The Repost hub, established by CSO “Create Dobropillia” in Donetsk region, maintains a daily schedule of activities. These include group therapy for women, meetings for scout children, and yoga classes for physical rehabilitation. The hub has been operational for several years, but since the onset of the full-scale war, it has evolved into a volunteer headquarters and a sanctuary for psychological recovery and collaboration with like-minded individuals.

An Investment for Independence

The initial idea was to establish a permanent physical space that wouldn’t rely on renting state-owned buildings or grant programs. So, 50 local activists pooled their resources and purchased one. Investors make monthly contributions to support Repost’s activities, have an equal say in decision-making, and can propose their own events at the hub.

Maryna Kucherenko, the founder of the CSO and co-founder of Repost, notes that more people are eager to invest in the project. This year, 11 new people joined them. And they are not going to stop there. “Imagine when there are 100 of us, then 200, and then 300. This is the kind of community that can no longer be ignored. We are not about opposing our government but about conducting advocacy campaigns, events, and strengthening it. Additionally, it is a space for like-minded people who stay in touch with us and support us even after moving to other regions,” she says.

The emergence of new investors and the strengthening of the CSO were made possible, in part, by the institutional support program of the Phoenix project, implemented by East Europe Foundation with funding from the European Union. Maryna emphasizes that participation in this program exceeded their expectations, as the team received training in management, communications, financial literacy, and fundraising, as well as international certification. “There are not many CSOs left in Donetsk region that are active. Therefore, it is very important to strengthen our community. For the first time, we were given the opportunity to significantly raise awareness in several areas. Now we can implement new projects as experts and strengthen other initiative groups in Dobropillia and the region,” she explains.

Maryna also highlights that many volunteers in the town are eager to start and develop their own CSOs but lack the understanding, knowledge, and support to advance. Having received training as part of the Phoenix project and confirmed their skills through international testing, the team of “Create Dobropillia” now feels empowered to support others. Moreover, they want to share their successful experience of bringing investors together around Repost so that more independent community centers can be established across the country: “We have just created a project where we will provide both financial and informational assistance to three organizations that will find 10 investors to create their space. This is a great innovation that has never been done in Ukraine before.”

Confidence of a New Quality

In addition to sharing its experience with other CSOs and volunteers, “Create Dobropillia” aims to develop the fields of mediation and women’s leadership. Maryna Kucherenko emphasizes that while men are at war, women who remain behind need to develop their leadership skills and take their own initiatives. The organization is also actively collaborating with the city’s education department, providing psychological training for teachers through “Create Dobropillia” specialists. There is a shortage of psychologists and a huge demand for such help in the community, and according to the head of the organization, teachers are closer to this field than miners or engineers.

As part of the Phoenix project, the team participated in a strategic session and identified a path for further development. According to Maryna Kucherenko, East Europe Foundation helped redistribute work and better structure it, which helps to avoid burnout and set priorities. Now, everyone knows their responsibilities, and projects are not written for competitions, but vice versa: the team first creates a project and then waits for a competition for the idea. 

The CSO has existed since 2019 but has grown beyond recognition over the past five years. The head recalls: “I used to want a project worth 300 thousand hryvnias, so that our annual turnover would be a million. Now it’s 10 million. This shows the development and trust in us. And if at the beginning of our work we were grabbing at everything, now we can afford to choose where and with whom we want to work, what we want to take on. We have gained confidence and a growth strategy for the organization.”

The original article on EUPROSTIR