The thought behind Stopify is rather simple – it offers the chance to subscribe to a monthly donation, starting from just under 7 euros. It is simply a tiny and affordable amount, yet it can make a immense difference erstwhile multiplied by thousands. The donated funds are utilized to acquisition essential equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, helping to support the country in its fight for peace, freedom and justice.
How it all started
“When the war kicked off on February 24th 2022, it was a horrible feeling. I knew right distant that I wanted to take action, but I felt so confused that nothing truly constructive came to mind,” says Māris Upenieks, recalling the terrifying Thursday erstwhile we all learned just how fragile peace in Europe is. Having worked as an independent creative manager for years, Upenieks’s first instinct was to do what he knows best – make visuals and send them to companies operating digital advertising screens in Riga, Latvia.
“It took me just half an hr to make digital versions of the Ukrainian flag and send them out – hey, if you besides think this is madness, possibly you can put these flags on your digital advertising screens!” By the afternoon of February 24th, the full of Riga was flooded with yellow and blue, glowing from digital screens in a spontaneous show of support for Ukraine.
“Seeing specified a dreadful injustice happening right in front of us in Europe, I couldn’t just stand aside and watch events unfold. It’s like walking down the street and seeing a hooligan brutally beating up individual weaker – how could I just walk by, go home, and watch a movie on my comfy sofa?” Upenieks explains his philosophy.
This was not the first time Upenieks had launched a digital civic initiative. During the COVID-19 pandemic, he created 2 series of fun and witty posters – “Stay Home” and “Get the Vaccine”. These besides found their way to digital screens, online and print media, and social networks. “I’ve come to realize – if something large and unclear happens, my coping mechanics is to get active and do something about it, alternatively of pretending everything is fine or hiding under the bed.”
From a creative intellectual exercise to a streaming service
Time flew by, but Russia’s atrocities in Ukraine continued. “It was already April or May, and I inactive had that lingering feeling – I gotta come up with something!” remembers Upenieks. Whenever he has a bit of free time, he frequently turns to creative intellectual exercises – choosing a circumstantial problem and spending a fewer hours reasoning it through to find the best possible solution. “One fine afternoon, I decided to sit down with the task of figuring out how to aid Ukraine.”
The net was full of political posters and another visuals expressing support for Ukraine. “But there’s a problem with images – they communicate an opinion, but they don’t supply any real aid or support. And I realized there was no point in creating yet another visual. I started reasoning – what actually helps? Who needs aid the most? And then the gears in my head started turning,” Upenieks recalls. He concluded that those who request the most aid are the ones fighting the enemy – the brave men and women risking their lives for their land and country: the Armed Forces of Ukraine. And the best way to support the army was by collecting donations.
“After the COVID-19 pandemic, streaming services like Netflix and Spotify became highly popular. That led to the thought – what if, for the same tiny monthly fee, we could stream donations to Ukraine alternatively of endlessly watching movies and series?” shortly enough, Upenieks came up with a name: Stopify – halt the war.
“The concept was very clear to me, but I wasn’t certain how others would react, so I did something unusual. I posted the thought on my social media as a kind of public discussion. I encouraged my friends and followers to check it out and share their thoughts.” His experimentation turned out to be a immense success. People responded, commented, and were ready to subscribe to specified a service. It was time to get to work and bring Stopify to life.
The squad of 3 and others
Upenieks reached out to 2 friends from the digital agency Cube – Mārcis Miķelsons-Germs and Miks Miķelsons. “As digital professionals, they know all the tricks for creating user-friendly websites. They thought for a minute and said – okay, let’s do this!” It was summertime erstwhile the squad of 3 began working on Stopify in their spare time. Asked why he chose Mārcis and Miks, Upenieks says: “I wouldn’t say they’re the kind of fiercely patriotic Latvians who walk around with flag ribbons or have been in the National defender since day one, but they’re the kind of guys who definitely care. Besides, they have vast experience in building websites and incorporating safety solutions, which was very crucial in this case. Stopify was created with the awareness that certain unfriendly countries might effort to attack the system.”
In the beginning, the 3 men had global ambitions – to make Stopify as global as possible without tying it to any country but Ukraine. The first thought was to transfer the donated funds straight to the National Bank of Ukraine, which had set up a circumstantial account for the army. “I tried to contact the bank, but amid the war, it was nearly impossible – no 1 replied. Through the Bank of Latvia, I found individual acquainted with how the National Bank of Ukraine works. They said it wasn’t the best thought to transfer money straight and suggested we collaborate with United24 or another existing donation foundations instead. These organizations already had their own ways of communicating their mission to the world, and we didn’t want to mix it all up.”
Since Upenieks and his colleagues were not ready to establish their own charity organization, they realized they needed a trustworthy partner with experience in moving donation campaigns. They chose Ziedot.lv, Latvia’s largest charity organization, which has operated since 2003 and provides a clear and transparent donation process for various causes and people in need. “Ziedot.lv already had experience with donations for Ukraine. By that time, they had sent respective million euros to support Ukraine. They were happy that we besides wanted to get active and were looking for professional partners.” To realize what kind of gear the Armed Forces of Ukraine needed, Upenieks contacted the Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia, which had direct and trusted contacts within the army.
Stopify was launched on November 2nd 2022. “Our collaboration came together naturally. We, at Stopify, communicate with the planet and supply the donation streaming platform. Ziedot.lv receives the donations in their bank account, purchases the essential gear for the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and handles the full applicable process. The Embassy of Ukraine in Latvia stays in contact with the army and gives us a monthly list of the circumstantial gear they need,” Upenieks explains.
All 3 men behind Stopify work entirely for free. “Stopify is our civic initiative – we’re volunteers. It’s not our job,” Upenieks points out. It is besides agreed with Ziedot.lv that no of the funds collected via Stopify will be utilized for staff salaries. all cent but payment transaction fees goes straight toward the goal: supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine. To guarantee the funds do not get lost along the way, the requested gear is purchased in Latvia and then sent to Ukraine.
Subscribing helps
The concept of a monthly donation is nothing new, but Stopify offers more than that. “We tried to advance the thought in an interesting, exciting, and memorable way. It gives the platform greater visibility, and people want to be associated with Stopify,” says Upenieks. Stopify visually resembles Netflix and another streaming services. On the website, visitors find visuals that look like movie posters, at least at first glance. Upon closer inspection, it becomes clear that these posters depict gear desperately needed by the Armed Forces of Ukraine. “Each visual features a hidden clever remark that besides explains why that circumstantial item is necessary.”
Upenieks admits that this model of monthly subscriptions works especially well in the long run. By the time Stopify was launched, the public in Latvia was already increasing tired of the endless news from Ukraine. The headlines no longer changed – just more victims, more bombings, more atrocities. Local news began taking over the front pages, pushing Ukraine to the background. The flow of donations started to dwindle.
Stopify arrived at the right moment, offering people an easy way to stay involved. They could subscribe erstwhile and forget about it. “It seems people like this concept. They can stream donations for the same amount they’d spend on Netflix or a couple of coffees and proceed surviving their lives knowing they’re doing something good for Ukraine,” Upenieks says. He believes that Stopify has managed to keep a steady number of supporters – more than 10,200 – thanks to this model. any people cancel their subscriptions, but others join in, so the average monthly donation remains stable.
Gear is shipped to Ukraine erstwhile per month. Before it is sent off, the Stopify squad photographs it for social media. “This builds trust among our subscribers. We show them what we’ve bought with their donations, and we besides share photos of Ukrainian soldiers standing next to the donated gear.” Sometimes, soldiers send short videos explaining how the gear has helped them, but more frequently they do not have time for that – they’re busy fighting. “We’ve heard stories that our vehicles have helped save the lives of wounded soldiers. News like that always warm our hearts. Whenever we receive these kinds of stories, we share them on social media,” assures Upenieks.
In just over 2 years Stopify has sent 195 drones; 21 large vehicles specified as jeeps, vans and pickup trucks; 21 another vehicles specified as quad bikes, boats and motorbikes; 237 night imagination devices and thermal cameras; 178 portable generators; and over 2,500 another items including metallic detectors, tactical boots and clothing, medical supplies and others. “We’ve besides sent many tablets and TVs, and people frequently ask – why would the army request those? But they usage tablets to control drones, and TVs are essential in command centres to monitor the battlefield on a large screen. These are the realities of modern warfare,” explains Upenieks.
Although Stopify supports the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the collected funds are not utilized for purchasing weapons or ammunition. Firstly, it is illegal for charity organizations in Latvia to do so. Secondly, it goes against the values of Stopify’s founders. “We want everyone to live peacefully – no bullying, no violence. We support freedom fighters with transportation, night vision, drones, generators, so they can defend Ukraine and fight back. But weapons or ammunition? That’s not our call to take specified deadly decisions. That’s for governments and the military,” says Upenieks.
Stopify now has subscribers from 50 countries, mostly from Latvia, followed by the UK, Estonia, the US, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Finland, France and Norway. Among the most amazing countries, Upenieks mentions Myanmar, Lesotho, Costa Rica and South Africa.
Upenieks believes that subscribing to Stopify is simply a way to take matters into your own hands and actively aid Ukraine. “There’s no point in being a passive victim of events, watching the news and reasoning the bad guys will take over the world. You can aid to halt this horror show. You can do something about it,” Upenieks reminds us. small things matter. Being an active citizen matters.
Solveiga Kaļva is a freelance author from Riga, Latvia and a postgraduate of the Folkloristics and Applied Heritage Studies Masters Program at the University of Tartu, Estonia. She is curious in the ways people perceive places, their relation with places and how a place can represent community and individuals and vice versa.
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