“Voice of Romni” Joins the WONA Consortium

In early September, Kyiv hosted the founding meeting of the Women’s Organizations National Alliance (WONA) consortium, which representatives of Voice of Romni attended. The event was a chance to get to know our partners more closely — the teams from NGO “Girls” and Convictus Ukraine — with whom we will be working on joint humanitarian initiatives over the next two years.

We have come together to strengthen one another through shared experience, expertise, and knowledge of community needs, so we can provide more systematic support to people affected by the war and facing systemic barriers. The consortium will operate across 10 regions of Ukraine and in Kyiv. Its main areas of focus are supporting survivors of gender-based violence, promoting mental health, improving access to healthcare — including sexual and reproductive health services — and strengthening economic independence and community resilience.

Within WONA, each organization contributes its own piece of the shared work, but we are all moving toward a common goal. Our initiatives are designed to complement one another, addressing the diverse needs of communities — including internally displaced people, people with disabilities, survivors of violence, and members of Roma communities.

The two days in Kyiv were full of introductions, conversations, shared experience, and planning for joint work. Each organization began by presenting its activities and project areas within the consortium. For Voice of Romni, this was an opportunity to talk about our work with vulnerable communities, our approach, and the challenges we face during the war.

We also discussed how our cooperation will be organized: shared values and partnership principles, financial management, procurement, team coordination, and communication between organizations.

The second day focused on specific project goals — addressing gender-based violence, comprehensive protection, mental health and psychosocial support, and advocacy.

For Voice of Romni, joining the WONA consortium is an opportunity to share our expertise in working with vulnerable communities while also being part of a larger, collective effort. We are glad to join forces with strong, experienced organizations that bring extensive experience in protecting women’s rights and supporting various vulnerable groups across Ukraine. It matters to us that humanitarian response takes into account the needs of different groups — including Roma communities, internally displaced people, and others who face barriers to accessing support.

Two years of joint work lie ahead, and we are confident they will be productive and meaningful. The meeting in Kyiv was a great start, helping us better understand our shared goals and ways of working together.

This project is implemented within the WONA consortium in cooperation with NGO “Divchata,” the Association of Roma Women “Voice of Romni,” and Convictus Ukraine, with the support of the Federal Foreign Office of Germany.