Zaporizhzhia NGO STEP turns free legal aid into won court cases

Publication date: December 26, 2025

Author: Yuliia Bilyk, Communications Manager, Legal Development Network

A member organization of the Legal Development Network in Zaporizhzhia, Strategies and Technologies for Effective Partnership (hereinafter referred to as STEP), provides free legal aid, develops youth policy in the region, supports parents raising children with special needs, and works closely with relocated communities. In a city that is constantly under fire from Russian troops, the organization has become a reliable support for those who need not only legal protection but also systematic support in building their future. Flexible funding from GlobalGiving helps the team focus on working with internally displaced persons and anyone who needs legal advice.

An organization with many faces

STEP has a number of areas of focus, each of which is handled by a separate project team and involved specialists. The core team of the organization consists of five people: the chair of the board, a communications manager, a grant writing manager, a chief accountant, and a MEL specialist (monitoring, evaluation, and learning specialist).

“Our main focus is providing free legal aid to anyone who needs it. Since 2022, we have been working in this area with the Legal Development Network (MPR) and the Danish Refugee Council (DRC),” says chairman of the board of the NGO STEP Oleksiiy Agientaiev.

The organization also develops youth policy in the city of Zaporizhzhia and the surrounding region. It recently received a grant from UNICEF to implement a youth project that also covers the neighboring Dnipropetrovsk region.

For several years, STEP has been working with parents of children with special educational needs, providing them with psychological, legal, and social support. In 2024, the NGO collaborated with the Street Child Ukraine foundation, and in 2025, with Lumos Ukraine (Joanne Rowling’s foundation). The organization is currently preparing to open an adaptive sports ground for veterans with the support of the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine.

Another important area of focus is strategic work with communities as part of the NED project “The Power of Small Communities,” which involves training local government bodies and young people in communities.

“We are constantly keeping our finger on the pulse, writing grants, and applying for new projects. We understand the challenges ahead and are preparing for them,” says Oleksiiy Agientaiev.

Focus on legal aid

With the support of the Legal Development Network and the international charity platform GlobalGiving, the NGO STEP provides free legal aid, conducts legal awareness events, and holds group sessions. Special attention is given to representatives of relocated communities, internally displaced persons, and people in difficult life circumstances.

“The LDN and GlobalGiving strengthen our capacity. Although we have been providing free legal aid for a long time within the framework of various projects, this particular project allows us to focus on the legal needs of displaced persons. This is very good, because people have more than enough needs,” explains Oleksiiy Agientaiev.

Legal assistance within the project is provided by Maria Cherep, an experienced lawyer and attorney. Since June 2025, she has been advising people at the organization’s office and remotely, organizing legal awareness events, often at the invitation of the administrations of communities relocated to Zaporizhzhia: Energodar, Vasylivka, Yakymivka, Melitopol, and others.

Urgent legal needs

According to Maria Cherep, most requests concern compensation for damaged property. The problem of registering real estate in the State Register of Real Rights to Real Estate (DRRP) is particularly acute.

“For all residents of Zaporizhzhia, not only internally displaced persons, it is important to register real estate in the DRRP and receive compensation for damaged property,” notes Mariia Cherep.

The problem is that the technical inventory bureaus (TIBs) of the relocated communities remained in the occupied territory. And since in many cases the ownership rights to the properties arose before 2013, i.e., before the launch of the register as a digital system, there is no information about them. Therefore, in order to receive compensation or take advantage of the e-Recovery program, people first need to enter this property into the registry. But due to the lack of documents from the BTI, state registrars are refusing registration en masse.

“We receive stacks of rejections from the state registrar. Then we help people prepare documents to file lawsuits. As a result, we have a positive track record in Zaporizhia — we win these cases,” Mariia Cherep shares her experience.

In addition to issues related to obtaining compensation, lawyers are asked to help with pension matters: confirming insurance experience, appealing decisions by the Pension Fund to deny pensions. And, of course, many requests are related to the war. These include obtaining deferrals from mobilization and appealing decisions of the military medical commission (VMC). At the same time, family issues remain: divorce, alimony collection, inheritance registration, establishing facts of death in the occupied territory, etc.

More than just consultations

Although Mariia Cherep works alone on the project, she tries to provide each client with comprehensive assistance, not limiting herself to initial consultations. The lawyer prepares statements of claim, complaints, and attorney requests and accompanies clients in court proceedings.

“I prepare statements of claim and send them to clients. The person comes, signs, and sends them to the court themselves. Then we decide by phone whether to write a response, simply wait, or prepare an appeal, depending on the situation,” explains Mariia Cherep.

Legal awareness events are held once a month in various locations: libraries, educational institutions, district administrations — wherever it is convenient to gather a group of people. Sometimes a lawyer visits communities with a special thematic session. Previous sessions have focused on property registration.

“I have a circle of regular clients in the communities. These people have my phone number. They contact me themselves and recommend me to their friends. Usually, they call first, explain the essence of the issue, and then, depending on the complexity of the problem, we decide how to proceed, either over the phone or they come to the office,” says Mariia Cherep.

Danger and staff turnover

Due to the fact that Zaporizhzhia is under constant threat of shelling, the NGO STEP faces a number of logistical, organizational, and financial obstacles on a daily basis. Recently, another challenge has been added — retaining the team and attracting new employees.

“The latest challenge we have faced is recruiting people for various positions. We have a stable team of people we can count on for future work. But after the recent shelling, which caused many casualties, people say, ‘We are ready to work, but let’s wait a little. If the situation worsens, we will leave the city.“ In other words, people are not ready to plan for the long term; they live one day at a time, because tomorrow everything could change dramatically,” says Oleksiiy Agientaiev.

At the same time, shelling, power outages, and unpredictable circumstances, which the NGO team has experienced plenty of over the past four years, do not stop STEP. On the contrary, they motivate them to find new opportunities.

Working with relocated communities

Zaporizhzhia currently hosts the administrations of 67 relocated communities. These are communities that have been fully or partially evacuated from the occupied and frontline territories of Zaporizhzhia and Kherson regions. The NGO STEP helps them adapt, resolve legal issues, and prepare for their future return.

In 2024-2025, together with the STEP Legal Development Network, STEP initiated a series of online events to explore the needs of relocated communities, understand how displaced administrations work, and how they maintain contact with residents who are currently in Zaporizhzhia, other regions of Ukraine, or abroad. These events showed that the problems of most communities are typical: people want to stay connected to their homeland, no matter where they are because of the war, and they haven’t given up hope of returning home soon.

“What is particularly useful is that not only communities from Zaporizhzhia participated in our events, but also those from Kherson, which were occupied in 2022 but have now returned home, are rebuilding, and are increasing their capacity. The relocated communities had many questions, heard advice, and received a boost of inspiration,” says Oleksiiy Agientaiev.

Currently, under the new PFRU (Partnership for a Resilient Ukraine) program from Chemonics Group, the NGO STEP continues to work with relocated communities on preparing for de-occupation, returning home, and developing strategic documents.

Community recognition and trust

Over the years, STEP has built a reputation as a reliable organization that is always ready to help. The team works closely with local authorities and city departments, which strengthens its influence.

“We attend events organized by local authorities, where we always talk about what we can do for people. We coordinate our actions with local authorities, and they know who to turn to when needed. If help is needed for victims of shelling, they share lists with us, and our lawyers follow up,” says Oleksiiy Agientaiev.

Cooperation with the Department of Education on inclusion is particularly fruitful. The organization conducts training for teachers, provides classrooms, and helps parents of children with special needs.

“Three years ago, the word ‘free’ in the phrase ‘free legal aid’ repelled people — they perceived it as something frivolous. But now, seeing how citizens are received and lawyers’ reports are written, I understand that specialists have full working days and are treated with complete respect and trust. Therefore, we definitely need continued support, such as we currently have thanks to flexible funding from GlobalGiving, in order to support those in need,” concludes Oleksiiy Agientaiev.

The organization’s immediate plans include obtaining direct partner status with the United Humanitarian Fund (UHF) and the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) and undergoing verification. This will allow STEP to apply for grants directly and expand its influence. The NGO also plans to work more closely with relocated communities, each of which needs comprehensive support, from legal to strategic.

This material was created by the Legal Development Network with the support of the international charitable platform GlobalGiving. The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the Legal Development Network.

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