The winners of the "Community Leaders School 2.0" competition, which has been implemented for the second consecutive year by MHP company and the "MHP-Hromadi" Charitable Foundation in cooperation with Mariupol State University, have been determined in Ukraine, UNN reports.
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Participants from different regions of the country presented projects aimed at strengthening the resilience of communities in wartime conditions and laying the foundations for their further development.
As Oleksandr Pakholyuk, director of the "MHP-Hromadi" Charitable Foundation, noted, the key idea of the program is to transfer knowledge and tools to communities that allow them to develop independently.
This is the second year in a row that we have held the "Community Leaders School" competition. It is much easier to go into the future when you have knowledge. Together with Mariupol University, we teach participants project management — how to form projects, present them, and submit them to grant providers.
According to him, participation in the program opens up opportunities for communities to attract funding not only from the "MHP-Hromadi" Charitable Foundation but also from other donors.
This year, the organizers focused on three key areas — energy efficiency, veteran policy, and youth work. These areas, according to the organizers, are currently critically important for ensuring the viability of communities.
Many projects are now aimed at autonomy — in particular, at building solar power plants so that in case of blackouts, the community has a shelter and a place with light. These are also projects to help veterans and develop veteran spaces.
One of the veteran projects was presented by the team of the Zolochiv Central District Hospital in the Lviv region. It is about creating its own dental laboratory, which will significantly reduce the time for dental prosthetics for military personnel and make services more affordable.
Hospital director Taras Yatsunsky emphasized that the need for such a project arose due to significant demand among veterans.
We work with veterans and have seen that dental prosthetics take a very long time. The laboratory is located in Lviv, and it takes at least seven days. Almost every military person who contacts us has dental problems.
According to him, the implementation of the project will allow providing assistance much faster.
Among the finalists of the competition are also projects aimed at the development of cultural and youth spaces. In particular, the program finalist from the Khrystynivka community of the Cherkasy region, Olena Khomchenko, presented the initiative "Modernization of the Khrystynivka Youth Cultural Center" for the renovation of the Culture and Leisure Center.
Thanks to the program, I managed to gain valuable knowledge in writing a project application and defend my own project. This is about updating the main cultural center of our community. This is not only about aesthetics but also about energy efficiency and the impact on almost 32 thousand residents.
As Tetiana Marena, acting rector of Mariupol State University, noted, today, for the sustainable development of communities, not only financial resources but also investments in knowledge and leadership are critically important.
Today, communities need not only resources but also knowledge and leadership. "Community Leaders School" is a vivid example of effective partnership between education, business, and local self-government, which forms human capital and works for the future of the country.
The organizers emphasize that the main value of the program is in people who are ready to take responsibility for the development of their communities and remain to work locally.
Community development for MHP is a strategic investment in the country's resilience. We consciously support not individual initiatives but people who are ready to take responsibility and implement changes locally. "Community Leaders School" helps communities move from ideas to solutions that work for the country's resilience.
The implementation of the winning projects is planned to begin next year.
The organizers are convinced that such initiatives contribute not only to the financing of individual ideas but also to the formation of capable communities that can withstand the war and build the future locally.
Reference
The "MHP-Hromadi" Charitable Foundation is a national leader in the field of sustainable community development, which has been implementing systemic changes in 700+ settlements in 13 regions of Ukraine for over 10 years. The Foundation works where support is most needed — from frontline territories to the most remote villages, uniting the efforts of business, government, and communities.
The Foundation is among the TOP-20 largest charitable organizations in Ukraine according to Forbes.
Among the priorities are supporting military personnel, veterans, and their families within the "MHP Poruch" program, comprehensive community development, assistance to small and medium-sized businesses, and the affirmation of Ukrainian identity.