Meet Oksana! She is part of GFC’s Europe & Eurasia team and leads the organization’s work supporting Ukrainian partners.

CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT WHERE YOU’RE FROM AND ABOUT YOUR BACKGROUND?

I grew up in Donetsk, an industrial city in Ukraine. I went to school and studied at the university there.

I lived in Sweden for a couple of years while studying too. Now I live in Warsaw, Poland. I have a degree in linguistics and love foreign languages.

WHAT’S YOUR FAVORITE CHILDHOOD MEMORY?

My favorite childhood memory is Christmas at my grandparents’. They lived in a village an hour drive from the city. And we gathered with the whole family to celebrate it. In Ukraine, as a kid for Christmas you can get a lot of candies and presents if you stick to the traditions and visit all your relatives and neighbors before the Christmas Eve dinner and sing carols. My cousins and I treated it very seriously and got costumes, roles, learned our lines, and performed to get the best candies possible!

WHAT DREW YOU TO THIS LINE OF WORK AND TO GFC?

I used to work in a nongovernmental organization in the early days of my career, and I had to leave it because of the war in my city. I felt so frustrated that everything I worked for was taken in one day and I didn’t want to lose hope that my work matters and that I still can bring small changes in the country. For me, it is extremely important to support activists and grassroots initiatives right now in their efforts to support children and give them the opportunities that will influence their lives.

GFC embodies everything I was looking for in an organization. The imperative lies in enhancing the capabilities of existing organizations rather than establishing redundant ones with identical objectives. GFC acknowledges the proficiency of our partners, understanding that they are trusted within their own communities.

WHAT DO YOU THINK WILL BE THE MOST CHALLENGING PART OF YOUR JOB? WHAT WILL BE THE MOST SATISFYING?

I assume the most challenging part is to say “no” to a potential grantee partner (for various reasons). I feel like I have the desire to support everyone! The most satisfying part is, of course, to see how our partners develop and grow as organizations.

WHY DO YOU BELIEVE GFC’S WORK IS IMPORTANT?

Empowering children and young people is important as they are future leaders and decision-makers. And changes starts from local communities.

#FunFacts About Oksana

WHAT WAS YOUR FAVORITE TOY GROWING UP?

LEGOs! We had to share one LEGO house with my sister, and it was extremely difficult to share!

WHAT DID YOU WANT TO BE WHEN YOU GREW UP?

A stand-up comedian. I thought that being paid for performing jokes on stage is the best way to live! I also suggested my parents pay me for the jokes I made to launch my career. (They refused.)

WHAT DO YOU DO FOR FUN?

I watch silly movies with my boyfriend and discuss them seriously afterwards. I also enjoy learning the Polish language, playing ukulele, and dancing in the moonlight.

DO YOU HAVE ANY PETS?

No! But I want to have a dog SO MUCH!

IF YOU COULD HAVE ANY SUPERPOWER, WHAT WOULD IT BE? 

Cure people from their diseases and flying (just to save time).