“When an idea takes shape in your mind—from the first sketch to the very last screw—when you transfer everything to a drawing, then bring it to life in metal, and see the finished result, words simply can’t capture those emotions. That’s exactly why I do what I do,” says the talented master craftsman and inventor from a village in the Mykolaiv region.
Before the full-scale war, Ihor Mykolayovych repaired agricultural machinery and built homemade equipment for farmers and smallholders in the Kherson, Mykolaiv, and Kirovohrad regions.
In his own workshop, he performed turning and milling work and built tractors, mini-tractors, cultivators, sprayers, fertilizer spreaders, and other equipment to meet individual orders. Over the years, he earned the trust of his customers, and his workshop became well-known among farmers in several regions.
In 2022, the village found itself at the epicenter of the fighting. Local residents abandoned their homes and belongings to save their lives. Ihor Mykolayovych was also forced to leave his home. During his absence, production equipment, tools, and fuel supplies were stolen, and the premises sustained significant damage as a result of shelling.
After returning home, Igor Mykolayovych began to restore everything. He repaired the house and the workshop himself and gathered the necessary hand tools. He didn’t have the funds for specialized equipment.
A grant from Mercy Corps Ukraine, implemented with financial support from Howard G. Buffett, helped restart production. Ihor Mykolayovych received funding and purchased a milling and drilling machine, a metal lathe, a hydraulic press, a manual pipe and profile bender, a hydro-sandblasting attachment for a high-pressure washer, a segmented sheet metal bending machine, and a gas-plasma cutter.
The workshop is open again. The talented inventor repairs farm equipment for local residents, manufactures custom parts and structures, and has returned to what he loves most—building his own machinery.
He recently completed work on a new tractor model of his own design. The machine is equipped with a fertilizer spreader, which can be quickly replaced with a sprayer or a cargo bed as needed. This versatility makes the machine more practical for small farms.
As a matter of principle, he never builds two identical machines. Each new project is tailored to the customer’s specific needs, and all designs are constantly being improved. The blueprints for the next model are already ready, but he plans to begin manufacturing it only after selling the current tractor. According to him, a potential buyer has already agreed to come by after the harvest is over to inspect the equipment.
The craftsman pays special attention to the cost-effectiveness of his designs. The estimated fuel consumption is about 0.25 liters per hectare of work performed. He refurbishes some of the components and parts from old equipment, giving them a new lease on life and reducing production costs. Igor Mykolayovych is already gradually gathering components for his next project.
“Thank you so much for your support. For me, this isn’t just a job—it’s my whole life!” says Igor Mykolayovych.
LASKA FUND implements the program in Mykolaiv, Kherson, and Odesa regions.
Submit an application: https://uasp.mercycorps.org
LASKA FUND Hotline: 067 137 05 05
