Ukraine Project

This project is funded by the European Union

Youth Works is pleased to annouce European Union funding via the Tacis Institution Building Partnership Programme (IBPP) to develop 8 pilot Youth Works programmes in Ukraine. The project partners are Groundwork UK and the Donetsk Youth Debate Centre based in Ukraine. The project commenced on 5 September 2005 and is funded by the EU for two years.

Project aims

This project aims to develop the capacity of local social/regeneration NGOs to develop innovative and effective partnership initiatives to address youth social exclusion in two areas of the Ukraine severely affected by economic and industrial restructuring.

The project will involve exchange of know how between Groundwork UK and the Ukraine partners in the development of programmes that bring together the skills and resources of different stakeholders (NGOs, state agencies, local community and private sector) to deliver focused area-based youth support initiatives targeting severely disaffected and disadvantaged young people (age 12-25) experiencing or at risk of social exclusion, criminal behaviour and, in the longer term, exclusion from the labour market. The project activities will include a structured series of training and study visits within the Ukraine and the UK, creation of toolkits and dissemination of information.

Project objectives

The overall goal of the project is to promote social reintegration of marginalised young people and foster social cohesion and transformation in localities suffering acute and multiple deprivation, through building the capacity of NGO’s in the Ukraine to help address these through multi-stakeholder approaches.

This will be achieved by establishing long-term exchanges of know how and development of capacity between Groundwork UK and the Donetsk Debate Centre and its partners in the Ukraine, working in Donetsk and Lugansk Oblasts and subsequently disseminating this experience, and providing coherent tools for dissemination and replication in other parts of Ukraine and potentially other parts of the NIS (New Independent States of the former Soviet Union).

The specific objectives of the project are :

• To build the capacity and understanding of Ukraine NGOs to promote and implement innovative multi-stakeholder neighbourhood based approaches to combating youth exclusion and community regeneration.

• To develop the confidence and engagement in the positive and dynamic role that NGOs can play in building civil society.

• Through the implementation of eight small scale pilot ‘Youth Works’ actions (four in Donetsk and four in Lugansk Oblasts), adapt the innovative methodologies and approaches developed by the Youth Works programme to Ukraine contacts.

• To evaluate and record the impact of the eight pilot actions and from this to develop a good practice toolkit in Russian and Ukrainian.

• To effectively disseminate project outcomes and enable the promotion and replication of this approach in other parts of the Ukraine and the NIS.

• To provide local people with the confidence, skills and opportunities to achieve sustainable outcomes.

Long-term outcomes of the project will include :

• Significant reductions in the number of ‘at risk’ young people becoming socially excluded due to their involvement in crime and anti-social behaviour; opening up their opportunities into the conventional labour market.

• Previously ‘at-risk’ young people, leading positive lives as productive members of their local communities.

• Local communities benefiting from reduced youth crime, fear of crime and anti-social behaviour.

• Creation of cohesive, forward-looking and skilled communities in areas currently badly affected by economic restructuring; working together for long-term sustainable regeneration.

• Communities working together achieving sustained local social, environmental and economic regeneration.

Pilot project development

The EU funded Tacis programme aims to replicate the existing Youth Works model in eight pilot locations in Donetsk and Lugansk Oblasts, Ukraine as follows :

• Donetsk region : Donetsk, Gorlovka, Khartsyzsk and Snezhnoye

• Lugansk Oblasts region : Lugansk, Bryanka, Alchevsk and Stahanov

Since September 2005 six of these pilot projects have been launched with the remaining two (Snezhnoye and Bryanka) being developed in 2006/07. Noted below is a summary of project development in the established six projects.

1. 'The Family Spring' project - Donetsk

Steve Hardy UK Training Practitioner from Oldham participates in a game of football with young people at Donetsk project

This pilot project was started in the most disadvantaged district of the city. It is being implemented on the base of the Civil Organization Community 'Pervomayskaya' and is co-ordinated by Viktoriya Miroshnichenko.

The overall aim of the project is to achieve positive changes in the place where children will live and work. The work of the project club is extensively supported by a number of volunteers living on the territory of the same community. Socially excluded teenagers can participate in activities such as embroidery, beading and patchwork techniques. Young boys are engaged in football activities and older young people are attending 'The Leader School' where they can share their problems; get to know their history and documents on human rights, get consultations on safety and healthy way of living.

The project address is : Donetsk, ul Makeevskaya 4, school 138
Working hours are Monday-Friday from 14:00 till 19:00.


2. 'Youth Informational Centre' project - Gorlovka

Steve Hardy UK Training Practitioner meets with young people and staff at Gorlovka project

Leonid Komarov - the President of Charitable Fund 'Hope' in the city of Gorlovka is a professional in e-technologies. Being the pilot project co-ordinator he put into practice the establishment of this project called 'Youth Informational Centre'.

The Centre is providing the following service for young people :

• Educational service

• Informal educational service

• Social and team activities.

To achieve sustainable social and economic development the society needs citizens with knowledge. Disadvantaged young people as well as young people with limited physical abilities attend the project in Gorlovka and they can acquire Information Technology and computer skills. Activities held in leisure time, such as sports, drawing competitions and street theatre are aimed at attracting attention of those young people who have left their schools and to convince them to use the educational service in the Centre with the view of their following return to the state educational system.

The project address is : Gorlovka, ul Komsomolskaya 34
Working hours are Tuesday, Thursday from 14:00 till 17:00.


3. 'Nika' project - Khartsyzsk

In Khartsyzsk the local project is established on the base of the youth initiative group. The project co-ordinator is Olga Yakuba and the project was named 'Nika' however shortly after the project started the young people decided to adopt a new name ‘I CAN'.

As for the pilot activities they are mostly concentrated on the personal communication with the target group, organising leisure activities and community events. Community consultations were conducted concerning the project activities. The inhabitants of the community were very open and agreed to help with development of the children’s playground building. The result of the consultation is very promising - 90 people out of 100 supported the idea and 65 people have agreed to provide their physical help. The project has a premise where young people can gather and at present 15 volunteers are engaged in the project work. The most recent success of the project is the negotiation of 10 free of charge Internet course places from the local library for the most disadvantaged young people.

The project address is : Khartsyzsk, ul. Krasnoznamenskaya 87a, room 121.
Working hours are Wednesday, Friday from 12:00 till 15:00.

4. 'Underground - The Red Line' project - Lugansk

In Lugansk the pilot project is being co-ordinated by Vitaly Bavin, member of Charitable Fund 'Teenager', which is the partner organisation for our project in Lugansk. The project was set up on the basis of the existent Youth Centre 'Eaglet'. The main project direction is delivery of youth work through sport and organising youth leisure. The initiative group of 12 members consisting of volunteers and students of Lugansk Pedagogical College has been created. The overall aim of the project is to reduce criminal behaviour of young people through sporting activities.

The project address is : Lugansk, quarter Shevchenko 19-A.
Working hours are Monday, Tuesday and Friday from 13:00 till 17:00.


5. 'Meteor' project - Alchevsk

This pilot project 'Meteor' was established on the basis of Alchevsk Children Club 'Meteor' and is co-ordinated by Saniya Makogon. The overall aim of the project is to combat youth exclusion through arts and the main direction of the project work is predominantly creative working with both physical and mental development of children and young people. Activities at the project include :

• hobby groups which includes art and varnish painting

• sport competitions and contests - young boys play football and participate in football city’s competitions

• on Sundays meetings young people meet with the poets of Alchevsk.

The project address is : Alchevsk, Club 'Prometey' ul Frunze 29.
Working hours are Monday, Thursday from 17:00 till 19:00.


6. 'Rainbow' project - Stahanov

This project was established on the base of NGO 'Centre for protection of disadvantageous children'. The co-ordinator of this project is Tatiana Furtzeva.

The project realization is being held with the help of a large initiative group. It consists of the representatives from the Community 'Yuzhnaya', volunteers, students of the Stahanov Pedagogical College, pupils of children’s art school № 5, pupils of high school № 11, Youth NGO 'New Generation', representatives of the local authorities. This groups aim is to help excluded young people - teenagers who are engaged in juvenile delinquency, inmates of the shelter and young people who are in conflict with the law.

The overall aim of the project is to combat youth exclusion through arts. During meetings with young people it was agreed to establish the Art Club 'Rainbow' with carving to paint. Sketch and cartoon competitions are often being held in the club. The pilot project in Stahanov is aimed at development of creative and civil initiative unity among youth groups.

The project address is : Stahanov, ul Olimpiyskaya 32.
Working hours are Monday, Tuesday – Saturday from 15:00 till 19:00.


Training and exchange visits

A number of training and exchange visits have taken between the UK and Ukraine since the Tacis programme was launched in September 2005 :

1. Inception Visit held in Ukraine 1-5 October 2005

Three UK project team staff attended this visit in Ukraine to attend a series of meetings between core project partners and external partners from the two project target areas. The visit also coincided with an event held in Donetsk coordinated by Groundwork for two other environmental projects that was attended by the British Ambassador to Ukraine, and this provided an opportunity for both UK and Ukraine project staff to explain the objectives of the Tacis project.

The visit enabled the Youth Works Training Practitioner to complete a Training Needs Analysis, which identified seven main areas for the UK Practitioners to develop training packages for Ukraine staff :

• Risk assessment / Health & Safety / Minimum Standards awareness

• Awareness of how Youth Works operates in the UK

• How Youth Works involves the local communities in the programme

• How Youth Works assists young people/community in the job market through mentoring

• Sexual health awareness training for staff and young people

• Problem solving techniques including how the programmes motivate volunteers

• Drugs and alcohol awareness training.

2. Youth Works Training Visit to Ukraine (Donetsk and Lugansk cities) took place from 30 November to 5 December 2005

Donetsk Youth Debate Centre organised a 3 day seminar from 1 - 3 December 2005. During the first day of the visit there was a meeting of partners and briefing, including a range of formal presentations from UK partners, together with informal opportunities to get to know key staff from both countries, analyse the work conducted during the inception period and to coordinate further project development as well as to finalize Ukraine project staff recruitment process. During the seminar the Ukrainian staff and partners had in depth opportunity to understand how Youth Works was delivered locally in Wigan, Wales and East Lancashire and to communicate directly to the practitioners from the UK.

In addition the UK and Ukrainian staff of the project travelled to Lugansk region to appraise the target areas of Lugansk, Alchevsk and Stahanov. This enabled the UK staff to gain a better understanding of the projects, discussions with local beneficiaries and partners, getting a better understanding of contexts and allowed for clearer development of ideas for local project implementation. A number of meetings with local partners were held with a view of preparation of pilot projects implementation with ideas being prepared for further development during the February Study Visit.


3. Training Visit to UK took place from the 11 to 18 February 2006

Donetsk Youth Debate staff visit Youth Works programme in Wigan

Eight Ukraine team members attended this visit to the UK, which included training in Wigan, Bridgend and Birmingham. During the visit the Ukraine staff gained overall understanding of how Youth Works has been developed and implemented as well as knowledge of specific thematic programmes (sexual health, drug and alcohol abuse).
 

4. Youth Works Training Visit to Ukraine (Donetsk and Lugansk) 3 to 9 June 2006

Harry Kelly, UK Training Practitioner from Wigan and Steve Hardy, UK Training Practitioner from Oldham meet with
Ukraine delegation at Nika project

Three UK staff training practitioners attended this visit, which included a number of training seminars for the Ukraine project staff on community involvement and recruitment, motivating and retaining of volunteers and young people.

During the visit the British training practitioners visited all six pilot projects, met local partners, Project Steering Groups’ members and predominantly the target audience. They have personally participated in a number of activities altogether with young people and the visit has been highlighted in mass media in all pilot cities.

The visit enabled the UK staff to conduct an interim monitoring of project implementation work over a six month period. As the result of this training visit the assessment of further training needs has been made.

Further information

UK : for further information on this project please contact the Youth Works Central Development Team at :
Lockside, 5 Scotland Street, Birmingham, B1 2RR
Phone : 0121 236 8565
Email : info@youth-works.com 

Ukraine : The Donetsk Youth Debate Centre website contains detailed information regarding project development at : www.cent.dn.ua/youthworks/youthworks.html

European Commission : This project is funded by the EC and details of Programmes & Projects can be located at: http://ec.europa.eu/comm/europeaid/projects/index_en.htm

EC Disclaimer : The contents of this website is the sole responsibility of Youth Works and can in no way be taken to reflect the views of the European Union.