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10/09/2024
Small Initiatives with Big Enthusiasm

In peacetime, the civil society organization Local Development Support Fund organized exhibitions, festivals, and assisted with repairs in social institutions such as schools and hospitals. However, since February 2022, the organization has had to completely shift its focus. «The war forced us to work for the first time with those with unmet basic needs, to distribute charitable aid, and to hold mass group events remotely. We had to overcome the negative effects of the hostilities and improve people’s emotional state to help them survive in this difficult time,” Svitlana Lytovchenko, founder and head of the organization, says.

 

Svitlana was forced to move from Kharkiv to Bezlyudivka, a village not far from the city, with her four-month-old baby in her arms. Consequently, the organization’s activities began to focus primarily on this community. «We immediately started thinking about how we could be useful here when people have no food, no hygiene products, no jobs,” Svitlana says. The first project addressed the needs of young mothers. Later, the CSO began providing charitable assistance to other groups and renovating a temporary shelter for internally displaced persons (IDPs).

A separate, less popular issue among CSOs was the self-isolation of community members: “People could not leave their yards for a month. So we started organizing useful leisure activities for them. We held more than 100 English language classes online and, when the security situation allowed, as well as offline.”

Internal Renovation

Svitlana describes her initial projects during the war as “spontaneous” due to the need for quick action in a state of emergency. However, this experience sparked a desire to become more professional. The institutional support program under the Phoenix Project, implemented by East Europe Foundation with funding from the European Union, facilitated this transformation. Participation in the program enabled the CSO to develop a strategic plan, establish internal policies, exchange experiences with colleagues from other regions, and deepen their project management knowledge.

Yevhen Kokin, an activist at Local Development Support Fund, has observed significant team growth, attributing much of it to the Phoenix project. Yevhen found the training on negotiations particularly valuable: “Before these trainings, I used to communicate the same way with everyone — both business and government. Now I understand that everyone has their own way of perception and psychotype.” Svitlana Lytovchenko adds that this is the first time she has seen such a detailed analysis of the management process, calling the opportunity to strengthen the team and update internal processes a “jackpot.”

Although the training is still ongoing, it has already yielded results. For instance, the new communication strategy inspired the team to develop a project involving image products, for which they have already secured support and the necessary specialists. “This is the first time I’ve ever seen a small organization so comprehensively strengthened and wrapped in a beautiful package. Everything we have developed here is a puzzle that adds up to our organization becoming a professional one,” the founder emphasizes.

 

Bringing Back a Holiday to People

 Thanks to its participation in the institutional development program, the CSO in Bezlyudivska territorial community has developed a strategy divided into two stages: before and after the war. Currently, the team is focused on creating a center with a shelter for children’s activities, involving psychologists. Svitlana explains that there are no kindergartens or schools in the area, and children need socialization and opportunities to spend time with their peers.

Another new initiative for the organization is raising awareness about the handling of explosive devices, which is crucial for everyone in the frontline area. The head of Local Development Support Fund notes that there are plenty of ideas for both wartime and peacetime: “There is someone to do it with and for. To accomplish everything planned, it would be good if there were at least 50 hours in a day, not 24.”

After the war ends, the head of the organization dreams of holding a folk culture festival. Agreements with partners and local authorities are already in place, scripts have been written, and most importantly, there is a great demand from the local community, which has not had such events since the pandemic.

Regarding burnout during the war years, Svitlana admits that she does not understand where her strength comes from: “Either we are so strong or we support each other so much. Yes, communication with each other, the opportunity to see each other in person, gives us a lot. If we hadn’t united, I don’t know how we would be living now.”

The original article on EUPROSTIR