Olha Makarenko has been GER³ North region Program Officer since 2024. Photo: GER³
Information sharing with other humanitarian actors is an essential part of GER³’s contribution to the conflict response in Ukraine.
This year, GER³ helped shape winterization guidance issued by the Ukraine Shelter Cluster, a platform that coordinates efforts to provide safe and dignified housing to war-affected Ukrainians.
Olha Makarenko, Program Officer, represented GER³ in working groups formed to produce the Winterization Lessons Learned 2025–2026 report and the Winterization Recommendations Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) 2026–2027.
She shared lessons learned from GER³’s 2025 winterization programs, presented market research conducted with firewood suppliers, and involved GER³ engineers in advising on home insulation technical specifications and budget guidance.
Olha reflected on the experience, saying:
“For me, being part of this process is first and foremost an opportunity to share what we have learned directly from our work in the field. Behind every recommendation is real experience: what worked, the challenges we faced, and the solutions we found together. I’m glad that GER³’s experience can be useful not only in our projects, but also to help other humanitarian organizations make winter support more practical and effective.”
By participating in coordination mechanisms such as the Shelter Cluster, GER³ contributes technical expertise to sector standards and good practice, while advocating for durable approaches informed by beneficiary feedback and monitoring findings.
