Oksana, along with her husband and daughter, left her hometown of Kharkiv due to the war in March 2022. This is how the family ended up in Cherkasy. Before the full-scale invasion, Oksana sold kimchi – a popular Korean snack – through an online store on Instagram. At one time, her daughter became interested in K-pop culture, and Oksana not only supported this hobby, but also began to study the Korean language and culture, including cuisine.

Once in a new place, Oksana continued to run her business as well as to explore new opportunities. She dreamed of opening a Korean restaurant, but finding a small space for a kitchen turned out to be difficult.

Oksana applied to the ERC’s Empowering Women Programme to gain additional knowledge and skills to develop her own business. This allowed her to take a fresh look at business processes and rethink her ideas. Thanks to the training within the program, advice and support of a mentor, the entrepreneur decided to open a full-fledged restaurant. After successfully defending her business plan, Oksana received an asset-based grant equal to 180,000 UAH (approximately 4100 EUR), which allowed her to rent premises and purchase the necessary equipment for the future establishment.

In April this year, Oksana opened the Korean restaurant “Mugunghwa”. The establishment is successfully operating and has already gained regular customers. Here you can order main dishes, snacks, and desserts. The most popular among visitors is “bungeo-ppang” – a fish-shaped pastry with various stuffings.

Together with her daughter and two professional chefs, Oksana continues to introduce authentic Korean cuisine to the residents of Cherkasy, as well as to popularize Korean culture by organizing weekly screenings of Korean TV series in her restaurant.

The Empowering Women Programme gave Oksana not only funds, but also knowledge that helped her to avoid difficulties while opening a restaurant, which novice entrepreneurs often face.

Oksana advises to believe in yourself and look for opportunities, because even in the most difficult times you can find a way to success. She has fulfilled her long-standing dream of opening a restaurant and does not plan to stop there.

The Empowering Women Programme is implemented as part of the Ukraine Response Consortium, led by Acted, and funded by USAID's Bureau for Humanitarian Assistance (BHA).