UN Summit

From September 20 to 27, we participated in some major events as part of the United Nations General Assembly (UNGA), including the unique and large-scale Summit of the Future, held at UN headquarters in New York, as well as other events under the auspices of the Assembly at iconic venues: Ford Foundation Building, Harvard Club, Yale Club of New York, The Nest Climate Campus, Hudson Yards, and more.

The Health & Help team was represented by Director of Fundraising Ekaterina Stukonog and Corporate Relations Manager Ekaterina Korneyeva.

For us, participating in the UN General Assembly events is a step up to a new level, as it was our first time attending such a large-scale event. This opportunity allowed us to connect and network with international NGOs, representatives of government agencies, and businesses. We presented our organization to staff from UNICEF, the World Health Organization, delegations from Switzerland, Canada, and France, and even Lucrecia Peinado, the First Lady of Guatemala.

Our presence on a global international platform allowed Health & Help to become more visible and to share our unique experience of developing the organization under conditions of limited resources with other participants.

As a result of the summit, we were able to start negotiations for financial support for Health & Help, and we also received an offer to donate solar panels for one of our clinics. Now we have significant work ahead — we need to channel the results of networking in the right direction and use the new contacts as effectively as possible.

“The reality exceeded our expectations,” says Ekaterina Stukonog. “The summit not only brought new contacts but also outlined development directions, opened up new opportunities, and ‘inspired us. We really liked the phrase ‘The floor is yours,’ which we heard an endless number of times. Organizers and moderators use it to indicate to speakers that they have the opportunity to speak during the sessions.

The phrase ‘The floor is yours’ indeed became a key moment, emphasizing the importance of each speaker’s participation in the discussion. It’s not just an invitation to speak; it symbolizes open dialogue and the exchange of ideas.

This approach contributes to creating an atmosphere of mutual respect and engagement. Speakers feel their significance, which helps develop deeper ideas and solutions. It seemed to me that this practice resonates with the internal culture of Health & Help: every member of our large, predominantly volunteer team is important and has the chance to express themselves, propose their ideas, and implement them.”

We are always open to collaboration and are happy to welcome anyone who wants to change the world for the better through words and actions!