The organisation Repower is working on psychological recovery for medics and doctors serving at the front in Ukraine. During a stay in Sweden, Nordic Defence Sector followed the activities and interviewed the organisation's Swedish representatives about their work, funding, and the challenges of scaling up operations.

In January, the Ukrainian-Swedish-Danish organisation Repower was in Sweden for its eighteenth trip outside Ukraine's borders. The purpose is to provide medics and doctors serving at the front with the opportunity for psychological recovery after extreme stress, including post-traumatic stress disorder, concussions, suicidal thoughts, and prolonged stress. Nordic Defence Sector followed Repower during one of the days in Sweden, and during lunch, we sat down for an interview with Sebastian Lindström and Peter Holm, the organisation's Swedish representatives.

– We are one of very few organisations allowed to take serving personnel out of the country, which puts a lot of pressure on us to do it the right way and ensure that participants return to the front with new and positive energy. If this didn't work, the Ukrainian state would stop the activities, but they see the results of our work, says Sebastian Lindström, one of the co-founders of Repower.

Today, the activities include about 100–110 participants per trip, and the programmes are now conducted every month. The number of trips has also increased gradually, as funding has become more stable.

A crucial turning point came in April last year when the organisation was granted funds through the 19th Swedish support package to Ukraine. Repower has also applied for a total of 12 million from the 21st support package, with the money divided equally over two years. If the application is approved, it means that three programmes can be conducted in Sweden during the year. In parallel, parts of the activities are funded by the Danish Ministry of Defence, where the Danish support so far amounts to 2.2 million kroner. Of these, two million finance a similar programme in Denmark, and the remaining support helped fund a follow-up initiative in Ukraine for people who participated in previous programmes.

Together with Sebastian Lindström, Peter Holm has also been involved in Repower since the beginning of 2023. He has a previous background in the Swedish Armed Forces and has started and worked in several companies within the sector, both private and state-owned. As an entrepreneur, he has also been engaged in smaller projects related to Ukraine, and when he became aware of Repower's work, it didn't take long before he got involved himself.

– I remember reading about their pilot project on Wilderäng's blog, Cornucopia, and immediately felt that I wanted to contribute. So I called down to Kyiv and asked what I could help with. They were probably a bit surprised, but it was welcome, says Peter Holm.

Initially, he helped finance trips within the country and also hired a Ukrainian refugee in Sweden to assist the organisation administratively.

– And that's how it started. That's the way I got involved and got to know the whole team, and Sebastian sort of came along for the ride, he says with a laugh.

Over time, the collaboration developed, and Peter Holm was also involved in founding the sister organisation Repower Sweden, where he is now the treasurer. Historically, the organisation has mainly been financed through smaller donations from private actors. The situation changed when Repower established contact with Volvo Defense, which then provided financial support. Today, the organisation collaborates with several larger companies and also receives significant support from the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, which is now their largest financier.

– It's clear that it's a game changer. These donations allow us to plan the activities with greater security, and we want to get even better at that, says Peter Holm.

To create long-term financial security, the organisation sees a need for more stable collaborations with the business sector. Today, many initiatives are financed project by project, which means continuous work to secure funds for each new round.

– It means that we constantly have to chase money for individual projects. Now we are a bit calmer thanks to partial funding from government agencies, but to create long-term stability, we need to find companies willing to finance projects here at home. This would give companies the opportunity to contribute locally while also benefiting from the knowledge built up through the activities, says Peter Holm.

When asked how the organisation wants to reach out to these companies, he highlights the importance of clarifying the added value of a collaboration.

– In addition to contributing to something important, companies can also benefit from our participants' experiences, for example through workshops. A clear example is our partner Apotea, which, together with our medics, has further developed their medical backpacks based on what actually works in the reality of war.

– If there is an interest in understanding what works and what doesn't in a modern combat environment, everything from equipment and protection to how to live and work under extreme conditions – then we can help Swedish companies gain that understanding.

One of the organisation's biggest challenges is combining growth with transparency. To scale up operations, long-term partners are needed who can bear administrative costs, especially in Ukraine where project management and coordination are crucial. At the same time, it is important that private donations can go directly to the activities.

– Our challenge is to keep the donations as clean and transparent as possible, while also needing to take on administrative costs to scale up. It's a balancing act between transparency and honesty, being non-profit in Sweden while working professionally in Ukraine, says Peter Holm in conclusion.