About us
We are involved in delivering comprehensive healthcare, including essential medical services and mental health support. In each region, our approach is tailored to the unique challenges faced by communities impacted by conflict and adversity, aiming to make a tangible difference in the lives of those we serve.
How it all began
STEP IN’s story began in 2014, when our co-founder, physician Zuzana Ulman, travelled to Iraqi Kurdistan for what was meant to be a three-month mission supporting a local healthcare initiative. At that time, millions were fleeing from the so-called Islamic State, and the region faced a major humanitarian crisis.
With the backing of Prof. Vladimír Krčméry and the St. Elizabeth University of Health and Social Work in Bratislava, the project gained its first institutional support. Zuzana was soon joined by other professionals – her future husband Przemek, and later physician Matej Palenčár. The project was named STEP IN – St. Elizabeth Project for Iraq in Need. From a small initiative, a structured and long-term effort was born.
By 2017, as patient numbers and projects grew, we founded the independent civic association STEP IN, deliberately keeping the original name as a sign of continuity and gratitude. Cooperation with St. Elizabeth University continues to this day.
Expanding activities
In its first years in Iraq, STEP IN focused on primary healthcare. Over time, we expanded into mental health and physiotherapy, and in 2018 launched our first projects in Syria (Aleppo region).
Our teams worked with Yazidi genocide survivors, Christian minorities, Syrian refugees, and disadvantaged local residents. STEP IN united local professionals with international colleagues – including several doctors from Ukraine.
NEW CHALLENGES
The COVID-19 pandemic brought new barriers. While many organizations scaled down, STEP IN adapted: implementing prevention, producing and distributing masks, and continuing care even under border closures.
Later, in Iraqi Kurdistan, our focus shifted to physiotherapy for children with disabilities and support for special education. We deepened partnerships, trained local staff, introduced renewable energy solutions in clinics, and built stronger links with academia.
Ukraine and beyond
When war erupted in Ukraine (2022), STEP IN was ready to act immediately – thanks to Ukrainian colleagues who had already been part of our Iraq teams. Within days we founded STEP IN Ukraine and launched a Crisis Intervention Point on the Slovak–Ukrainian border.
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Soon after, we expanded operations from western Ukraine to Dnipro, Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Donetsk oblast. We provided medical and psychological care, delivered medicines, supplies, generators, and modular clinics, and organized trainings in polytrauma, pre-hospital care, first aid, and psychosocial support.
In 2025, we began registering STEP IN in Syria and Lebanon to provide direct, long-term support. Today, we continue serving children with disabilities in Iraq and in Ukraine deliver over 20,000 medical consultations annually and train hundreds of healthcare workers.
OUR VISION
From one doctor in 2014 to today’s international teams and partnerships, STEP IN has grown into a global humanitarian organization. What has never changed is our conviction: health and dignity belong to everyone.
LEARN MORE IN OUR ANNUAL REPORTS
If you are interested in learning more about all STEP-IN activities, you can read our published annual reports.