Much of the world has been riveted by Russia’s invasion of Ukraine, and we immediately considered how we could help neighbors help neighbors in the affected areas. Thanks to the Shugar Magic Foundation and several other generous donors, we already have deployed a new Ukrainian version of our award-winning mobile app, AtmaGo.
The goal is to empower the people most affected by the situation so they can rebuild and provide mutual support – helping with childcare, education, jobs, and services.
We are proud of how quickly our amazing technology team developed, tested, and deployed the AtmaGo app in Ukrainian, which is the first time the app is available in non-roman letters. Under the direction of Atma’s Ukraine Project Manager Ren Robbins, whose background includes incubating ReliefWeb, a UN information source on global crises and disasters, the Ukraine team is building a network of individuals and local organizations. Atma’s Chief of Product Aisyah Gunung, who is located in Jakarta, is guiding localization of AtmaGo, and we are working with two new team members in Ukraine, who we will be excited to introduce to you in our next newsletter.
Examples of the kind of valuable content that Ukrainians will find on AtmaGo are:
- Posts by a Ukrainian psychologist concerning ways to maintain emotional strength in the face of constant destruction and instability, and
- The Live Universal Awareness Map, an online independent global news and information site built by volunteers.
However, the most compelling contribution of AtmaGo is the way it enables social ties between neighbors who are displaced or whose movements are restricted. Disaster expert Dr. Daniel Aldrich says studies of major disasters reveal that strong local social ties are critical factors to individual survival and community resilience.
We are proud that Atma has been at the forefront of mutual aid, both as a thought leader and as an on-the-ground enabler through the AtmaGo network.