Leading Through the Fire: The woman village head protecting Mardarivka’s future

Located more than 30 kilometres from the district centre of Podilsk, the village often endured dangerously long wait times for the State Emergency Service (SES) due to the distance and poor road conditions.

To bridge this gap, the Kuyalnyk Village Territorial Community established a local volunteer fire brigade in 2025, slashing emergency response times from 40 minutes to as little as five.

The team was assembled by the local village head, Viktoriia Sukhyna, who also became the brigade’s dispatcher.

The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with funding from the Government of Japan, provided the brigade with clothing, footwear, helmets, axes, fire extinguishers and other specialised equipment. This allows the team to operate autonomously and respond quickly to emergencies. UNDP also trained 15 volunteers.

From entrepreneur to fire brigade leader

Until 2020, Sukhyna was an entrepreneur who ran her own shop in the village. Her great-grandparents and parents had lived in Mardarivka, and her children now live there as well. Sukhyna says she saw that the village needed development. Her desire to keep her village alive led her into local government.

“I thought being a village head wasn’t really for me,” she laughs. “But I care deeply about this village and love it very much. Of course, running a shop was calmer, but once I started this work, there was no stopping me.”

When the opportunity arose a year ago to establish a volunteer fire brigade in Mardarivka with the support of UNDP and the Government of Japan, Sukhyna didn’t just facilitate the creation of the brigade — she joined it herself.

“I wanted to lead by example, although I didn’t fully realise what I was signing up for,” Sukhyna says. “At that time, I knew nothing about firefighting. I personally invited people to join the brigade, choosing very responsible people — those you wouldn’t be afraid to go through fire or water with.”

First to respond

Sofiia Khodiuk, the deputy head of Kuyalnyk Village Territorial Community for Economic Affairs, explains that the need for volunteer fire brigades stems from the remoteness of some of the settlements in the community.

“Some settlements are up to 40 kilometres away from the community centre in Podilsk,” Khodiuk says. “Under these conditions, SES units cannot arrive quickly enough at the scene of a fire. Together with the SES, we concluded that volunteer fire brigades could provide the solution — they would be the first to respond.”

“If the fire is serious, trained volunteers can begin extinguishing it while professional rescuers are still on their way. Smaller fires can be put out by the local brigade without SES involvement. This helps improve safety in the community.”

During wartime, when state emergency services are heavily focused on responding to the consequences of attacks, the role of volunteer teams in remote villages has become critical for protecting lives and property.

As part of the implementation of the Community Recovery and Development Plan drawn up with the support of UNDP and the Government of Japan, two volunteer fire brigades have been operating in the Kuyalnyk community since 2025, while a third is currently being formed, with its launch planned for September 2026.

According to the deputy head of the council, the volunteers in Mardarivka received not only fully equipped fire kits through UNDP and the Government of Japan, but also training from the State Emergency Service.

Excitement, fear and responsibility

Over the past year, the volunteers from Mardarivka have had two official callouts. Sukhyna says the most memorable one was in November when, at 5 a.m., she received a call that a residential house was on fire.

“The woman wasn’t home, and her husband heard something bang in the stove but didn’t pay attention,” Sukhyna says. “Their son, who lives nearby, saw that the entire roof was on fire and called us. My team worked so well that I’m incredibly proud of them. Everyone knew what to do. When the fire was extinguished, I could see gratitude in the owners’ eyes. Being a firefighter brings incredible emotions — excitement, fear and a sense of responsibility to the community.”

Sukhyna’s responsibilities include liaising between the State Emergency Service and the community, as well as coordinating operations during fires and monitoring whether there is enough water.

“The first time we were called out, everyone was scared — stubble was burning and people's gardens were nearby,” Sukhyna says. “But once we turned on the water and started working as we had been trained, things quickly fell into place and we saw immediate results. We realised we could handle it and even told the SES not to come because we knew we could manage. Honestly, it was exhausting, but I'm very proud of us. We worked in unity — we truly felt like a team.”

Focus on residents

For Sukhyna, being both a village head and a firefighter means being ready to respond 24/7. Her family fully supports her.

“At first, the residents of Mardarivka reacted indifferently to the fire brigade, saying: ‘Well, it exists, great,’” Sukhyna says.

“But when they saw that we actually respond to calls and witnessed our work, their attitude changed. I think we surprised a lot of people.”

Khodiuk says that this and other community projects within the Recovery and Development Plan were designed on the basis of a principle she learned during UNDP training: the individual must be at the centre of everything.

“You cannot implement projects if they do not benefit people,” Khodiuk says. “You must focus on residents’ needs. When developing the Recovery Plan, we spoke with residents, listened to what they wanted, conducted surveys and questionnaires, and only then planned the activities.”

The story of Mardarivka is not only about success in extinguishing fires. It is about creating a new civil protection system that was previously absent from the village. With support from international partners, the community has not only restored a safety function, but has also created a new model of cooperation, where transparency, accountability and women’s leadership ensure the long-term resilience of Odesa region.

Since 2023, UNDP, with financial support from the Government of Japan, has been providing comprehensive assistance to Ukrainian communities. During the first phase of the initiative, 10 pilot territorial communities participated. In 2024, the initiative was expanded, with another 20 communities from across Ukraine joining it.

Within this support, the 10 pilot communities have already developed strategic planning documents and anti-corruption programmes, individual communication strategies, received training in project management, and strengthened their capacity in strategic communications, media literacy and countering disinformation.

UNDP, with funding from Japan, has also supported several community recovery and development projects by procuring essential equipment. Thanks to this support, communities have not only strengthened their institutional capacity but have also successfully secured funding to implement other practical initiatives.