Veteran Andriy Drobit received almost 290 thousand hryvnias from the city for the development of his own business. The man grows thuja, juniper and lavender and provides lawn care services.
With the funds received, thanks to voucher support from the Lviv City Council, the entrepreneur purchased lawnmower tractors and a trailer.
Andriy Drobyt is a former military serviceman. In 2015, the man was mobilized. He served for one and a half years as a special agent and was released to the operational reserve of the first line. On February 22, 2022, he was already in the military unit, this time he got into the 24th brigade. He fought in the Izyum direction, was in Popasnaya, and in Orichov he was wounded by a fragment and was treated in the hospital for several months. The man was dismissed from service due to family circumstances, because he had a third daughter.
“When I went to fight, my wife was six months pregnant, and when I was wounded, she was already nine months pregnant – this is our third daughter,” says Andriy Drobit.
In 2016, Andriy built a greenhouse on his plot, he says – he was inspired by his brothers who started their own business after ATO/OOS. He and his wife grew flowers, later took out a loan and built another greenhouse. He made heating there and started growing cucumbers and lettuce. And after that he took up lavender in large volumes.
“My company is called Garden of Dreams. We currently grow several types of thuja, juniper and lavender, and also provide landscaping services: lawn care. For example, in villages, we mow kindergartens or schools and even stadiums,” says Andriy Drobit.
Andriy learned about voucher support from the Lviv City Council from social networks and decided to apply for the competition. It is not the first time that he uses the possibilities of grant support from various donors. The man decided to fill out an application to expand his own business. According to the decision of the commission, the veteran received almost 290 thousand hryvnias.
“Thanks to the financial support of the Lviv City Council, I purchased two tractor-lawn mowers and a trailer to provide lawn care services.
I really like that there is such support from the city. I have never seen this before. It is very important that they focus on the participants in the hostilities. And this is a normal amount, because I have met various grants of 500 or 1000 dollars, but here it is a significant amount that really affects the development of the business.
I tell everyone I know from military personnel and their families about this opportunity and encourage them to apply. This is a very good opportunity and everything is real, everything works. We need to work, study and take advantage of this opportunity, because it is for us,” says Andriy Drobit.
We will remind you that in September, the Lviv City Council supported the first 6 business projects of veterans and their spouses. The city spends up to 300,000 hryvnias for the development of its own business.
According to Inna Svystun, director of the economic development department of the Lviv City Council, the city already has 12 different vouchers to help small and medium-sized entrepreneurs. Therefore, those willing are invited to use the support program from the city.
You can find out more about voucher assistance for small and medium-sized entrepreneurs, which the city provides during martial law, at the link.