Impact
February recap: four years on, and still responding
February unfolded against a backdrop of continued instability and renewed escalations in parts of the world. Escalations in the Middle East once again reminded us how quickly civilian lives can be disrupted, and how fragile stability remains in many regions. We remain in close contact with partners in the region as we follow developments.
February also marked four years since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine. What began as an emergency has become a protracted reality. Humanitarian needs remain high, infrastructure continues to be targeted, and access to education, safety and basic services is still under pressure.
At People for People, our role remains consistent: building partnerships that connect corporate resources to targeted humanitarian action. February focused largely on Ukraine – not in broad statements, but in practical steps.
Below are some of this month’s highlights.
Four years of war in Ukraine: restoring access to education
Four years into the war, more than 10 million people in Ukraine require humanitarian assistance. Over 1,700 schools have been damaged or destroyed, and many children are still unable to attend school full-time.
Against that backdrop, one concrete request reached us through our long-standing partner LifeLine Ukraine: a local school bus in a front-line region had been destroyed. Without transport, children could no longer reach school.
Within 24 hours, we mobilised our network. Together with Pouw Vervoer, we secured a replacement school bus prepared for extreme conditions. Through a partnership initiated via a Picnic volunteer, Gosselin assisted in collecting school furniture from Dutch schools. The bus was filled with more than 600 backpacks, educational materials, hardware and printers – alongside handwritten cards and drawings from Dutch students.
Many of those drawings were created during two school takeovers organised with Young Impact, creating an exchange between students in the Netherlands and their peers in Ukraine.
The bus has now arrived in Ukraine. A practical response, rooted in partnership. We will share more photos of the arrival soon, but here are already a few moments of children in Ukraine receiving the cards and drawings sent by their peers in the Netherlands.
In the press:
NOS News, from 10:25 (television broadcast)
RTV Utrecht, from 35:00 (radio)
RTV Utrecht, from 07:20 (radio)
Leeuwarder Courant (article)
Warehouse mobilisation: preparing targeted shipments
In parallel, our warehouse once again became a place of coordinated action. Together with volunteers and partners, we prepared additional shipments for Ukraine’s Sumy region, including computer screens from Atabix, Macbooks from Bird and printers from Ricoh.
These items will support educational and operational capacity on the ground, based on needs identified by our local partner.
When requests are specific, responses can be precise.
Together, these contributions – from essential equipment and transport to school furniture, student involvement and volunteer support – demonstrate what coordinated action can achieve when partners align around one goal: restoring access to education.
Four years of People for People
February also marked four years of People for People. What started in response to the war in Ukraine has grown into a broader targeted humanitarian response, connecting businesses and NGOs across contexts and countries.
This month, we finalised our 2025 Impact Report. It reflects how partners, volunteers and NGOs mobilised throughout 2025, and how collective action took shape in practice. We are proud to share this overview of what we achieved together, and where continued focus is needed.
Ministry of Foreign Affairs event, focused on Ukraine: strengthening collaboration
We were invited by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs to attend a networking event under the CivicFocus Ukraine programme, bringing together Dutch NGOs active in Ukraine.
Four years into the war, the focus was clear: improving coordination, sharing knowledge and strengthening partnerships. The continued commitment across the Dutch NGO landscape remains tangible.
Staying connected to the Middle East
Escalations across parts of Iran and neighbouring countries have once again shaken civilian populations. Our thoughts are with those affected, including members of our own community with family in the region.
While we do not currently have active operations there, we remain in contact with partners in the Middle East as we monitor developments.
Where we cannot build directly, we remain connected.
Strengthening our network
- We continued onboarding new volunteers through structured introduction sessions.
- We presented at Picnic’s employee onboarding week, sharing how corporate engagement can translate into humanitarian impact.
Interested in organising a similar session at your organisation? Let us know!
People for People team updates and open roles
February also brought changes within our team.
We said goodbye to Farah, our Crisis Response Lead, as she returns to the field to continue her work directly in crisis-affected contexts. We are grateful for her leadership and dedication, and are now currently recruiting a new Global Crisis Response Lead to guide and coordinate our global emergency response efforts.
We are also expanding our capacity with a new Senior Project & Partnerships Lead, who will focus on building and strengthening collaborations with corporate partners, translating engagement into humanitarian action.
Earlier this month, we welcomed Rowan and Annelieke to the partnerships team. With a background in social psychology and leadership consultancy, Annelieke will support collaboration, training and team development across our network. Rowan joins us as a Young Colfield trainee and will contribute to strengthening our volunteer management.
We look forward to working together!
Looking ahead
Four years into the war in Ukraine, and in a world where crises overlap and intensify, our focus remains unchanged: build bridges, act when needed, and respond with precision.
Collective action is not a slogan. It is a structure, and one that must be maintained.
Thank you to everyone who continues to contribute time, expertise and resources.
