Understanding Ukrainian IT and its role in the country
Ukraine’s large IT and software development community, estimated at 285,000 professionals and growing even now, is an important part of the current effort of the nation. So important, in fact, that helping Ukrainian IT and helping Ukraine are intertwined notions. Any contribution to the IT industry immediately has an effect on the lives of the people outside of it: volunteering, donations, etc. Here is why this phenomenon exists:
- Ukrainian IT specialists are good at initiatives. The industry started as independent, adventurous communities of professionals who were not afraid of experimenting with startups and innovations. This spirit is at the core of everything here. Examples include Ukrainian developers creating games to raise funds for patriotic initiatives, offering to bolster cybersecurity for crucial institutions, and more.
- IT is considered among the most promising industries for the future of Ukraine. Ukrainian economy is based on multiple sectors, but IT is regarded as a newly-emerged bootstrapper – much as Ukraine itself has the reputation of an “IT prowerhouse” in the global business circles. In fact, before the war the state was planning for IT to account for 10% of Ukrainian GDP in the future. For Ukrainian millennials and Gen Z, IT means workplaces within their own country.
- IT specialists donate a lot to vital fundraisers. Not only companies, but individual developers, coders, and other professionals actively support humanitarian initiatives. IT people in Ukraine are the part of society that both can afford to help the country financially – and feel extremely responsible for doing so. For example, the entire staff at MWDN’s Kharkiv office confirmed having donated to fundraisers over the past month.
On the other hand, information technologies in Ukraine are, of course, run by people who experience the same problems and struggles as any other Ukrainian citizen. This means that the industry and the country function as communicating vessels – you help either, you help both.
With that in mind, here is how you can influence the situation.
What to do to aid the industry
Here are some general things anyone connected with Ukrainian IT can do to help. Many of these are actually quite simple:
#1 Keep collaborating as usual
Plain and simple, if you have worked with Ukrainian IT or software companies before, keep doing that! Businesses in this industry have proved incredibly resilient, with continuity plans coming to execution immediately during the first week of the war. At the initial stages, many customers expressed anxiety (which is understandable). However, it turned out that IT professionals are now even more motivated to work and yield excellent results than ever before. Some companies are even releasing new products right now.
#2 Tell the world
If you are in collaboration with a Ukrainian company, don’t feel shy to mention that, either on professional networks like LinkedIn or on your website – or any place you feel like it. Give the credit for what Ukrainian developers and teams have accomplished, or leave reviews for the projects you were glad with. In this way, the global community will see that the industry is alive and well in Ukraine.
#3 Consider using Ukrainian-made software where it may be needed
There are a number of well-known software products made by Ukrainian teams that you may already be using, including GitLab, Grammarly, and the likes. There are countless applications and products created by Ukrainian companies for various purposes, from CRM systems and sales team efficiency analyzers to real-time video modification and pet care.
How else you can help (useful links)
Apart from what’s listed above, there are a number of ways you can do a gesture of good will toward the Ukrainian people. Here is a list of fundraisers that MWDN picked as the most trusted ones – those we donate to ourselves:
- Come Back Alive (Ukrainian: Повернись живим) – perhaps the most well-known crowdfunding charity organization in Ukraine that has existed since 2014 (the year military conflicts in Donbas started). The mission of the organization is to aid the Ukrainian army, protecting soldiers and supplying additional equipment (you can look at their documentation on their website for more details). Donations are accepted via SWIFT or crypto.
- KOLO – a fundraiser created by the Ukrainian IT community that has already managed to collect around $3.5 mln to buy equipment. Partners include, among others, Grammarly.
- Serhiy Prytula Charity Foundation – a highly popular organization founded by a famous Ukrainian showman. It is this foundation that made the news by successfully implementing the People’s Bayraktar project, where people managed to collect UAH 600 mln required to purchase Bayraktar drones in three days. Donations are accepted via SWIFT, PayPal, or cryptocurrencies.
- Volonterska – a local humanitarian self-aid organization in Kharkiv. Kharkiv is Ukraine’s second largest city, and home to numerous IT companies, including MWDN. At the same time, Kharkiv is uncomfortably close to the Russian border and suffers from aggression in no small measure. The mission of Volonterska is to help Kharkiv citizens with medicines, transfers, food, clothing, and other necessities. Press the Допомогти (Aid) button to see the information for SWIFT transfer.
- Rescue NOW – another humanitarian aid fundraiser, where you can press Campaigns in the top menu to support separate projects. Each campaign has a description (e.g. “Evacuation from hot spots of the Donbas region”) and a progress bar for you to see how much has been raised already.
Parting thoughts
In the globalized world of tech, the Ukrainian IT industry remains one of the most popular avenues for finding a proper talent. With a high quality of services and a solid experience of cooperation with international companies, it looks exactly like an exhausted pool of experts. One of the key factors of the strong reputation they developed in the market is resilience.
With the beginning of the russian invasion, the stable operation of many institutions and systems within the country amid one of the bloodiest wars never ceases to amaze many Western politicians and acknowledged experts. Ukrainians proved that nothing is impossible, and they are ready to go the extra mile for their win even if it takes buying a warbird for their army in just 3 days! That’s why they say: “Be brave like Ukraine” – so do you! In this article, we have listed the most effective ways to help Ukraine. We hope they will come in handy, and you will be able to contribute to the victory of Ukraine and support its excellent professionals.