As July concludes, we reflect on a summer month replete with diligent efforts by our Foundation and team. We’ve actively furthered our project aimed at bolstering the social protection system throughout Ukraine. Here’s a glimpse into our notable achievements:
Development of Social Passports:
- Facilitated 11 coordination meetings with DoSP leadership and various IDP registration agencies to discuss the development of social passports for target communities.
- Hosted 6 dedicated workshops for working groups, imparting knowledge on the development algorithm for these documents.
Maksym Terletskyi, temporary acting head of the City Institute, head of the working group on the development of a social passport of the Lvivska community, a participant of a workshop in Lviv, mentioned the significance of these passports: “It offers us a panoramic view of service gaps, uncovered niches, and necessary resources, especially with the expanding communities and evolving needs of specific IDP categories.”
Seminars, Webinars, and Workshops
We regularly meet with IDPs and people affected by the war of the Russian Federation against Ukraine. In July, we held 12 educational online and offline events, where we addressed the following issues:
- Labor and social rights,
- IDP social protection,
- Document recovery.
Furthermore, we organized 21 training sessions across 15 oblasts for social protection institution staff, discussing:
- IDP social protection and registration, emphasizing the Unified Social Information System (EISS),
- Housing subsidies,
- Reimbursement for property damage.
We consistently liaise with social service providers to stay updated on pressing concerns. Challenges vary regionally. For instance, in the Daryivska community in Khersonska Oblast, issues arose with registering IDPs who relocated within the community post the Kakhovka hydroelectric station destruction due to software limitations.
In addition, we held several professional development events: in Volynska Oblast, it was a seminar on “Soft Skills as a Component of Professional Competencies,” and in Kharkiv, a seminar on “Aspects of Communication of Social Protection Workers with Vulnerable Populations.”
Legal Consultations:
We provided legal assistance in 527 cases from social protection institutions. 2,240 IDPs and affected people received our legal consultations.
Our Support of the Creation and Operation of IDP Councils
Our ongoing efforts involve offering coordination and mentoring support to initiative groups that seek to establish IDP Councils in target communities while also encouraging youth participation in these advisory bodies.
Nataliya Salimova, the project’s regional coordinator in the Kirovohradska Oblast, commented on the innovative approach for the younger generation: “We crafted a training program tailored to capture the interest of the youth. The curriculum utilizes simulation games like ‘Meeting with the Mayor’ and engaging facilitation techniques. By involving local authority representatives, we fostered dialogue about community youth policies. This allowed us to highlight community resources and opportunities, including the significance of projects like ‘Government and Community Together’ and the influence of youth councils on local decision-making.”
It’s heartening to observe the proactive integration of IDPs into their new communities, indicative of their commitment to positive change.
Viktoriya Shevchenko, a member of an initiative group to establish an IDP Council in Novyi Rozdil in Lvivska Oblast, shared her thoughts after participating in a training session: “This city is beautiful and reminds me a lot of my Kherson. I want to leave a part of it here, I want to join what is being done for people in the city. For example, there is an unused swimming pool. What if we could find a sponsor and get them interested in a proposal for reconstruction? It would be for the benefit of all community members.”
In alignment with these efforts, our dedication remains unyielding. We’re set to advance projects that solidify the social protection system persistently, enabling seamless IDP integration into their new communities. All these activities are funded by the UN Refugee Agency in Ukraine.