PAKUNOCHOK

Hanna Nishnianidze’s Fellowship project, Pakunochok, was developed in response to the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine. With millions displaced and in urgent need of support, Hanna and her team created a simple yet powerful tool – a Telegram bot that connects those in need with those who are ready to help.

Launched in early 2023, Pakunochok is an automated system that collects and verifies individual requests for essential goods – food, baby products, and medicine – and adds them to a publicly accessible database. Anyone who wants to help can access the bot at any time, choose a verified request, and send a personalized aid package directly to the person in need.

During the project implementation, over 1,600 Ukrainians – single mothers, children, the elderly, and internally displaced people – received vital support and a message of solidarity. The project gave them not just supplies, but also something more powerful: a sense that they are not alone.

“Thank you so much for the help,” wrote Ludmila, one of the beneficiaries, “thanks to you I feel that I’m really not alone.” Another recipient, Katerina, shared her astonishment at the care behind each package: “There was a huge box of diapers for my baby… your project helped us a lot!”

Through Pakunochok, Hanna proved that even the smallest packages can carry the biggest impact.