Evgenii Selikhov, founder of the grassroots initiative Just Help, has dedicated himself to ensuring that refugees living with diabetes receive uninterrupted access to insulin, regardless of paperwork, border crossings, or financial barriers. His initiative, Insulin for Life: Supporting Diabetic Refugees, was created to provide immediate, accountable delivery of essential insulin to displaced Ukrainians in Georgia, prioritizing speed and verification to prevent medical crises during periods of uncertainty or exclusion from official health coverage.
The project focused on refugees in Tbilisi who faced barriers to consistent care, ensuring that families did not have to choose between rent and life-saving medication. Medical documents were verified, insulin was purchased from licensed pharmacies, and deliveries were made directly to patients, safeguarding their health in a practical and immediate way.
With a $500 seed grant from The Pollination Project, Just Help was able to purchase and distribute 22 packs of essential insulin—including NovoRapid, Apidra, and Lantus—reaching seven patients and providing three months of continuous therapy. Volunteers maintained 100% cold-chain compliance, coordinating storage and transport to ensure the medication remained viable throughout the delivery process. Multiple trips to source insulin at lower costs allowed the grant to be maximized, demonstrating how small philanthropic investments can produce tangible, life-saving results.
Beyond financial support, the seed grant served as a vote of confidence for the grassroots team, boosting volunteer morale and signaling trust in their leadership. Evgenii emphasized that the validation from The Pollination Project felt “human-centric and respectful” and energized the team to continue their mission despite operational challenges.
Insulin distribution requires precision, particularly when serving displaced populations, and Just Help prioritized accountability by tracking receipts and delivery confirmations. The project’s success illustrates the power of targeted seed funding: it stabilized a critical moment for refugees, strengthened community-led healthcare solutions, and laid the foundation for expanding support through local fundraising and assistance in navigating disability status to access state-funded healthcare. This initiative highlights how strategic microgrants can protect lives, sustain care, and empower grassroots leadership to address urgent health needs effectively.
