Club Eney

Club Eney Empowering key communities through harm reduction, GBV prevention & gender-sensitive services in Ukraine since 2000.

Bridging the Gap in Women’s Healthcare: Why HPV Prevention Requires Both Medical and Social Services 🩺💜Human Papillomavi...
23/07/2026

Bridging the Gap in Women’s Healthcare: Why HPV Prevention Requires Both Medical and Social Services 🩺💜

Human Papillomavirus (HPV) is one of the most common infections globally, and its high-risk strains are directly linked to the development of cervical cancer. For women from key and marginalized populations, accessing life-saving prevention is often blocked by systemic stigma and extreme financial barriers.

To highlight the urgency of this issue, we sat down for a brief interview with a gynecologist to discuss why HPV awareness and accessible prevention matter today more than ever:

💬 What is HPV, and why is it a critical topic in women's health?
“HPV is a highly prevalent infection. While the body clears the virus on its own in most cases, certain high-risk strains can lead to dangerous cellular changes in the cervix. This is why routine screening and early detection are an non-negotiable part of healthcare.”

💬 How can women effectively reduce the risk of infection and complications?
“The most effective tools we have today are HPV vaccination, regular gynecological check-ups, and timely screenings like Pap tests. Regular control allows us to step in and protect a woman's health before a medical issue escalates.”

💬 What is your main advice for patients?
“Never delay preventive doctor visits, even if you have no symptoms. Routine monitoring is the greatest act of care a woman can provide for herself.”

‼️ While the medical community agrees on the power of the HPV vaccine, it remains financially inaccessible for millions of vulnerable women in Ukraine. At NGO Club Eney, we believe healthcare is a human right, not a privilege. This is why we combine social and medical services through our medical cost reimbursement project. Our peer counselors and social workers provide low-threshold, stigma-free accompaniment, ensuring that women living with HIV, s*x workers, and women who use drugs can navigate the healthcare system safely and with absolute dignity.

🌍 To our global partners and donors: Your support drives this integrated care model and makes life-saving medicine accessible to every woman, regardless of her circumstances!

🤝 You can support our project on the GlobalGiving platform: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/she-matters-medical-aid-for-women-from-ukraine/

Human-Centric Reconstruction: Why Post-War Recovery in Ukraine Demands an End to Stigma 🇺🇦🇪🇺 When we talk about the rec...
20/07/2026

Human-Centric Reconstruction: Why Post-War Recovery in Ukraine Demands an End to Stigma 🇺🇦🇪🇺

When we talk about the reconstruction and rebuilding of Ukraine, the conversation often revolves around infrastructure, economy, and physical restoration. But true, sustainable recovery cannot be measured solely in bricks and mortar. A democratic, European future requires a profound social transformation. Specifically, how our society views and treats marginalized and key populations.

For years, people who use drugs, s*x workers, and individuals living with HIV have faced structural violence, systemic stigma, and punitive attitudes. In the context of post-war recovery, leaving these communities behind is not just an ethical failure, it is a barrier to national resilience.

At NGO Club Eney, we believe that rebuilding a stronger Ukraine means practicing inclusive, trauma-informed recovery at every level of society.

Why changing our attitudes toward key populations is vital for reconstruction:
🔹 Health as Infrastructure: Post-war recovery demands robust public health. By replacing criminalization and judgment with harm reduction, low-threshold care, and mental health support, we ensure that vulnerable individuals can safely access medical resources without fear of exposure.
🔹 Economic and Social Integration: True recovery means unlocking the potential of every citizen. When we dismantle social stigma, we open doors to legal employment, stable housing, and social services, allowing marginalized women and men to actively participate in rebuilding their local communities.
🔹 The European Integration Framework: Human rights and the protection of vulnerable groups are core European values. Aligning Ukraine’s social and health policies with evidence-based, human-centric standards is an essential step on our path toward full EU integration.

Democracy and societal resilience are built from the ground up. They are sustained when the most vulnerable among us are treated not with suspicion or punishment, but with dignity, partnership, and unconditional support.

Let’s ensure that as we build back, we build a society where every single voice matters and every human right is fiercely protected.

One of the core components of our work is crisis psychosocial counseling based on the "peer-to-peer" principle.What is i...
17/07/2026

One of the core components of our work is crisis psychosocial counseling based on the "peer-to-peer" principle.

What is it and how does it work? Every day, our team coordinates support for individuals navigating complex life circumstances. We work without judgment or pressure, helping clients restore their internal grounding, ensure their voices are heard, and stabilize their emotional state during moments of crisis.

In our daily practice, we combine:
🔹 the unique expertise of the peer-to-peer approach;
🔹 strict adherence to professional boundaries;
🔹 trauma-informed support in the "here and now";
🔹 well-established referral pathways to specialized professionals.

We use simple, evidence-based techniques that effectively reduce anxiety, restore a connection to oneself, and rebuild a basic sense of safety.

Here is a story shared by our peer social counselor, Zhenya:

"Artem (name changed) reached out to me for assistance. Due to the war, he became an internally displaced person (IDP) but found himself in complete social isolation: without housing, a job, or registered IDP status. Compounded by deteriorating health, Artem was in a state of profound apathy.
During our first meeting, our primary goal was rapid emotional stabilization. We applied several effective techniques: working with a resource story, a resource drawing, and the 'safe place' practice.

This helped Artem regain a sense of control. Immediately after, we transitioned into long-term social support and case management: we signed a declaration with a family doctor to begin diagnosing his health issues and submitted documents to register his IDP status. The issue of finding safe housing is currently in the process of being resolved."

This case proves that when we replace punishment and stigma with empathy and resources, the philosophy of harm reduction truly saves and transforms human lives.

Behind every woman’s story lies a unique journey, profound challenges, and an inherent strength that society often fails...
14/07/2026

Behind every woman’s story lies a unique journey, profound challenges, and an inherent strength that society often fails to recognize.

Even when enduring deep pain, isolation, or the exhausting weight of coercive control, women possess the internal resources to spark change. More often than not, all it takes is a safe space, unconditional support, and a trusted community to help them reclaim control over their own lives.

At NGO Club Eney, we are always there. We do not lecture or judge; instead, we build a space of true partnership, share vital information, and support women as they restore their self-efficacy.

Today, we are sharing Ganna’s story from Chernihiv.

Ganna had a history of substance use and was trapped in a relationship with an intimate partner who subjected her to systematic abuse and deep isolation. He routinely humiliated her, leveraging her vulnerability as a tool of total control: “You are a drug user, and no one needs you except me.” Under this continuous pressure, Ganna lost her sense of internal grounding.

The turning point came when she was invited to a session of the WINGS project dedicated to addressing gender-based violence. There, in a completely non-judgmental environment, Ganna experienced absolute safety for the first time. It was in this space that she realized a crucial truth: the violence against her was a crime, not the norm, and it was never her fault.

This realization activated her inner agency, and Ganna began to take action:
🔹 Trauma-Informed Counseling: Individual sessions with a psychologist helped her process her traumatic experiences and regain confidence in her own decisions.
🔹 Peer Support Groups: She became an active participant in mutual aid groups for women with a history of dependency, finding a reliable network of solidarity and the resources needed for recovery.

Today, Ganna is entirely free from violence and is in stable remission. She rents her own apartment, works, and is rebuilding her autonomous, safe life step by step. A life where her choices, her voice, and her personal boundaries matter unconditionally.

The WINGS intervention did not give Ganna strength; it helped her activate what was already inside her: her own power and her right to choose her own future.

Empowering Voices Through Improvisation: Our WINGS Facilitators Meet in the Carpathians 🇺🇦This June, we gathered for ano...
06/07/2026

Empowering Voices Through Improvisation: Our WINGS Facilitators Meet in the Carpathians 🇺🇦

This June, we gathered for another transformational advocacy training session through improvisation, organized within our WINGS project!

More than 30 of our facilitators met in the peaceful village of Pistyn, in the Precarpathian region. Their goal? To master the art of improvisation as a tool for rights advocacy, build self-confidence, exchange unique grassroots experiences, and draw inspiration from one another’s energy.

Five incredible days flew by in a single breath, filled with deep emotions, laughter, personal breakthroughs, and mutual sisterhood.

For our team, this training was about:
✨ The courage to be oneself and experiment in a safe environment.
✨ Building horizontal solidarity and a strong peer-support network.
✨Trauma-informed recovery, showing how live, playful interaction sparks new meanings and creative ideas even in challenging times.

We are deeply grateful to everyone who was with us, contributed, and filled this safe space with warmth. Together, we are fostering a more courageous, inclusive, and resilient world.

Recently, our Organizational Development Manager, Alina Sarnatska, contributed to the development of an advisory documen...
03/07/2026

Recently, our Organizational Development Manager, Alina Sarnatska, contributed to the development of an advisory document for a new European body — the European Centre for Democratic Resilience.

In simple terms: this document is about how Europe can better protect democracy.
It is not just about elections or state institutions. Democracy is sustained by civil society, independent media, researchers, local communities, volunteers, and people who work every day with the consequences of war, disinformation, and political pressure.

The document proposes building a new European platform as a living, working space where various participants can exchange experience, find partners, jointly seek solutions, and see how their proposals actually reach institutions.
For us, it is crucial that the Ukrainian experience is explicitly highlighted in this document.

Today, Ukraine possesses unique knowledge about resilience: how non-governmental organizations, volunteer networks, local initiatives, and horizontal trust help society function even during wartime. This knowledge must be a part of European policy.

We are convinced that democracy cannot be protected solely from the top down. It is also protected by people, communities, and organizations that remain on the ground and continue to act when the system is under pressure.

That is why it is vital for Ukraine to be a part of this conversation at the European level.

🇪🇺🇺🇦

Gender-based violence (GBV) doesn't happen in a vacuum. During wartime, behind the closed doors of displacement and cris...
30/06/2026

Gender-based violence (GBV) doesn't happen in a vacuum. During wartime, behind the closed doors of displacement and crisis, the risks are exponentially higher for the women we support—women living with HIV, s*x workers, and women who use drugs.

Modern trauma-informed care is shifting away from viewing survivors through a lens of passivity. We believe that meaningful recovery starts by restoring a woman’s control over her own life and decisions.

This is why the WINGS (Women Initiating New Goals of Safety) intervention is the cornerstone of our program. Developed by researchers at Columbia University, WINGS is a brief, evidence-based tool designed to build real safety.

How does it work in our daily practice?
🔹We validate survival strategies. We know that compliance or silence in a dangerous relationship is often a calculated tactic to stay alive. WINGS honors this resilience.
🔹We focus on self-efficacy. Instead of focusing only on trauma, we use motivational techniques to restore a woman's belief in her own capacity to make safe life choices.
🔹We plan together. The social worker and the client build a practical, personalized blueprint to manage immediate and long-term risks.

Even in the most unstable environments, restoring a woman’s control over her safety plan is the first step toward reclaiming her life. WINGS provides the tools; the women provide the strength.

🌍 To our international partners and donors: Your sustained support allows us to keep deploying these crucial solutions where they are needed most. Thank you for moving with us beyond simple crisis response toward authentic empowerment! 🙌

Today, together with the global Support. Don’t Punish campaign, we reaffirm a simple message: people need support, not p...
26/06/2026

Today, together with the global Support. Don’t Punish campaign, we reaffirm a simple message: people need support, not punishment.

This year, the campaign places a special focus on women and people of diverse gender experiences who use drugs. They often face multiple forms of discrimination at once, including stigma, violence, limited access to healthcare, and exclusion from support systems.

At a time of shrinking international funding and a narrowing space for civil society, we are witnessing how easily years of progress in harm reduction, access to healthcare, and the protection of human rights can be undone.

At Club Eney, we see a different reality every day: support works. Access to services works. Communities work.

We stand for:
💜 sustainable, long-term funding for harm reduction services and community-led initiatives;
💜 accessible, safe, and non-discriminatory health and social services;
💜 ending violence and stigma against women and people from key populations;
💜 evidence-based policies grounded in human rights and public health;
💜 every person's right to dignity, autonomy, and support.

Together with WHRIN, we invite you to stand with women and people of diverse gender experiences who use drugs and support these fundamental rights. Because change begins with solidarity, support, and respect for human dignity.

Support changes lives. Punishment causes more harm. We choose support. Will you?

As part of the WINGS project on preventing gender-based violence, we are sharing a story from a facilitator in Mykolaiv:...
23/06/2026

As part of the WINGS project on preventing gender-based violence, we are sharing a story from a facilitator in Mykolaiv:

I was on my way to work when I unexpectedly met an acquaintance I hadn’t seen in a long time. She belongs to one of the groups I work with as a social worker, so our conversation quickly turned to our women’s meetings.

I invited her to come. She smiled and said, “What new thing could I possibly learn there?” I simply replied that she could come and see for herself.

Time passed, and she called me, asking when the next meeting would be and whether she could attend. I said of course, and to be honest, I wasn’t sure she would actually come.

But she did.

At first, she just sat and listened, as if trying to understand whether this was even about her. Then she slowly joined the exercises, and later began to ask questions.

At one point, she said something very simple, but important: that she had never thought that violence can take many different forms, and that, as it turns out, she wasn’t wrong when people told her she was overreacting.

After that, she became different in the conversation: more engaged, attentive, alive. By the end, she said she did not regret coming and that she would definitely tell her neighbour about the session, because there is a situation there that concerns her.

In moments like this, you are reminded that change rarely looks big or sudden. More often, it begins with one conversation, one contact, one “I’ll just come and see,” which gradually turns into a new understanding of oneself and of what is happening around you.

In times of crisis — during the full-scale war, forced displacement, or loss of income — access to medical care becomes ...
16/06/2026

In times of crisis — during the full-scale war, forced displacement, or loss of income — access to medical care becomes limited not only financially, but also administratively and structurally.

That is why Club Eney provides support through reimbursement of medical expenses for women who find themselves in difficult life circumstances.

We are often approached with requests to cover the costs of hepatitis treatment, gynecological check-ups, and preventive examinations related to existing chronic or other health conditions. Such care helps monitor diagnoses in time, prevent complications, and maintain quality of life.

We work with women who often face additional barriers to accessing healthcare — due to poverty, stigma, experiences of violence, forced displacement, or the consequences of war, as well as loss of documents. When documents are lost, it becomes more difficult to sign a contract with a family doctor and receive guaranteed free healthcare within the public system. These administrative barriers further complicate access to treatment precisely when it is most needed.

You can support our work and help us ensure access to essential medical care for women by making a donation to our project via the link: https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/she-matters-medical-aid-for-women-from-ukraine/

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Dovzhenka Street, 2
Kyiv
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