Spark her Independence
Ladies in Ukraine are becoming self-reliant on the side of the road and in the garage.
Spark her Independence
Ladies in Ukraine are becoming self-reliant on the side of the road and in the garage.
Our Problem
There are places where drones don't just observe. They target. Where a stalled car isn't just inconvenience, it's exposure. Where not knowing how to change a tire fast enough… can cost you your life. So we teach them, equip them. Not as a hobby. As a survival skill.
Our mission
Equip Them
To empower rising women of Ukraine to handle vehicle breakdowns independently and stay safe in critical moments.
Connect Them
To welcome Ukrainian women into the automotive community, providing access to knowledge, support, and opportunity.
Empower Them
To empower Ukrainian women through accessible training in automotive and technical trades, creating pathways to employment and community leadership
Our Solution
Equip Them
Connect Them
Connect Them
Connect Them
Connect Them
Connect Them
Empower Them
Connect Them
Empower Them
Our Team
Joyous Snyder, Founder
Gaika Lozova, UA Director
Gaika Lozova, UA Director
Founded in February 2024, Female Mechanics of Ukraine was born from a simple but urgent reality: girls in eastern Ukraine wanted to learn how to safely maintain and understand the vehicles their families depended on. After repeated questions from young women in the Donetsk region about changing tires, basic roadside safety, and vehicle ma
Founded in February 2024, Female Mechanics of Ukraine was born from a simple but urgent reality: girls in eastern Ukraine wanted to learn how to safely maintain and understand the vehicles their families depended on. After repeated questions from young women in the Donetsk region about changing tires, basic roadside safety, and vehicle maintenance, founder Joyous Snyder began traveling between the United States and Ukraine to teach hands-on classes focused on self-reliance, confidence, and practical skills. A student at the Aviation Institute of Maintenance, she previously worked as a light sport aircraft mechanic before dedicating herself to expanding opportunities for girls and young women through technical education.
Today, Female Mechanics of Ukraine is a recognized Ukrainian NGO that educates girls and young women in auto mechanics and roadside safety, with future programs planned in aviation maintenance, welding, avionics, and electrical work. Joyous serves as the organization’s mobile instructor, teaching classes in red zone cities/villages of Ukraine, while continuing to balance life in the United States with her husband and five children. She is also a co-founder of Авто Дівчата, a Kyiv-based initiative focused on introducing Ukrainian girls to the automotive and skilled trade communities both in Ukraine and abroad.
Gaika Lozova, UA Director
Gaika Lozova, UA Director
Gaika Lozova, UA Director
Gaika is a Ukrainian mechanic, entrepreneur, and advocate for the self-reliance of women and girls in Ukraine. She opened her first automotive repair shop in Hostomel, in the Kyiv region, operating out of an impressive five-bay garage that became a symbol of women working confidently in a traditionally male-dominated trade. In the opening
Gaika is a Ukrainian mechanic, entrepreneur, and advocate for the self-reliance of women and girls in Ukraine. She opened her first automotive repair shop in Hostomel, in the Kyiv region, operating out of an impressive five-bay garage that became a symbol of women working confidently in a traditionally male-dominated trade. In the opening days of Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the shop was destroyed during the fighting that devastated the region. Rather than walking away from the work, Gaika chose to rebuild her mission around empowering other women through practical education, resilience, and community.
Today, Gaika is deeply committed to helping Ukrainian women and girls navigate the many challenges brought by war, displacement, and the ongoing fight to preserve their land and culture. Through her work with Female Mechanics of Ukraine, she helps provide girls and women with the opportunity to learn as much as they need to know about engines and vehicle maintenance in order to become more self-reliant and confident in everyday life. She lives in Kyiv with her husband and family and is also the founder of two additional organizations in Ukraine dedicated to supporting women, girls, and internally displaced people throughout the country.