Ukraine, Belorus and Moldova are waiting for positive changes - reflection of the program participants
Ukraine, Belarus and Moldova are waiting for positive changes
Girls from the front lines impement social projects
During the internatinal meeting "Youth's Charity Unites Countries" in Kyiv young leaders from Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus created the strategy for development in regional communities of the three contries. And very soon the active girls will start implementing their projects, thus improving the life quality of their communities, giving a fresh breath to inhabitants from different areas of the three countries and this will be one more success in formation of young women of the three countries. But success for them is not a final rsult, but a way of life.
Three days' event organized by Ukrainian Women's Fund (UWF), was filled with trainings, master classes, presentations and exchange of expeiences of girls from the three countries. Ukrainian delegation was represented by winnes of different years of First Step to Success Program from different regions of Ukraine.
Natalia Tarasenko from Zhytomyr after winning in First Step to Success created Parity non-govenmental organization, and in 2011—2012 organized the School of Young Family, where participants examined problems and ways to solve them in students' married couples. This time Natalia during her master-class uncrowned gender stereotypes, while Yana Verteba from Mariupol made a presentation "Out of frames" by forum-theater methodology (interactive work among different layers of sociaty aimed at solving social problems). Participants from Ukraine also work in different directions of the Fund's work — Lidia Kozhevnikova from Lutsk presented photo project “I want to be healthy” — ctrategy of sharing information about breast cancer. Kateryna Korotchenko from Zaporizhia conducted master-class on motivation to further social activism to support the girls' flame and inspiration to new victories.
Representatives of belarus and Moldova presented their findings in the field of social activism. And their enthusiasm and optimism are worth taking example. Success of Olga Storozhenko from Belarus is in wish of young people to make test for AIDS.
«They wished to do it themselves», — adds the girls. Besides, in her 20 years old she learned how to keep attention of numerous children, and in painting she teaches children not by academic, but by non-standard decisions.
“Academic approach makes us all similar, while creativity shows itself through emotions, colors and positivity”, — spoke Olga during her presentation.
One more representative from Belarus Aleksandra Dubrovska works in organization Vitebsk Women's Club, where she assists in teaching English for women, conducting driving course and other classes.
“And that improves their social status”, — noted the girl.
Socially important projects will be implemented all over Ukraine
According to First Step to Success Program coordinator Anna Kononenko, one of the main goals of the intenational meeting is to develop strategy of common actions for strengthening young women's movement. So, as co-organizer nted, three days' event will have a concrete and global practical result, as each country's delegation prepared preliminary strategy of social projects for improving life of community as a whole. Ukrainian team worked on the project based on First Step to Success Program that has acted since 2006. Every year authors of socially important and interesting projects from all regions of Ukraine (which they prepared and commission chose — Auth.) came to Ukrainian capital for awarding ceremony. While being in Kyiv they had opportunity to communicate with women-leaders from Ukraine and abroad, visit master-classes and tainings and, generally speaking, received very helpful experience. At that program was not completed at this “first step”, as during the program the UWF financed 66 social projects of Ukrainian activists from “The First Step”, and totally since its start the Fund suppoted 450 projects for the amount of moe than 1,5 million dollars.
Today it is discussed how to popularize First Step to Success Program among young Ukrainian women, as well as further motivate previous years' winners to greater civil society activism. Initial stage has already been completed, in January 2013 the team will submit a finilized project, and in February it will receive financing. Thus, even more Ukrainian girls will learn about the program, receive experience of writing own projects, spend in Ukrainian capital unforgettable days full of new impressions, ideas and emotions. Then, with support of the UWF they will be able to implement projects aimed at improving life quality of communities in their regions. And this is an extremely successful start for activists, which will become a stimulus to new successes, that are evidenced by new victories of participants of all years in First Step to Success project
Evelina Gurnytska, 2007 First Step to Success Program winner.