The award found its Hero in Prague

During a working trip to Prague, representatives of the International Anti-Corruption Assembly met a very interesting person. This person was an amazing woman, «twice displaced» (as she calls herself) Alla Pecherska.

Until 2015, she lived in Svitlodarsk (Donetsk region) with her daughter. Due to the situation in eastern Ukraine, they were forced to move to Kyiv. And after the aggressor’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, they left the country and came to Prague (Czech Republic). In more than a year and a half, she was able to open her own business in Prague. Now she has a small restaurant-bar with a banquet hall, which hosts corporate events, children’s parties, anniversaries, as well as yoga and oriental dance classes.

Antonina and Iryna, Ukrainian immigrants from Khust (Zakarpattia region) and Kyiv, work in the kitchen with her.

Her restaurant also often features live music. And one of the performers is Sergiy Shmatok, an accordionist and versatile guitar virtuoso from Kyiv, who is called the «Golden guitar of Ukraine». (He was a member of many popular bands, including «Stozhary». Participant in many festivals and competitions, including the «Tavrian Games», «Song Vernissage», and the First International Festival-Marathon «Let’s Go, People!» (Ukraine-Slovakia-Ukraine) in April 1994, the first social and cultural event of the International Charitable Foundation «Ukrainian House». Winner of the 1st prize of the All-Ukrainian competition «Success 2000» (Kharkiv)). Since 2014, Serhiy, along with Anatoliy Matviychuk, Svitlana Mirvoda and Lesya Horova, has been traveling and supporting soldiers at the front by performing concerts.

Alla has gathered around her similarly creative Ukrainian craftswomen. Together, they make and sell handmade products at fairs: beaded jewelry, woolen dolls, painted towels and bags, and fabric toys.

They also organize balloon shows and sell cotton candy to children for their enjoyment.
They organize volunteer activities for displaced people from Ukraine and give them the opportunity to get back on their feet.

Despite the difficulties in her life, Alla remains a cheerful, extremely motivated person who perceives any difficulties in life as a new lesson in development and is determined to pursue her dreams.

During the meetings with Alla, the topic of IDPs was raised. After discussing some of the nuances, the possibility of opening a Children’s Help Center in Prague and participating in the «Children for Children» campaign as part of the «Humanitarian Component of Victory» project was offered.

Early in the morning on March 26, at the end of the business trip, before leaving Prague, we visited Alla’s restaurant to present her with the «Badge of Honor» – the Award «Gratitude of the World from the Ukrainian People for the Humanitarian Component of the Victory».

We were amazed by the sincerity with which we were greeted in this restaurant. We were glad to meet kindred souls far away from our native land.