Rachel Caklos.
Saint Javelin is a social enterprise that over the past two years has developed into an international brand selling Ukraine-made products keeping Ukraine in the minds of the public through their merchandise and social media pages.
The Beginning
Christian Borys alongside his friend Luke Daschko were working at a marketing company started by Christian before the war. At that time, the Javelin meme was circulating on social media. Christian had the idea of taking this meme and producing stickers to sell and collect small donations to help support Ukraine. With the simplicity of the idea and thinking sales would stay within the local boundaries, the stickers became an instant success and received substantial international attention. Within the first week, the sale of stickers raised an estimated $30,000. This immense success pushed the focus of Christian and Luke towards growing Saint Javelin and the marketing company was left on hold.
With the heat of demand, Saint Javelin quickly expanded and developed a line of products for consumers to purchase and the proceeds donated to the war effort. Within the month of March, Saint Javelin gathered an international audience and became a well-known brand. Their social media accounts received great traction, making it more than just a page for light commentary, but rather where people were informed about the war and the ways they could contribute. Saint Javelin was deemed an international success, leaving its mark on the world.
The meme was originally designed by an artist named Chris Shaw from the US. He has created pieces in collaboration with Saint Javelin. He continues to auction off more of his pieces to help the Ukrainian war effort. Groups of users online connected this image as a symbol of hope for Ukraine and its people.
At the beginning of the first launch of products, the aim was to raise funds quickly by selling something small to receive as many donations as possible and grow the brand. The largest donations were received in the first few months of operation. With its continued success, the future of Saint Javelin evolved into a company with a focus on longevity and a goal of having their products solely manufactured in Ukraine. To accommodate this growing vision, the company was invested in and the team grew, hiring staff both in Canada and Ukraine to manage its many operations. They believe that having a product made in Ukraine is very special, particularly whilst Ukraine fends off against Russian aggression, providing a great way to support Ukraine during these difficult times. Most, if not all of Saint Javelin’s donations go to the UWC (Ukrainian World Congress) where the funds are utilized for military aid. Luke explained that UWC is their go-to partner as ‘they are the experts at making people’s donations have the most meaningful impact on the war.’
Luke described the current process of making merchandise in Ukraine as one of the hardest operations Saint Javelin manages. He and Christian remain lighthearted as they are working within the constraints of a war zone that brings new challenges every day to production and the transportation of products. With the current state of the borders, bringing items in and out of Ukraine can be very difficult. Many factories are positioned close to the frontlines which are required to deal with blackouts, continuous air raids and staffing difficulties. Therefore, after two years of experience making products in Ukraine, nearly 70% is made within the country, a great accomplishment, and progressing towards a 100% Ukraine-made inventory.
Most of the Saint Javelin’s merchandise is made in Ukraine
Saint Javelin has brought many exciting products to the market, including sculptures and coins from recycled artillery shells and tanks, which are unique and are entirely made in Ukraine. Luke expressed his excitement when discussing their custom vyshyvanka which has always been a product he wanted to create. Being made in Ukraine gives the shirts an even more meaningful feeling to them, not only connecting people to the culture but also to the country during the war. Over the past two years, Saint Javelin has also put together a book documenting a collection of stories and portraits of regular people who have transformed their lives, replacing their ordinary routine, to becoming heroes. They have pledged 30% of the net profit generated from the sale of the book, contributing to the purchasing of medical equipment for the Armed Forces of Ukraine. The book is called SAINTS and the photographer is Sasha Maslov. It includes over 100 photos and stories of those who are serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces including dedicated volunteers and civilians. This book symbolizes the lives lost through the war and the resilience of Ukraine. The book is now available on the Saint Javelin website and was published by Ukrainian publisher “IST.”
Alongside its numerous products, Saint Javelin runs many social media accounts that aim to inform the masses of what is taking place in Ukraine and keeping Ukraine within the feeds of its many followers. With a crowded algorithm and news from all around the world, it is clear that Ukraine has, to an extent, become old news. People have become fatigued from constantly hearing about the war. Saint Javelin is posting new content that is sharing stories of the war in new ways, particularly from people experiencing the war firsthand. Luke explained that the team has a clear focus and intention about how Saint Javelin talks about the war.
He says…
“I think the reason we have been so successful in grabbing people’s attention, as crazy as it sounds, one of the best ways to be informed about Ukraine every day is to make jokes. There has to be an element of lightheartedness. Just living in that grimace state is very challenging. So I think that Saint Javelin does a great balance of taking the war seriously and making jokes, and doing what needs to be done to make this very hard time more tolerable.
Saint Javelin’s warehouse
A lot of soldiers from Ukraine told us that too. They said to us that it was great to see people making news about it because sometimes you need to laugh about all of the bad things going on to both cope with what’s going in Ukraine and to continue onwards.”
Saint Javelin continues to develop innovative ideas and products to bring Ukraine and its culture into the homes of people around the world. They have now released their Karpaty mugs which are handcrafted and made in Ukraine. Themes of the Karpaty landscape, camping and the night forest are illustrated on the mugs. Additionally, in their newest clothing line, Saint Javelin has released their second ‘Defender’ collection which is soldier-inspired and consists of outdoor clothing. These garments are made of high-quality materials including military-grade thermals and Polartec® fleece.
Saint Javelin has become a major success over the past two years and continues to succeed with its new and innovative ideas, bringing Ukrainian culture and passion to the forefront and keeping Ukraine in the eyes of the world. Not only are they bringing great products to the market, but they are also supporting Ukraine in numerous ways by connecting with Ukrainian artists and sending donations to support the war effort. Saint Javelin will continue its mission to create a brand that sells 100% Ukrainian-made products, aiming to create a stronger community presence within the local area and find new ways to raise money to support Ukraine.
Lasting Message – Luke Daschko
I think now, the message that I want people to remember is, it’s a quote from a soldier that I read a while ago, “Without aid to Ukraine, there is no Ukraine. With no russia, there is no war.”
I think people’s support and attention is weening and they are tired of the war. But the one thing that I want people to remember is that Ukraine doesn’t want this war and it wants it to end just as much as everybody else. Without military aid, without weapons and without more funding, they are not going to be able to finish the war, and it will move beyond Ukraine.
I want to thank Luke Daschko for his time and commitment to Saint Javelin. For more information, please see the links below:
–https://www.saintjavelin.com/collections/defender-collection-2024
–https://www.saintjavelin.com/collections/karpaty-mugs-2024
–https://istpublishing.org/saints
The post Saint Javelin – championing Ukraine forward with a lasting impact appeared first on New Pathway Ukrainian News | Новий Шлях Українські Вісті.