INFRASTRUCTURE RECONSTRUCTION
Reconstructing Ukraine: Pathways for Building Back Better
Since 2022, Helvetas has been actively engaged in Ukraine’s recovery and has become a strategic actor in the country’s reconstruction efforts. In addition, Helvetas contributes to shaping new national recovery policies that are both inclusive and sustainable.
Helvetas’ work in Ukraine has helped more than 490,000 people regain access to water and electricity. Hundreds of private homes and apartment buildings, as well as dozens of water supply and wastewater systems, have been repaired. More than 56,000 people have received targeted humanitarian assistance, while an additional 43,000 have benefited from community grant initiatives.
Through this work, Helvetas emphasizes sustainability — demonstrating to local authorities how practical, field-tested solutions can be scaled into systemic approaches.
How Helvetas Works?
- Repairing homes and setting up shelters. Helvetas supports light and medium household repairs and helps establish temporary shelters for people affected by the war. Together with international and local partners, Helvetas also restores multi-apartment buildings.
- Restoring social infrastructure. This includes the rehabilitation of water supply and wastewater systems, schools, kindergartens, and outpatient clinics. In cooperation with Ukrainian organizations and local authorities, Helvetas works to restore access to water, healthcare, and education.
- Supporting communities through a NEXUS approach to winterization and recovery. Helvetas combines urgent winter support with long-term investment in resilient infrastructure – from heating points, generators and solid fuel to solar systems for municipal utilities and home insulation. This dual approach protects human capital and helps communities stay resilient through the cold season and beyond.
Strengthening Communities and Local Initiatives
Helvetas empowers communities with the tools and knowledge they need to rebuild their own futures. A key example is the establishment of two Repair Hubs in the Kyiv and Kharkiv regions — spaces that bring together tools, materials, and know-how for reconstruction.
Here, local activists and volunteers gain access to practical guidance, construction tools, and equipment to carry out repairs, enabling recovery from the ground up.
Petr Base, Country Director of Helvetas in Ukraine
Following the principle of localization, Helvetas strengthens the capacity of civil society organizations. For NGOs implementing recovery projects, Helvetas has developed the «Methodological Recommendations on the Assessment of Needs for the Recovery of Territorial Communities by Civil Society Organizations» — a practical, step-by-step guide that helps organizations set reconstruction priorities, mobilize funding, engage with local authorities, manage procurement, and report on results.
By providing this guidance, Helvetas enables local NGOs to lead recovery efforts, make informed decisions, and deliver tangible impact in their communities.
