29/12/2025
Year Later: How Families’ Lives Have Changed Since the Installation of Greenhouses
In 2025, 30 families living in the Mykolaiv region received support to develop their own farms. Each household was provided with greenhouses for growing vegetables and seeds for their first planting.
A year has passed since then. We visited the initiative participants to find out what has changed in their lives since receiving the support.
One of the participants — Anna — says she had long dreamed of having a greenhouse, but it was too expensive.
She lives in the village of Sofiivka and has a small farm with chickens and ducks. Previously, she grew vegetables simply in her garden or in a small polytunnel, but they often failed to produce a good harvest. So, when she heard about this project, she applied straight away.
“My child and I were really looking forward to it, so when they [CF "Angels of Salvation" representative] came to install it, we were very happy,” the woman recalls.
The first year was a success. Anna says the harvest was good. She even managed to make some preserves for the winter. In 2026, she started planting the vegetables back in winter, as there is a special stove inside — a potbelly stove — which helps maintain the right temperature.
The family is now looking forward to a harvest of squash and cucumbers, as well as watermelons, which were planted as an experiment. They also plan to make preserves from these for the winter.
Other participants also speak of positive changes. One of them is Mykola, for whom the aid he received marked the start of developing his own small business. He had wanted to grow vegetables for a long time, but had hesitated to start for ages.
“I was afraid: I thought I’d build a greenhouse, but nothing would work out and there’d be problems,” he recalls.
At the village council, he learnt that he could apply for assistance. Subsequently, representatives from the "Angels of Salvation" Foundation contacted him, and shortly afterwards a greenhouse was installed. The family decided to start with cucumbers and tomatoes. Mykola recalls that they began preparing the seedlings as soon as they found out they would be receiving assistance.
One of the participants — Anna — says she had long dreamed of having a greenhouse, but it was too expensive.
She lives in the village of Sofiivka and has a small farm with chickens and ducks. Previously, she grew vegetables simply in her garden or in a small polytunnel, but they often failed to produce a good harvest. So, when she heard about this project, she applied straight away.
“My child and I were really looking forward to it, so when they [CF "Angels of Salvation" representative] came to install it, we were very happy,” the woman recalls.
The first year was a success. Anna says the harvest was good. She even managed to make some preserves for the winter. In 2026, she started planting the vegetables back in winter, as there is a special stove inside — a potbelly stove — which helps maintain the right temperature.
The family is now looking forward to a harvest of squash and cucumbers, as well as watermelons, which were planted as an experiment. They also plan to make preserves from these for the winter.
Other participants also speak of positive changes. One of them is Mykola, for whom the aid he received marked the start of developing his own small business. He had wanted to grow vegetables for a long time, but had hesitated to start for ages.
“I was afraid: I thought I’d build a greenhouse, but nothing would work out and there’d be problems,” he recalls.
At the village council, he learnt that he could apply for assistance. Subsequently, representatives from the "Angels of Salvation" Foundation contacted him, and shortly afterwards a greenhouse was installed. The family decided to start with cucumbers and tomatoes. Mykola recalls that they began preparing the seedlings as soon as they found out they would be receiving assistance.
When the plants had grown and started yielding a harvest, the first thing they did was to preserve them for the winter, and then they decided that the surplus could be sold.
“There were plenty of cucumbers and tomatoes. We sold them; people placed orders in advance. Because everything is good, no chemicals, home-grown,” says Mykola, sharing last year’s successes.
In 2026, the family is continuing to develop their small business. Mykola says they have planted even more vegetables and will be selling those too. Their plans for the future include installing another greenhouse at their own expense and expanding the farm.
The project also included online lectures on agronomy. A specialist from the CF "Angels of Salvation" provided practical advice on preparing seedlings, planting vegetables, caring for plants, pest control and greenhouse growing techniques. In addition, we set up a special chat group where participants could get answers to their questions in real time.
This year, we decided to continue sharing practical agronomy tips in a more accessible format. That is why the YouTube channel of the Charitable Foundation “Angels of Salvation” is launching a series of short video tutorials called “The Agronomist Explains”, which brings together useful recommendations for those interested in plant cultivation and greenhouse farming. You can watch the videos via the link
Such initiatives are important and timely, as for many families growing vegetables is an opportunity to have their own produce, save money and, if necessary, earn extra income.
“There were plenty of cucumbers and tomatoes. We sold them; people placed orders in advance. Because everything is good, no chemicals, home-grown,” says Mykola, sharing last year’s successes.
In 2026, the family is continuing to develop their small business. Mykola says they have planted even more vegetables and will be selling those too. Their plans for the future include installing another greenhouse at their own expense and expanding the farm.
The project also included online lectures on agronomy. A specialist from the CF "Angels of Salvation" provided practical advice on preparing seedlings, planting vegetables, caring for plants, pest control and greenhouse growing techniques. In addition, we set up a special chat group where participants could get answers to their questions in real time.
This year, we decided to continue sharing practical agronomy tips in a more accessible format. That is why the YouTube channel of the Charitable Foundation “Angels of Salvation” is launching a series of short video tutorials called “The Agronomist Explains”, which brings together useful recommendations for those interested in plant cultivation and greenhouse farming. You can watch the videos via the link
Such initiatives are important and timely, as for many families growing vegetables is an opportunity to have their own produce, save money and, if necessary, earn extra income.
