline despite the dangers involved. For many Ukrainians, this support has become their only chance of survival amid a humanitarian catastrophe. As part of the “Rinat Akhmetov — Saving Lives” program, nearly 13.5 million food kits have been delivered to people across Ukraine.
Innovative Approaches to Combating Infectious Diseases
In 2007, the Foundation launched the “Stop Tuberculosis in Donetsk Region” project, which later became a nationwide program. The Foundation helped improve the diagnosis and treatment of tuberculosis across Ukraine and developed an outpatient treatment model that is still used in the country today. The tuberculosis epidemic was successfully brought under control.
In response to the COVID-19 pandemic, the Foundation promptly launched a large-scale coronavirus response program, providing hospitals with modern equipment and medical supplies, as well as training for healthcare professionals. The program helped save thousands of lives and strengthened the healthcare system’s preparedness for new challenges. As part of the “Fighting COVID-19 in Ukraine” project, 505 healthcare facilities received assistance from the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation.
Successful Projects on a National Scale
More than 30 medical projects of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation have been implemented nationwide, reaching people across Ukraine. One of them, “200 Ambulances for Ukraine,” significantly improved emergency medical care.
The “Mobile Women’s Health Clinic” project gave women, for the first time, access to cancer screening in line with global standards through a mobile clinic equipped with a modern diagnostic system. This made it possible to detect cancer at an early stage in dozens of patients.
Following the strike on the Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, the Foundation promptly provided equipment as part of the “Rinat Akhmetov — Saving Lives” program. Thanks to this support, thousands of children are receiving accurate diagnosis and treatment, as well as access to specialized medical transport.
Systematic Support for Ukrainian Children
The Rinat Akhmetov Foundation provides systematic support to children, especially during wartime. As part of the “Rinat Akhmetov to Children” program, children receive educational, medical, and psychological assistance, as well as support for orphans and help in finding families.
Thanks to the program, around 11,000 children have been adopted, while hundreds of boys and girls have undergone rehabilitation after injuries and received modern hearing aids and occluders to close heart defects. In total, around 6 million children have received assistance.
Rinat Akhmetov — To Children! Support That Gives Tomorrow.
A Unique Psychological Support System Was Created
The Foundation brought together leading experts from Israel, Ukraine, and the United States to create a unique training program for psychologists. Over the course of six months, 250 Ukrainian specialists completed the dedicated course and went on to provide support in kindergartens, schools, hospitals, bomb shelters, and specialized centers. Over the years, psychologists working with the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation have provided psychological support to more than 1.2 million Ukrainians.
Documenting War Crimes
The Museum of Civilian Voices of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation has become a primary source of truth about the war, a chronicle of the tragedy Ukraine has endured since 2014, and a large-scale platform preserving valuable elements of Ukraine’s national memory. It is not only a critically important collection, which now contains more than 130,000 stories, but also a foundation for holding war criminals accountable. Some of the storytellers have already testified before the People’s Tribunal in The Hague in 2023.
20 Years of the Rinat Akhmetov Foundation. Always There.
