Charity does not begin with large budgets, but with a big heart. This is exactly how Oksana Danylova has been working for many years. She is the director of the charity creative project “Duet with a Star,” which helps children with disabilities feel heard, seen, and valued.
Through music, the stage, and live communication, the project creates a barrier-free space where children’s dreams get a chance to be realized, and creativity becomes a tool for social change. In an interview with Business Woman, Oksana Danylova spoke about the project’s journey from the first idea to international recognition, the role of business in the development of social initiatives, and her ultimate dream — to make empathy an integral part of modern society.
Oksana Danylova: “I dream of empathy becoming a societal norm”
There are people around whom you want to speak softer. Because they carry something much larger within themselves than a profession, status, or success. They carry meaning.
This is exactly the impression made by Oksana Danylova — director of the charity creative project “Duet with a Star,” producer of social initiatives, and a woman who has been turning creativity into real help for children with disabilities for many years.
We met to talk not only about concerts, international projects, and charity. In reality — about people. About the power of art. About empathy. And about a world where kindness can become the norm.
It all started with a very simple conversation
— Oksana, how was the “Duet with a Star” project born?
— It all started with a simple but very honest conversation between two creative people — singer Evgeniya Scarlet and producer Yuriy Panchenko. They wondered: how can artists help those who especially need support — children with disabilities.
Later, I joined the team, alongside Petro Poltarev — the director of the first jazz school in Ukraine.
The project has existed since 2018. And during this time, we realized one very important thing: creativity is truly capable of changing lives. Not with loud words — but with real deeds.
Thanks to the project, we managed to provide aid to organizations caring for children with disabilities amounting to over 6 million hryvnias. This includes sports and playgrounds, equipment for computer classes, toys, clothing, hygiene products, and much more.
But the most valuable thing is not the numbers. The most valuable thing is the feeling that a child suddenly begins to believe in themselves.
We create a space without barriers
— What is the main mission of the project?
— Our main mission is the socialization of children with developmental needs through creativity.
In “Duet with a Star,” children perform on the same stage alongside famous artists and other participants. Without division. Without barriers.
And very often, this exact moment stays with them for the rest of their lives.
For some, it is a warm memory. For others, it is the launchpad for a future profession.
In the 2026 Oslo concert, we are telling the stories of children who literally grew up alongside the project.
For example, Maksym Hryb. He once came to us as a little boy as part of a group of children from the “With Warmth in the Heart” association. Today, Maksym lives in Copenhagen, studies at the Pavlo Chubynskyi Academy of Arts, plays the bandura, guitar, and piano, sings, performs at concerts in Denmark, and participates in creative collaborations of Ukrainian musicians. In Denmark, they even formed their own trio, “Strings of the Heart.”
And there are many stories like this.
People with big hearts come to us
— What principle do you use to choose artists for the project?
— Our artists perform without fees. Therefore, people who truly share its values come to the project.
For us, it is very important that the guest possesses not only a name, but also humanity, empathy, and a sincere desire to support children.
As for the participants — anyone can submit an application through the project’s website. We are always looking for talented children and youth who need a chance to express themselves.
In Norway, it is honorable to be a patron
— What challenges were the most difficult?
— As in most social initiatives — funding.
In all the years of the project’s existence, we have never received a state grant in Ukraine. The project lives thanks to charitable contributions, partners, and people who believe in it.
And here I want to speak separately about the social responsibility of business. Today, in the world, this is no longer a trend — it is a norm of a mature society.
More and more businesses are joining us, understanding that it is important not only to earn but also to be useful to people.
This is especially felt in Norway. Here, it is honorable to be a patron. Business actively supports cultural and social initiatives, and this commands immense respect.
We are very grateful to our Norwegian partners — the “Ukrainsk Kulturvern Forening i Norge” association, the “Strawberry” hotel chain, the “Sentralen” space, as well as the Sparebankstiftelsen fund, which supported our activities in Norway.
It is precisely thanks to such cooperation that projects like ours can develop internationally.
The most valuable thing is the light in the children’s eyes
— What results are you most proud of?
— Most of all, we are proud of the light in the children’s eyes.
The moment when a child steps onto the stage and suddenly realizes: they are seen, they are heard, they are important.
During the existence of the project:
8 large-scale charity concerts were held in Kyiv and 3 international events in Europe;
More than 1,200 participants were involved;
The events were attended by more than 10,000 children with special needs and members of their families;
Charitable aid worth more than 6,000,000 UAH was provided.
But the most valuable things are the human stories that continue after the concert.
The war changed our scale
— How do you see the development of the project in Europe?
— The war forced us to go beyond the borders of Ukraine. And at the same time, it revealed European society to us in a completely different way.
We have already carried out projects in Spain and Norway, and in September, we are preparing an event in Switzerland.
Europe pays a lot of attention to inclusion, social adaptation, and equal opportunities. And, honestly, we have a lot to learn.
I see great potential in the development of international creative platforms where Ukrainian children can receive not only support but also new opportunities for growth.
Children’s dreams must be voiced aloud
— What does the project give to children?
— The stories of our participants do not end after the concert. Very often, that is exactly where everything just begins.
«Duet with a Star” is more than a stage»
It is the moment when a child’s dream is voiced aloud for the first time.
Ksenia Doroshenko came to us as a little girl from Izmail. It was in the project that she realized music was her future. She entered the R. Glier Kyiv Municipal Academy of Music. Today, she is studying in Los Angeles to be a pilot — and continues to sing.
Mariam, after participating in the project, became a soloist of the Zaporizhzhia Philharmonic, an author of her own songs, and a member of the Youth Council under the Zaporizhzhia City Council.
And Iya’s story is just beginning. Last year, she stepped onto the stage for the first time, specifically in Oslo. Today, she already has a song recording, a performance at the “Dream Boldly” marathon, and new creative plans.
And this is probably the best confirmation that such projects are necessary.
“I dream of kindness becoming the norm”
At the end of our conversation, Oksana Danylova said a phrase that is probably the main idea of the whole project:
“I deeply dream of empathy becoming a societal norm. So that kindness ceases to be something ‘special’ and becomes a natural part of life.”
And perhaps, it is precisely such people who are changing the world the most today. Not through loud statements. But through humanity that turns into action.
Photo: from the heroine’s archive