We set up Legacy of War Foundation because we wanted to do things differently. Our localised, sustainable, beneficiary-led projects return power, funding and assets to the hands of the communities we work with. We seek to challenge the traditional neo-colonial concepts in the aid sector, and implement a collaborative model guided by our beneficiaries (we prefer 'partners'). Since 2017, we've raised over £1.8 m to support communities impacted by conflict.
OUR APPROACH & PROJECTS
We know the people best equipped to create change, and our greatest asset as an organisation, are our beneficiaries themselves - or, as we call them, partners. So we build projects from the group up with direct input from our partners, and aim for all our programs to be self-sustaining within five years. It was Land for Women partner, and Rwandan genocide survivor, Olive who inspired our flagship program's ethos. When asked what we could do to help her community, she replied, "give us the land to grow". So that's what we've done. Land for Women combines sustainable cooperative farming with a ground breaking land transfer model, and reflects our priorities of sustainability, affordability and education. Each cooperative lifts up to 100 people out of poverty.
In 2022 we launched an extensive Ukraine Crisis Response, working closely with partners on the ground to provide targeted support for supporting marginalised groups (including internally displaced families, and adults and children with disabilities) with specialist evacuation support, shelters and humanitarian aid. When the war began, we were quickly alerted to an urgent problem: evacuation transport was rarely accessible, and people with disabilities in Ukraine were literally being left behind. Our first fully-equipped ambulance (below) has been in the Dnipro region and liberated territories since June and it has now been joined by a second one, operating hundreds of supported evacuation missions for adults and children with disabilities and complex needs. We have also provided a specialised vehicle to support in teaching the many victims of spinal cord injury to drive.
Lastly, we educate and campaign around the impact of conflict. Our No More War project, launched in 2021, highlights the costs of twenty years of war following 9/11 with artistic collaborations to drive conversation and create change. We also support artists whose lives have been impacted by war, commissioning and amplifying their work. As an organisation we stand for equal rights, equal opportunities and aim to set an example within the sector. We avoid the need for expensive offices or inflated wages, and ensure that at least 95% of the funds we raise go to our projects.
Fundraisers
SUPPORT UKRAINIANS IN CRISIS
During a humanitarian crisis, it is often the needs of the marginalised and the most vulnerable in society which are overlooked. We at Legacy of War Foundation believe that no person should be left behind. That’s why our ambulances are saving lives and facilitating evacuations in recently liberated areas of Ukraine, and why we’ve funded shelters and hubs around the country to support displaced women, LGBTQ+ people, and adults and children with disabilities. Legacy of War Foundation campaigns for a world without war, and supports the survivors and communities affected by it. Our founder and CEO, Giles Duley, has a long history of working in Ukraine and has been documenting the conflict in Donbass since 2015. When the invasion began, we immediately reached out to our partner organisations on the ground. We have a track record of working alongside grassroots organisations who are experienced in providing vital support to their communities, and strive to work in solidarity and collaboration with partners on the ground. We ensure organisations with local experience can continue delivering crucial aid to those who need it the most - while we focus on coordinating funding, vetting partnerships, sourcing and purchasing specialist supplies, and bringing together partners to facilitate their work. Our ten guiding principles - designed in conjunction with our patrons, partners, trustees and staff - underpin all our work. So far, we’ve delivered over £350000 of aid and donations weighing over 26t (more than four elephants!) to our partners in Ukraine - including fully-equipped ambulances, specialist medical equipment and medications, and wheelchairs and other mobility aids. Evgeniy of NGO Casers (pictured) explains: "We have a line of drivers and medics who want to serve and help people — we just need help to evacuate more people and save more lives." Your donations will help us fund additional vehicles and support for Evgeniy’s team and others, to ensure no-one in front line regions is left behind.
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