A space with a great future: how a youth center restored by philanthropists after a Russian missile hit continues to work in Kyiv Oblast
Kyiv • UNN
The repaired Fun Hub Youth Center in Baryshivka, Kyiv Oblast, which was previously destroyed by a Russian missile, is now fully operational, providing young people with a space for educational activities and volunteering.
A renovated Fun Hub Youth Center is now open in the town of Baryshivka, Kyiv Oblast. The previous building of the center was destroyed by a Russian missile on March 11, 2022. At that time, part of the Baryshivka community was occupied, and the town was regularly shelled. After the de-occupation of the region, activists began to restore the Fun Hub, and on November 4, 2022, it became fully operational. Journalists of UNN got acquainted with the work of the renovated Youth Center.
Details
The Fun Hub is located in the Baryshivka House of Culture. Here, young people attend movie nights and trainings, play games, and spend their time doing useful things, such as weaving nets and making trench candles for the defenders.
"Active young people who are ready to take responsibility and attract other resources focus their activities on the space. This space has a great future," comments Tatiana Volochai, Director of the MHP-Community Charitable Foundation.
"It is psychologically relieving, which is very important in times of war. Especially for young people, because many of their relatives are at war. My father, for example, is a soldier," adds Maksym Tsymakh, a member of the Youth Space.
Ihor Nechytailo, head of the Baryshivka Youth Council, said that the Center's activities can be divided into three areas: meaningful leisure, non-formal education, and volunteer work.
On April 10, the Center hosted a presentation of the all-Ukrainian contest "Time to Act, Ukraine!". The competition aims to address important social issues in communities. The winners can receive up to UAH 100 thousand for their own projects. The charitable foundation has prioritized the preservation of traditions and culture, rehabilitation of veterans, development of public spaces, education, healthcare, or infrastructure projects.
"As part of this competition in 2022, we supported the creation of more than eight to ten shelters in schools. Last year, we supported more than thirty safety classes within this competition. Also, in the two years of the full-scale invasion, it is more than thirty public spaces and veterans' spaces," Volochai adds.
This year, the Time to Act, Ukraine competition allocates UAH 14 million for projects. The geography of the competition is quite extensive and covers 13 regions of Ukraine.
The competition is open to representatives of local governments, municipalities, public organizations, medical and educational institutions.
Applications will be accepted until May 12, 2024.
Help
"MHP-Hromadas is a Ukrainian charitable foundation that started its operations in 2015. Its main mission is the comprehensive development of communities. The geography of its activities includes 12 regions of Ukraine: more than 700 towns and villages. Since the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Foundation has been systematically supporting people in the war zone, Ukrainian defenders and rescuers, communities, hospitals and maternity homes, charitable institutions that care for orphans and the elderly, as well as people who have lost their homes and livelihoods due to the war.
