From Kyiv to Berlin and back: Leveraging diaspora support for sustainable recovery

Through my return to Ukraine, I aspire to contribute to long-term systemic change. I want to help bridge the gap between Ukrainian and international development ecosystems to facilitate new partnerships, funding opportunities, and knowledge exchange that can directly benefit Ukraine’s recovery and reform processes.

Nadiia Synytsia

Growing up in a small town in Kyiv Oblast, a province in north-central Ukraine, Nadiia Synytsia was always drawn to languages and cultures. It came as no surprise as she left for the capital, Kyiv, years later to pursue a bachelor's degree in translation and interpretation with a focus on German. This opened the door to international experiences, including conferences and exchange programmes in Germany, and deepened her understanding of the country’s culture and society. 

In 2016, Nadiia moved to Berlin to pursue a master’s degree in Central and Eastern European Literature and Culture at Humboldt University. Over the following years, she gained valuable professional experience, working first with the Falling Walls Foundation, and later as a project lead at the non-profit organisation enpact e.V., where she focused on international cooperation and development. By 2024, Nadiia felt a strong desire to apply her international expertise where it was needed most – in her country of origin, Ukraine. She applied to the Returning Experts initiative, which supports qualified professionals in finding employment with local organisations in their country of origin. The programme offers guidance on job placement, assistance with reintegration, and financial support to help bridge local salary gaps.

“My main motivation for going back to Ukraine was professional,” explains Nadiia. She was keen to leverage her international educational and working experience and apply it in Ukraine. Since the full-scale invasion of Ukraine by Russia in 2022, hundreds of thousands of skilled professionals have left the country, creating a shortage of experienced professionals in areas such as project management, innovation, and sustainable development. For Nadiia, this was a chance to share her expertise, while growing and develop her career further. “Being on the ground enables me to work directly with local stakeholders, influence systemic change, and help build sustainable programs that respond to current challenges.” 

She joined Impact Force, a Ukrainian women-founded and led NGO working on social behaviour change, inclusive recovery, and long-term development. Together with the team, Nadiia set clear goals: to scale up programmes, strengthen internal capacity, and build strategic partnerships with both national and international actors. “The Returning Experts initiative helped me structure this transition,” she shares. “What was especially meaningful to me was the validation I received through the initiative. I realised that my idea to return during such uncertain and challenging times is not only possible but shared and supported. It gave me reassurance that I am not alone and that there are others who are also returning to contribute to Ukraine’s recovery and development.” 

In her role as Project Lead, Nadiia contributes to projects in education, mental health, women’s empowerment, and social entrepreneurship. Her work focuses on embedding structured project management practices, mentoring team members, and fostering a culture of knowledge exchange. She also helps build connections with partners in Germany and the European Union, drawing on her experience and multilingual skills to navigate international collaborations and donor engagement. Nadiia has played a key role in developing Impact Force’s strategic roadmap and introducing systems for monitoring, evaluation, and internal communication. She also helped establish a succession framework to support knowledge transfer within the team, ensuring that institutional capacity continues to grow.

Several flagship programmes at Impact Force focus specifically on supporting women affected by war, offering digital and entrepreneurial education, mental health services, and platforms for community-building. One of the key long-term results is the creation of sustainable ecosystems that empower local leaders, entrepreneurs, and experts to drive Ukraine’s recovery from within. 

Returning, however, was not without challenges. “Despite a strong motivation, it was still a transition from a stable environment in Germany to one marked by uncertainty and rapid change. Re-adjusting to the local pace of life, infrastructure limitations, and the psychological toll of ongoing war required resilience and emotional adaptability,” Nadiia reflects. “At the same time, I have been met with a remarkable openness to ideas, ambition, and innovation, which is incredibly energising.” Today, Nadiia continues to bridge networks between Ukraine and Germany, aiming to foster long-term cooperation and shared solutions.