Olena Komarova fulfills her dream in a foreign country

Starting over a business in a foreign country may pose a number of challenges. But, for Olena Komarova her business in Poland has provided her with the hopes to fulfill her desire to become a successful entrepreneur, against all odds.

For more than twenty years, Olena Komarova has been knitting for customers and her four children. She wanted to do something bigger, more than taking individual orders, but didn't know how to proceed. However, due to Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Olena had to relocate to Poland and put a hold on her dream as the new environment made her more uncertain.

Thanks to the "Dream & Achieve'' program, implemented in partnership with UN Women Ukraine with financial support from the Government of Japan and the Government of Austria, Olena got the idea and motivation to expand and promote her business.

“When I found out about Dream and Achieve, I realized that it was exactly what I was looking for, and I didn’t hesitate to apply for it”, Olena says. 
She opened the “Mama Lama” workshop, a bespoke knitting brand selling exclusively to children’s clothing stores and maternity salons in Poland. Olena's exclusive products allow store owners to expand their product lines and stand out from competitors.

"Living abroad, knowing few people and with little knowledge of the local language, initially I was afraid to visit Polish stores and negotiate collaboration with them. The academy gave me the much needed confidence. I established relationships with shop owners who accepted me well. Orders are coming in. There is a certain amount of cash flow, so this confidence extends not only to the business, but also to my everyday life," says Olena.

This year, Mama Lama plans to enter the market of other EU countries, for which Olena, with the help of mentors, developed a strategy and drew up a business plan.