Building Ukraine Together, commonly known by its Ukrainian acronym BUR, is a nonprofit public organisation that mobilises young people to rebuild homes, restore community infrastructure and strengthen civic participation across Ukraine. Through volunteer camps, non-formal education, local initiatives and leadership development, BUR connects physical reconstruction with the long-term development of responsible and active citizens.
Unlike a grantmaking foundation, Building Ukraine Together directly implements programmes with volunteers, communities, public institutions and funding partners. Its work has become especially important amid the war in Ukraine, where damaged housing, weakened infrastructure and displacement have created extensive humanitarian and recovery needs.
History and Background
Building Ukraine Together began in 2014 as a volunteer initiative of the organisation now known as the Ukrainian Education Platform, formerly the Lviv Education Foundation. It emerged in response to destruction caused by the war in eastern Ukraine.
During the first initiative, volunteers installed new windows in a residential building in Kramatorsk and reconstructed two destroyed homes in Semenivka. The experience demonstrated that rebuilding could do more than repair physical structures—it could also bring together people from different regions, challenge stereotypes and create relationships based on trust.
Later in 2014, BUR founders Yurko Didula and Kolia Dorokhov helped establish the VILna KHata youth space in Kramatorsk. The centre created new cultural, educational and civic opportunities for young people in the city.
Over the following years, BUR developed a model combining volunteer construction, non-formal education, mentoring, community engagement and youth leadership. In 2022, the programme became an independent public organisation, allowing it to expand its institutional structure and respond more directly to Ukraine’s wartime recovery needs.
Mission and Purpose
The mission of Building Ukraine Together is to build trust and responsibility among Ukrainian youth and encourage their participation in the development of a democratic Ukraine.
BUR views young people as active contributors to national reconstruction rather than simply beneficiaries of assistance. Its programmes give participants opportunities to improve communities, gain practical experience, develop leadership skills and work with people from different social and regional backgrounds.
The organisation’s work is guided by values including responsibility, trust, equality, diversity, human dignity and belief in Ukraine. These principles are incorporated into volunteer activities, educational programmes and community partnerships.
BUR also promotes social cohesion by bringing together volunteers from different parts of Ukraine. Shared work on homes, schools, shelters, youth centres and public spaces helps build relationships between participants and local residents.
Governance and Structure
Building Ukraine Together operates as an independent Ukrainian public organisation. Its governance includes organisational leadership, a supervisory board, programme managers, coordinators and teams responsible for volunteering, partnerships, communications, fundraising and community development.
Marta Benyshyn serves as head of the organisation, while co-founder Yurko Didula is a member of its supervisory board. BUR works through a central team and a network of regional branches and local initiative groups.
Regional development has been an important part of BUR’s structure since 2019. Local branches organise short volunteer actions, engage young residents and respond to the specific needs of their communities. This decentralised model allows local actors to shape projects while receiving training, coordination and technical support from the national organisation.
BUR also relies on camp leaders, mentors, professional volunteers and community coordinators. Their involvement helps ensure that construction activities are organised safely and that educational and social components remain central to every project.
The organisation holds a European Solidarity Corps Quality Label, recognising its capacity to implement volunteering projects consistent with European standards and principles.
Funding and Grants
Building Ukraine Together finances its activities through institutional partnerships, international assistance, charitable contributions, project funding and individual donations. Its partners have included international organisations, government-supported programmes, philanthropic institutions, civil society organisations and private businesses.
The organisation also operates BUR Friends, a community of recurring donors who provide regular financial contributions. This funding helps BUR maintain its operations, support volunteers and create new opportunities for youth and communities.
Donations can be made in Ukrainian hryvnia, US dollars and euros, as well as through other available payment methods. Contributions support construction materials, volunteer accommodation, transportation, educational activities, staff coordination and programme delivery.
BUR is not primarily a research-grant provider or conventional philanthropic foundation. Instead, it mobilises resources to implement its own youth development, community reconstruction and volunteer programmes. In selected educational initiatives, however, participants may receive mentoring, project support or small-scale resources to implement community ideas.
Its funding model combines institutional support with community giving, reducing dependence on a single donor and helping the organisation maintain a nationwide volunteer network.
Major Programs and Initiatives
BUR Camps are among the organisation’s best-known activities. These volunteer camps bring young people into communities to repair war-damaged homes, improve social infrastructure and create public spaces. The camps combine physical work with cultural activities, discussions, skills development and non-formal education.
BURchyk activities are shorter volunteer initiatives generally organised over one or two days. They respond to immediate local needs such as repairing community facilities, improving public spaces or supporting vulnerable households. These activities make volunteering accessible to people who cannot participate in longer camps.
BUR.LAB is a learning programme focused on project management in civic engagement and entrepreneurship. It helps volunteers transform ideas into practical projects related to education, culture, community development, innovation and business.
Long-term volunteering opportunities enable participants to work closely with local communities over extended periods. Volunteers support youth engagement, community initiatives and organisational development while gaining professional and leadership experience.
Regional branches and initiative groups help sustain volunteering beyond individual projects. These local networks organise activities, identify community needs and encourage young people to participate in civic life.
Since Russia’s full-scale invasion in 2022, BUR has expanded its focus on wartime response and recovery. Volunteers have repaired damaged housing, supported displaced and vulnerable families, restored shelters and rebuilt essential community facilities.
The organisation has also worked on projects converting neglected properties into social housing. These initiatives combine volunteer reconstruction with community planning and institutional cooperation, creating accommodation for people affected by war and displacement.
Impact and Examples of Work Funded
BUR reports that its network has grown to approximately 8,000 volunteers. Its activities have included around 150 volunteer camps, 300 shorter volunteer actions and the creation or improvement of 58 youth centres and community spaces.
In 2022, more than 2,600 volunteers helped create safer and more comfortable living conditions for over 5,000 people in communities affected by war. These projects demonstrated how organised volunteer action can complement formal humanitarian assistance and public reconstruction programmes.
In 2023, BUR organised a reconstruction camp in Novovoskresenske in the Kherson region as part of an initiative supporting communities in the de-occupied areas of Kherson and Mykolaiv. Volunteers restored a village council building that had been used as a military headquarters during the occupation and damaged by the conflict.
BUR’s impact extends beyond the number of buildings repaired. Participants gain construction experience, teamwork abilities, project-management skills and greater awareness of civic responsibility. Communities benefit from improved facilities, stronger local networks and increased youth participation.
The VILna KHata youth space illustrates the organisation’s broader approach. Rather than focusing only on physical reconstruction, the initiative created an environment where young people could organise cultural events, develop ideas and participate in community life.
BUR has also supported youth teams through programmes such as UPSHIFT, enabling young people to design and implement solutions to challenges in their communities. These activities connect volunteering with social innovation and sustainable local development.
Conclusion
Building Ukraine Together has developed from a small reconstruction initiative in eastern Ukraine into a major youth volunteering and community recovery movement. Its model combines practical rebuilding, non-formal education, local participation and civic leadership.
The organisation’s work demonstrates that rebuilding Ukraine involves more than restoring damaged buildings. Sustainable recovery also requires trust, social cohesion, capable local institutions and young people who are prepared to take responsibility for their communities.
Through volunteer camps, short-term actions, educational programmes, regional networks and community partnerships, BUR is helping restore homes and public infrastructure while developing a new generation of civic leaders. As Ukraine continues to confront the effects of war, Building Ukraine Together is positioned to contribute to both immediate recovery and the country’s longer-term democratic development.
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