Meet Project Kesher Ukraine's Kateryna Kolomiiets, Communications Manager and English Teacher at WOnder School of the Women’s Opportunity Fund

“For me, it all comes down to one thing: to love people.” That simple motto, passed down from her father, has shaped Kateryna Kolomiiets’s life and work as a teacher, a translator, a communicator and a mentor.

Kateryna’s passion for English began in childhood and led her to study foreign languages, work in translation and ultimately discover her calling in teaching. When the invasion of Ukraine forced her to flee with her children, it was her knowledge of English that became a lifeline. That experience cemented her belief that language isn’t a luxury, but a tool for survival and connection.

So when the Women’s Opportunity Fund launched its English conversation clubs for displaced women abroad, Kateryna did not hesitate to get involved. Those first lessons, focused on how to navigate daily life abroad, have since grown into WOnder School, a vibrant language learning community now supporting more than 700 women.

“I love watching that spark when a student gets it,” Kateryna says. “But what stays with me most are the stories: women who feel confident enough to apply for jobs, travel or simply speak to a neighbor. That’s when I know we’re doing something that matters.”

Thanks to leaders like Kateryna, WOnder School has become a warmer, more welcoming space where language learning builds independence, confidence and community.