Free People Employment Center

The Free People Employment Center (Ukrainian: Центр зайнятості Вільних людей, ЦЗВЛ) is a Ukrainian non-governmental initiative that emerged in February 2014 on the Maidan to help people who lost their jobs because of their participation in the revolutionary events. In May 2014 the initiative was officially registered as the NGO "Center for Employment of Free People" (ЦЗВЛ). At that time the Center had about 60 permanent volunteers. After the annexation of Crimea and the outbreak of war in eastern Ukraine, the NGO began helping internally displaced persons (IDPs) with professional and entrepreneurial realization. In December 2014 it became clear that similar assistance was needed by ATO participants returning home, and the project "Dignified Work for the Warrior" (Воїну — гідна праця) was founded. The organization's main goal is to promote the social adaptation of vulnerable categories of the population (IDPs, ATO veterans, people with disabilities, people aged 45+, etc.) through training, retraining, self-employment, and employment. The executive director is Oksana Filonenko. The mission of ЦЗВЛ is to promote the professional and entrepreneurial realization of vulnerable categories in order to form a society of Free People who take responsibility for their lives and create positive changes around them. Its areas of activity include increasing the competitiveness of vulnerable groups in the labor market through career counseling, training, retraining, and personal development; supporting entrepreneurship through training, consulting, mentoring, and mini-grants for starting one's own business; developing corporate social responsibility as a tool for involving business in solving problems of social adaptation and employment of IDPs, ATO veterans, and people with disabilities; and labor inclusion, promoting the benefits of diversity in the workforce through interactive events for employers. Key projects include "Dignified Work for the Warrior," which promotes the social adaptation of ATO veterans through employment, training, and retraining, with courses in computer literacy, English, HR, SMM, and on individual request; the all-Ukrainian information campaign "Captivated by Life: Success Stories of ATO Participants," which aims to increase veterans' motivation and activity when returning to peaceful work and self-realization after the war, raise employers' loyalty to ATO veterans, and reduce stigmatization of veterans among the general public through the dissemination of success stories; and RIZNA, a project to increase women's competitiveness in the labor market, whose participants are women from Kyiv and the region, ATO female veterans, wives of ATO veterans, and displaced women. The RIZNA project lasted three months and was supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands under the program "Increasing Women's Competitiveness in the Labor Market." The organization operates primarily in Ukraine, with activities and forums held in cities such as Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Lviv. It is a civil society organization rather than a commercial enterprise, but it functions as a branded initiative with a distinct identity, programs, and public presence.

The Free People Employment Center (ЦЗВЛ) originated in February 2014 as a grassroots initiative on the Maidan in Kyiv, created to assist individuals who had lost their jobs due to their involvement in the revolutionary events. In May 2014, the initiative was formally registered as the NGO "Center for Employment of Free People" (ГО «Центр зайнятості Вільних людей»). At that time, the Center counted approximately 60 permanent volunteers. Following the annexation of Crimea and the escalation of the war in eastern Ukraine, the organization expanded its focus to support internally displaced persons (IDPs) in achieving professional and entrepreneurial goals. By December 2014, it became evident that ATO (Anti-Terrorist Operation) participants returning from the front also required similar assistance. This led to the creation of the project "Dignified Work for the Warrior" (Воїну — гідна праця). The organization's mission evolved to promote the social adaptation of vulnerable populations—IDPs, ATO veterans, people with disabilities, and individuals aged 45 and older—through training, retraining, self-employment, and job placement. Its activities encompass career counseling, educational courses (including computer literacy, English, HR, and SMM), entrepreneurship support with mini-grants, corporate social responsibility initiatives, and labor inclusion programs. Key projects include the "Dignified Work for the Warrior" project, which provides comprehensive support for veterans, including medical, psychological, and legal assistance through a case management approach. The all-Ukrainian information campaign "Captivated by Life: Success Stories of ATO Participants" was launched to motivate veterans, increase employer loyalty, and reduce stigmatization, with forums held in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Lviv. The RIZNA project focused on enhancing women's competitiveness in the labor market, supporting female veterans, wives of veterans, and displaced women, with backing from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The executive director, Oksana Filonenko, has emphasized the importance of working simultaneously with veterans, their families, employers, and society. The organization continues to operate as a civil society initiative, with its main goal being the social adaptation and employment of vulnerable categories in Ukraine.

• 2014

  Initiative emerges on the Maidan to help those who lost jobs due to revolutionary events.

• 2014

  Officially registered as NGO "Center for Employment of Free People" (ЦЗВЛ) with about 60 permanent volunteers.

• 2014

  Project "Dignified Work for the Warrior" (Воїну — гідна праця) founded to assist ATO participants returning home.

• All-Ukrainian information campaign "Captivated by Life: Success Stories of ATO Participants" held in Kyiv, Kharkiv, Dnipro, and Lviv.

• RIZNA project for women's competitiveness in the labor market supported by the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands.

A civil society initiative providing employment, retraining, and entrepreneurship support to vulnerable groups in Ukraine, including IDPs, ATO veterans, women, people with disabilities, and people aged 45+.

• Career counseling and vocational guidance

  Individual and group counseling to help vulnerable groups enter or re-enter the labor market.

• Retraining and upskilling courses

  Courses in computer literacy, English, HR, SMM, and other specialties, available on individual request.

• Entrepreneurship support

  Training, consulting, mentoring, and mini-grants for starting one's own business.

• Case management for wounded veterans

  Comprehensive support including medical, psychological, and legal assistance for ATO participants with disabilities.

• Corporate social responsibility programs

  Engaging businesses in solving problems of social adaptation and employment of IDPs, ATO veterans, and people with disabilities.

• Labor inclusion workshops

  Interactive events for employers to promote the benefits of diversity in the workforce.

1. 1Wikidata: Free People Employment Centerwikidata.org
2. 2Wikipedia (Ukrainian): Центр зайнятості Вільних людейuk.wikipedia.org