Green Road of Ecovillages

“Green Road of Ecovillages” is a project of two NGOs: the NGO “Global Ecovillage Network” and the Civil Society Organization “Permaculture in Ukraine”, which started on the second day of the full-scale invasion, on February 25, 2022.

These organizations joined forces, mobilized their networks (ecovillages and permaculture centers), and created a map of rural locations ready to host people seeking short-term or long-term shelter. In partnership with the Global Ecovillage Network Europe GEN Europe, they also created a map of European eco-communities willing to host Ukrainian refugees.

Scale and impact of the Green Road project

Within one month, the map included 70 locations in Ukraine and 300 in Western Europe.

Since the beginning of the project, approximately 3,000 people have passed through these locations. Initially, many stayed only for a short period while continuing their journey toward the western border—this is how the name “Green Road” emerged.

By autumn 2022, around 600 internally displaced persons chose to remain in ecovillages for the winter. Today, there are still about 600 people—children and adults of different ages—who are supported by the organization (together with partner foundations) and continue to live in or near these locations. Many plan to stay at least until the end of the war, and some have already become new members of the communities.

Stages of the Green Road of Ecovillages project

The “Green Road of Ecovillages” project had several distinct stages.

First stage — emergency support
People often arrived with only one bag and required basic essentials: food, medicine, clothing, kitchenware, and sleeping arrangements. The main responsibility of project coordinators was to source resources and redistribute them to hosting locations.

Second stage — infrastructure improvement
When it became clear that the war would not end soon, the focus shifted to improving infrastructure. People were accommodated in old houses that required repairs, water supply installation, and a basic level of comfort.

Project coordinators focused on sourcing resources, while communities contributed through hands-on work. Significant results were achieved through solidarity, mutual support, and coordinated efforts across multiple stakeholders.

Food security development stage

Special attention was given to improving food security. 35 greenhouses and a set of agricultural equipment were distributed to locations capable of growing their own food, enabling them to scale production and involve more people in these activities.

In addition, two Permaculture Design Courses were conducted to spread knowledge about sustainable agriculture and regenerative land-use practices.

Integration stage

When basic needs were gradually met and people became more settled, the project entered the integration stage.

Several community-building courses were conducted, including “home seminars”, where course graduates transferred their knowledge directly into their own communities. Mediation weeks were also organized, and cooperation with other organizations was established to provide psychological support.

The purpose of these activities was to help communities and new residents build a shared language, make collective decisions, and resolve conflicts more effectively and constructively.

Children’s Program

The children’s program was implemented thanks to the support of foundations and donors. Several locations received playgrounds and sports equipment, toys and games, assistance in organizing children’s camps, and New Year gifts.

In summer 2023, the “Caravan of Masters” project visited 8 locations and organized children’s events featuring creative workshops and various activities.

Mobility in Ecovillages

Mobility challenges in ecovillages located in rural areas—where roads are often in poor condition and distances between community households are significant—were addressed through practical solutions.

Used bicycles were transferred from Europe, then repaired and upgraded into electric bicycles. This approach improved internal mobility within communities and made everyday movement more accessible and efficient.

Digital support

Thanks to our Danish partners, 97 used laptops were delivered to adults and children within the network.

This provided significant support for remote work and online education, improving access to digital tools across communities and strengthening their ability to maintain learning and work processes under challenging conditions.

Winter energy resilience (2022–2023)

During the winter of 2022–2023, significant efforts were focused on helping locations endure prolonged power outages.

Ecological settlements were provided with power banks, charging stations, generators, flashlights, gas stoves with cylinders, and heating stoves. These resources helped communities maintain basic living conditions and resilience during periods of energy instability.

Current stage of the Green Road of Ecovillages project

The current stage of the “Green Road of Ecovillages” project includes:

• Support for vulnerable groups through the provision of food and clothing

• Development of shared community spaces in ecovillages, enabling communities to gather, strengthen their organizational structures, implement local projects, hold children’s activities, and cover basic household needs for families (such as washing machines and showers)

• Development of businesses within ecovillages to create jobs and support self-sufficiency, including craft food production and bicycle workshops

• Provision of sustainable energy solutions for shared and private spaces, including solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems

• Educational programs focused on communication skills, permaculture, and business planning

This project demonstrates how ecological communities can remain resilient in times of crisis and actively support others.

The locations still have significant needs, and support is highly appreciated.

We believe that ecological communities can become drivers of sustainable change and models for a new form of civil society in post-war Ukraine.

Supporters of the Green Road project

The project has been supported by a wide range of international and local partners:

• The European Ecovillage Network GEN Europe hosts Ukrainians in its settlements and collects donations for the project.

• The Danish Ecovillage Network Landsforeningen for Økosamfund helped secure several grants from CISU – Civilsamfund i Udvikling and also organized and delivered multiple truckloads of humanitarian aid.

• The Fondation de France supported the project with a grant focused on improving living conditions for internally displaced persons, providing alternative energy sources, and agricultural equipment to strengthen food security.

• The “German-Ukrainian Cooperation in Organic Agriculture” project supported the initiative through fundraising and solar power systems for shared spaces.

• The Visegrad and Beyond Permaculture Partnership integrated permaculture centers from the Visegrad region into the map and coordinated national focal points working with displaced persons.

• The Global Village Institute for Appropriate Technology runs fundraising campaigns for project needs.

• Gas Up Ukraine Canada organized fundraising efforts to provide fuel for ecovillages.

• The “Yednannia” Center for Civic Initiatives supported agricultural development in 5 locations.

• Mission Bambini Foundation funded the purchase of 12 tablets for children’s online education.

• Agro-Perma_Lab conducts fundraising activities in Poland.

• The “Danube Soy” organization supplied organic food from Ukrainian producers.

• Sunrise Foods provided a corporate donation to support the project.

• The LUSH Charity Foundation funded water collection barrels for rainwater harvesting systems.

• The Hilti Foundation supported the purchase of power banks, charging stations, and rechargeable lanterns to help communities survive the difficult winter of 2022–2023.

• Many other friends and partners around the world also contributed, for which we are deeply grateful.

Film

You can watch the film about the “Green Road of Ecovillages”:

• trailer

• short version (9 min)

• full version (30 min)