The month of August was bustling for the team of our project, which is dedicated to enhancing the quality and accessibility of social services. The month saw a flurry of activities including donations of equipment, hosting training sessions, organizing meetings, and offering consultations.
In August, we organized a series of events primarily focusing on IDPs and professionals in the social protection sector situated in the target communities. Below is a brief overview of our accomplishments.
Equipment Delivery
This month marked the initiation of computer equipment distribution to social protection institutions to better furnish their work environments. We are supplying communities with items such as laptops, multi-functional printing and scanning machines, ink cartridges, Wi-Fi routers, UPS systems, surge protectors, and external hard drives. Furthermore, various office supplies are also being provided to the departments.
Over the span of the month, new laptops were delivered to target communities across 6 oblasts: Kharkivska — 12 units, Kyivska — 20 units, Volynska — 12 units, Lvivska — 12 units, Mykolaivska — 12 units, Luhanska — 6 units. Additionally, 15 laptops were given to the regional branches of the Ombudsman’s Office.
Workshops on Developing Social Passports
Our support to the communities in revising and developing a vital document, the social passport, continues. In August, we conducted four focused workshops for the target communities. These communities are in the process of gathering data to populate the segments of the passport, which will subsequently be transformed into individual documents.
“We acknowledge that the existing collected data doesn’t suffice to portray a comprehensive picture yet, but we are scheduling a working meeting with experts from the Department of Economics to accumulate more details,” mentioned Dariya Salo, an analyst at the City Institute Municipal Institution of the City Council, during a work session in the Lvivska community.
Workshops for Social Protection Institutions
In August, we held 175 workshops revolving around IDP registration, IDP social services, and safeguarding their rights. Notably, one of the hot topics discussed was the alterations in the regulations concerning the IDPs’ living allowance provision.
“Given the ever-evolving nature of Ukrainian laws, these webinars serve as a vital platform to comprehend these alterations, understand the functioning of various mechanisms, and address complex issues through discussions with peers from different communities and expert facilitators,” remarked Kateryna Yanko, a webinar attendee and the leader of the Social Protection Sector at the Kipti Village Council (Chernihivska Oblast).
Moreover, training sessions were arranged to address the prevention of occupational burnout for social protection workers, with a significant focus on the incorporation of mindfulness practices.
“It was an engaging session. It dawned on me how many actions I carry out on autopilot,” noted Viktoriya Melnyk, a participant of the event in Lviv. “I’ve realized the significance of being fully engaged in the activity at hand to attain relaxation,” Svitlana Prystaiko added.
Seminars for IDPs and Affected Individuals
In August, we facilitated eight instructional gatherings for IDPs and individuals who have been affected by the conflict initiated by the Russian Federation against Ukraine. The meetings delved into issues such as restitution for damaged properties, labor and societal rights, social protection of IDPs, and the recovery of lost documents.
Support in Establishment and Operation of IDP Councils
Our support in fostering the establishment and continuous operations of IDP Councils is ongoing. We have extended mentorship to groups showing initiative in forming IDP Councils, as well as to those that have recently been established. We coordinated 5 meetings for this purpose and also organized 7 events with the aim to integrate IDP youth into the activities of the IDP Councils.
“Many IDPs are in their retirement years, yet they remain proactive and compassionate. I endorse this initiative wholeheartedly, believing that it offers a space where we can share our experiences, traditions, and fundamentally, our time, fostering deeper connections and imparting a fragment of our essence to this magnificent city,” shared IDP Olena Voronkevych from the Zhovkvivska community in Lvivska Oblast.
In August, we placed a heightened emphasis on promoting gender mainstreaming within IDP Councils, a vision realized through the organization of 12 specific workshops.
Natalia Salimova, the regional coordinator in Kirovohradska Oblast, explained, “In these training sessions, we delineated the potential role of IDP Councils in advising and shaping gender policies at a local level. Reaching gender equality harbors a myriad of advantages. Primarily, it fosters the rise of individuals who succeed in realizing their potential. This initiative also facilitates business growth, since gender diversity is a catalyst for enhancing organizational innovation and boosting productivity.”
Legal Support
Our project’s legal team has been diligent in offering legal aid, handling 496 cases involving social protection institutions during this period. Furthermore, a substantial number of IDPs and individuals affected — 2086 to be exact — received legal consultations.
We remain steadfast in our commitment to improving the functioning of the social protection system within the target communities across all regions. This initiative is being implemented as part of the project Supporting the Capacity of the Social Protection System to Register Internally Displaced Persons, funded by the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.