For five years, Iryna Paruna and her family have nurtured a business that manufactures and sells bedding. They produce their products in the eastern Ukrainian village of Bobrove, eight kilometers from the front line. From there, her finished goods are sent to towns and villages throughout Ukraine. 

Iryna started her business in 2014, when she and her family moved to Bobrove from Severodonetsk, acquired some basic sewing equipment, and began to sew bathrobes, dresses, and linen in one of the rooms of her apartment.

She wanted to expand her enterprise, but didn’t have the resources to purchase equipment.

Iryna searched online for ways to raise money for more investment and happened upon a website that informed her of an upcoming USAID Competitive Economy Program grants competition. She applied for, and last fall received, a grant that allowed her to purchase five thread overlock machines, an ironing machine, and fabric inventory, which greatly increased her manufacturing capacity and improved the quality of the tailoring.

“We could never have raised the money for equipment like this on our own,” Iryna noted. “Getting the ironing machine, which uses steam and is easy to work with, was really fantastic.” The grant also allowed Iryna to hire three more workers, increasing the number of tailors to five.

When the COVID-19 pandemic hit Ukraine, Iryna quickly moved to making masks, using their supply of bedding. For one month straight, the team worked 14-hour days to make 3,000 masks. Profits are being used for social initiatives to help the poor and disabled.  Masks were also provided to the local police, city administration, and international organizations working in eastern Ukraine. Reorienting to mask production has helped the enterprise save workers’ jobs and the business itself.

Today, Iryna has a slew of plans for her business. She will continue making masks, but also wants to expand the workshop and possibly buy an embroidery machine to decorate and brand bedding. While many small businesses have shut down due to the economic crisis caused by the pandemic, Iryna is sure that her business will survive, and that the most difficult times have passed. “We preserved the business, and that makes me very happy.”