Success Stories by UNDP Civil Society Development Programme in Ukraine

A J o i n t i n i tSoCiety Developmenti programme i g n A f fA i r s o f D e n M A r k
Civil i At i v e o f U n D P A n D t h e M n i s t r y o f f o r e
Civil SoCiety Development programme

sUccess stor es i
a recipe for a thriving civil society in Ukraine http://csdp.org.ua

this issue is prepared within the framework of the UnDP civil society Development Programme and funded by the Ministry of the Foreign affairs of
Denmark.
opinions, conclusions or recommendations are those of the authors and compilers of this issue and do not necessarily reflect the views of the United
nations Development Programme or other Un agencies.
sUccess stories: a reciPe For a thriving civil society in Ukraine. kyiv. UnDP, 2010.
the stories compiled in this issue feature the results, achieved by the civil society organizations (csos), community activists, and mediocre citizens,
members of target groups of projects, implemented in seven regions of Ukraine (chernihiv, Donetsk, kirovohrad, kherson, khmelnytskyi, lviv, and
luhansk) between the period of January through september 2010. the selected success stories reflect only a part of implemented grant projects,
describing the bright examples of positive changes, fascinating stories of human impact, personal and group transformations, directly or indirectly
involved in the projects’ activities.
the photos, used in this issue, are the property of UnDP civil society Development Programme
all materials of this brochure maybe reproduced in part or as a whole. reproduction materials should contain a reference to the UnDP office in
Ukraine.
UnDP office in Ukraine welcomes a broad usage of its information materials by media, national and local authorities, civic organizations,
educational institutions, etc.
the civil society Development Programme (csDP) aims at a strengthened civil society promoting democratic governance. the Programme
promotes an open and democratic society founded on the rule of law and based on human rights and governance transparency and account-
ability both nationally and regionally. the csDP will ensure that civil society organizations can become stronger, diminish their dependency on
the donor community, and enhance citizen participation in policy processes by developing the capacity of csos at the regional and local level to
effectively address citizens’ needs. csDP is funded by the Danish Ministry of Foreign affairs and implemented by the UnDP Ukraine during
2009 – 2012. More information on Project’s activities may be viewed at http://csdp.org.ua.
Un Development Programme (UnDP) is the Un's global development network, advocating for change and connecting countries to knowledge, expe-
rience and resources to help people build a better life. We are on the ground in 166 countries, working with them on their own solutions to global and
national development challenges. as they develop local capacity, they draw on the people of UnDP and our wide range of partners.
aDDress: 20 esplanadna st., office 719, kyiv 01023
telePhone: +38 (044) 584-34-71

content Civil SoCiety Development programme

ForeWorD. olivier aDaM, UnDP resident representative 4

chaPter i. rePresenting the interests anD
Protecting the rights oF vUlnerable groUPs oF PeoPle

“nadiya” — giving hope, aspiring action 6
a Window to the World for visually Disabled People 8
chernihiv Mini Print shop gives a chance to People
with Mental Disabilities 10
see kherson with eyes Wide shut 12
now We are independent! 14
help yourself by helping others – youth initiatives 16
youth With special needs Protect their right for education 18
life Without barriers, or is there light at the end of a tunnel? 20

chaPter ii. enhancing citizens’ involveMent in the Process
oF Decision-Making on the local level

how to improve an effectiveness and transparency of a technical
inventory bureau 22
“Public initiatives” advocates for the rights of kirovohrad citizens
challenging the Decision of the local authorities 24
a successful Public review of the communal housing economy
in the town of Pervomaisk 26

http://csdp.org.ua

A J o i n t i n i t i At i v e o f U n D P A n D t h e M i n i s t r y o f f o r e i g n A f fA i r s o f D e n M A r k

Dear reaDer,

this publication contains some real and outspoken stories which feature the
accomplishments of the first grant round implemented in chernihiv, Donetsk, luhansk,
lviv, kirovohrad, khmelnytskyi, and kherson oblast during the period of February
– september of 2010 within the framework of the UnDP civil society Development
Programme (csDP). the objective of the csDP is to develop the managerial and policy-
making capacities of the Ukrainian civil society organizations (csos) to protect the
rights and represent the interests of the vulnerable groups of people as well as enhance
citizens’ participation in the local decision-making process. the csDP is funded by the
Ministry of Foreign affairs of Denmark and implemented by the UnDP Ukraine during
2009 – 2012

as a result of csDP work, 22 csos in 7 oblasts have assisted over 2500 representatives of various vulnerable groups in protecting
their rights and representing their interests. some stories portray fascinating examples of personal transformation of individuals,
when over 20 young adults with handicap realized their right to pursue education, or a few dozens of individuals with physical
and mental disabilities bettered their chances for community integration through a series of awareness raising and social inclusion
activities.

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empowering people to exercise better control over their lives is achieved through facilitating citizens’ participation and multiplied
by the establishment of cooperation with local authorities. as a result of the project activities, the local authorities, passed over
50 policy decisions which favored projects’ target groups or local communities in general. among the examples of the csDP
success stories in this area are changes in the local policies to expedite the communal housing reform as well as mobilized financial
resources from local budget to fund social programmes run by csos.

it is our hope that this brochure will serve as a source of inspiration for the csos and encourage them to develop and excel. on
behalf of the UnDP i would like to thank all grantee organizations for their dedicated work, enthusiasm and commitment to change
life for better. a special thank you to the main characters of these stories for making this brochure vivid and exuberant.

Olivier AdAm
UNdP Resident Representative

http://csdp.org.ua
5


“naDiya” — giving hoPe,
AsPiring Action

o
ur story is about those, who learned how to enjoy every single day of their lives despite their illnesses. about those, who turn every
day of sufferings into a day of victory. about those who, once rejected for their disability, make titanic efforts to prove their equality
with us, demonstrating their endeavors and a will well superior to ours. this story is about a few characters amongst the children
and youth of Drohobych, aged between six and thirty, who have received better chances to socialize with their community. supported by
the UnDP civil society Development Programme, it was possible to create a youth center consisting of an arts studio, handicraft workshop,
and sports club and obtain all the necessary equipment and materials to work with children and youth with special needs.
some twenty five youngsters attend the arts studio. it is here where they get a new view of the world and harmonize the feel of it with their
inner state, overcome their own fear and stereotypes, discover themselves, and improve. every child is unique. it takes a special key to open
their hearts. sometimes it takes years to find the right key, sometime just a few months to do so.
For instance seventeen year old Maria konovalova, discovered her own talent for singing while attending the arts studio. her outstanding
performance at the “We can!” concert, organized by the “nadia” association came as a complete, but welcomed surprise to her friends.
While performing a song, she impressed the audience with both her singing and choreography. Until just recently, she had difficulties
in following basic dance moves and struggled with the musical rhythm needed to perform songs. now, she is capable of some dancing
while she sings. two little starlets, arsen and alina Mikulski, were the youngest artists and shone brightly. it takes little effort now for arsen
to impersonalize characters from a sketch show. Just recently, in the company of his younger sister the two of them made their debut as
singers. by performing a few children’s songs during a tour to the town of sambir and at the “We can!” concert, arsen and alina proved to
the public that despite their medical conditions, the book of their life story will contain far more then a few pages and will be written in
bright colours.
at handicraft workshops children and young people with special needs express their feelings through embroidery, beads-knitting,
drawing, patchwork and other arts. their level of satisfaction and happiness is immense when real masterpieces come out as a result
of their meticulous handiwork. at first not even being able to hold a thread in her fingers, tetiana novak has mastered embroidery and
decorative beading techniques. tetiana has got so involved in this new hobby, that she now spends not only all her leisure time on this but
also attends decoration classes. embroidery has grown into a real hobby for Maria Protsidym as well. she has made a few dozen miniature
embroideries and happily shows these to friends and family. embroidery has traditionally been viewed as a women’s pastime, but here that

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is not so. it is a creative hobby that many boys as well as girls happily take part in. in particular, two youngsters, Maksym boris and Denys
ivanochko got interested in bead-knitting. key rings decorated with beads by the teenagers, were among the top selling items at the “We
can!” charity festival. besides visitors from the “nadia” association, tourists to the town are now also rather familiar with our christmas and
easter souvenirs and decorated easter eggs.
the sports and rehabilitation club offers physical fitness exercises and trains champions. sports exercises help keep the body and mind
fit. the recent integration sports games called “sport Will Make Us equal” discovered a number of sporting talents. both individually and
as a team, the participants were able to show their aptitude in track and field, darts, arm wrestling, relay, games, and in a friendly football
match.
in addition to some regular active participants, the games identified new sporting talents. For instance, Mykola vatsutsiak, having won in
the majority of exercises, has become a most active sportsman. he now trains daily in the gym, setting a good personal example for his
peers to follow. all our sportsmen have acquired dozens of prizes
and united into one sports family, which will continue its journey
in life, overcoming difficulties and obstacles on the way.
yet the biggest achievement of our association is the fact that
many of our children have not only used the services delivered by
our center, but also learned to become helpful in organizing and
conducting various events or chaperoning younger members.
Particularly, the senior students have become real volunteers and
helpers of our organization by taking responsibility over specific
activities or their younger friends. it is now, that we can truly see
that our work and patience invested in these children did not go
wasted.

Natalia KUlyNiAK
Arts Studio Coordinator

iryna dziURAKh
Project manager

http://csdp.org.ua
chAPter i. rePresenting the interests AnD Protecting the rights 7
of vUlnerAble groUPs of PeoPle


A WinDoW to the WorlD
For visUally DisableD PeoPle

i
t’s a common fact that people with visual disabilities live in their closed worlds, completely alien to individuals without disabilities.
but when someone endeavors to help a visually disabled person not to feel inferior, then the boundaries between these two
worlds disappear giving way to such project as ours– horlivka “typhlocenter – a Window to the World”, offering computer classes
for blind people and people with visual disabilities.
yet another big issue for us, people with special needs, is the inability to study in a regular computer class for people without
disabilities. it’s just not possible.
the beginning of the 21st century has witnessed the penetration of computers into our lives making us almost incapable to
function without them. the internet has established itself as a source for almost any type of information including electronic
libraries, translators and multimedia, etc. it seems that the computer has the ability to solve any problem as well as answer any
questions.
not so long ago, the computer became a reliable helper for visually disabled people. however, in order to gain confidence in
exploiting it on a regular basis, one needs to learn how to use it. imagine how difficult it may be for an individual who can not see
a monitor or a keyboard?
the management of the horlivka Project “typhlocenter – a Window to the World” accepted a huge responsibility in helping people
with special needs to become part of a society which is not able to get around without technologies.
We, the members of the horlivka association of visually Disabled Persons, have been awaiting such a project for a very long time.
now, like diligent students, we eagerly attend computer classes. in addition to the computer classes, we also take english language
classes.

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thanks to the Project coordinator leonid komarov, in a short period of time we have learned how to look up popular websites with
useful information and use software to read textbooks with a computerized voice. We have even learnt how to find and listen to
our favorite music!
as it turns out, its pretty simple to find new friends with the
help of the internet and we now all have e-mail. news sites also
keep us informed on any recent developments in the world. the
bottom line is that we have opened ourselves up to a whole new
world of opportunities, with our computers voicing it all for us.
For many of us this Project is the sole opportunity to break the
isolation of being closed off, alone with our disability. this project
is our opportunity to live a full life. Much praise and thanks must
be given to all the organizations that have supported us, including
the UnDP and the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Denmark.
another remarkable result of the Project is that some of us had
never met each other before despite the fact that we live in the
same town and are united by the same problem. now we have
made friends with each other and spend more time together.
our Project is not only educational but community enhancing. it
has brought us together.

Tetiana yARydiNA
Visually disabled participant of the horlivka Project
“Typhlocenter – a Window to the World”

http://csdp.org.ua


chernihiv Mini Print shoP
gives A chAnce
to PeoPle With Mental Disabilities

n
ow persons with mental disabilities from chernihiv can learn how to work in a mini-print shop and produce notepads.
this has been made possible due to a chernihiv charitable organization called ‘logos’ and its project ‘creating the mini-
print shop as a model for employment for people with disabilities’. this project is supported by the UnDP civil society
Development Programme.

When embarking on their adult lives, young persons with mental disabilities seem to be completely unprepared. their lack of life
and work skills is the result of their social isolation from their childhood onwards.

Unfortunately, people with various types of mental limitations do not have an opportunity to realize their right to work, especially
given their severe degree of disability. hence, the implementation of the Project in our region has in general become a successful
practice that may be replicated in other regions, to be used as a social model of labor or daycare activities for people with special
needs.

For the Project ‘a Mini Print shop as a Model of labor employment of Disabled People’ we have carefully selected easy-to-use and
maintain equipment: cutter, laminator, and binder. supervised by student volunteers, some thirty individuals with special needs
underwent six-months of training to be able to work with the note pad-making equipment. young people with disabilities now
eagerly come to our workshop where they produce various hand-made greeting cards and note pads in a variety of designs.

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During the training period we produced some 500 note pads of different sizes, 100 greeting cards and 50 drawing pads.
During various exhibitions and fairs organized in town,
we managed to sell 350 note pads, 50 greeting cards and
collected nearly Uah 1000 in charitable donations. this
was the start of our fundraising campaign aimed at raising
funds to purchase a new binder, which uses metal spirals
to bind note pads. this stitcher is needed to expand our
activities in the print shop.

by exhibiting our products at various events, we have
studied customer demand among various target groups
and learnt of their preferences regarding sizes and design
of note pads.

our biggest achievement in this Project implementation
has been the fact that we have managed to create a social
model of labor employment for people with limited abilities
– an effective mini print shop.

Nadia lOzbeN
head, Chernihiv City Charitable Organization
of Parents and disabled Children ‘logos’

http://csdp.org.ua


see kherson
With eyes WiDe shUt

W
ithin the framework of the project “the Dream is close: from youth initiatives to local Policy involving the vulnerable
groups of youth” the kherson city center of youth initiatives “totem” supported the initiative of the kherson office of
the “successful action generation”, a Ukrainian organization of visually Disabled People. this initiative involved people
with visual disabilities, volunteers, and journalists in a city quest to assess the accessibility of the city infrastructure for the visually
disabled people and offer recommendations for improvement. the project was made possible by funding from the Ministry of
Foreign affairs of Denmark and implemented by the UnDP civil society Development Programme.

on the 14th of May 2010 the city of kherson saw an extraordinary event – a quest “kherson through the eyes of the blind”. this
event did not only have widespread publicity but personally involved the journalists. to expose the kherson citizens to a positive
experience, representatives of kharkiv’s visually disabled community were invited to take part in the event. kharkiv was in a similar
situation with the needs of the blind ignored until it managed to establish an enterprise that now produces audio devices, twenty
of which have been installed in the city’s streets and subway.

three teams comprising of kherson and kharkiv citizens with visual disabilities, volunteers, and journalists were formed. starting at
the railway terminal the teams set out on a ten-stage trip. each stage comprised of special tasks written in braille. volunteers helped
find the answers for complex questions on-line and communicated these via cell phones. the volunteers were represented several
organizations: the volunteer agency of the social Partnership center, the “Quest.ua” public organization, students of the kherson
higher school of service and Design, the center for readers with special needs of the kherson scientific library.

the journalists turned out to be the real heroes. apart from walking the streets they also went farther and used public transportation
with headbands covering their eyes. it became apparent that the journalists joined the action not to take advantage of later
producing catchy and attractive articles, but to personally and professionally support the initiative of the visually disabled
people.

the quest ended with the winners being awarded prizes and a press conference. a speech by the Deputy head of the kherson
court of appeal Mr. lobodzinsky, described the installation of traffic lights with sound devices at the court’s adjacent intersection.
introduced at the court’s own initiative, these devices have resulted in a decreased number of traffic accidents at the site.

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a presentation by Mr. oleg lopatiuk, a kharkiv delegate of the national assembly of People with Disabilities, spoke of the success
story of the kharkiv organization. having waited for a long time for the kharkiv town authorities to create an enabling environment,
the organization formed a firm that now produces street crossing sound devices and installs them in the town.

a separate issue deserving attention is that of finding sponsors. the quest initiators had the objective to involve sponsors who
would eventually assist in purchasing a sound device and installing it on the intersection close to the sponsors’ trading malls. the
sound device cost Uah 550 yet the most frequent response from the companies having multi-million Uah turnovers was “the
company does not have such funds available”. luckily a positive response came from one company ‘MkP Prozerpina’, who agreed to
release the necessary funds after a telephone call. Unfortunately, by the time the sound device was delivered to kherson a different
owner took over the property and the device was installed at the intersection by the school attended by the visually disabled
students.

yet this is not the only positive result of this initiative. as a direct result of
participation in the event, the ‘successful action generation’ identified
new partners who have already started to assist the organization to
make kherson a friendlier environment for people with special needs.
For instance, the volunteer agency of the social Partnership center,
wrote a letter to a Dutch charity foundation asking them to ship to
kherson a significant number of sound devices which the ‘successful
action generation’ would then install in the city. in the meantime, the
center for readers with special needs helped organize hiking trips in
september 2010 for visually disabled persons and a photo exhibition of
works by visually impaired photographers.

it is this multiplying effect, a collective effort by various groups and
organizations aimed at making an improvement, that the “totem”
organization was aiming at. the Project’s governing principle became
the creation of discussion groups that identify which initiatives deserve
support and what resources could be pulled together by the local
community for its implementation.

Olena AfANASieVA
Project Coordinator

http://csdp.org.ua


noW We Are inDePenDent!

t
he UnDP civil society Development Programme increases the chances of people with special needs to access quality
education.

“this Project opens new horizons for our organization’s capacity development. it creates an enabling environment for the
introduction of changes to affect not only the target audience – people with disabilities – but the key persons who formulate
policy and make decisions”, says tatiana barantsova, head of the luhansk association of young Disabled People of eastern Donbass
– skhid. this organization became one of the winners in a grant competition and started a project entitled ‘the creation of a social
Partnership Model to enable People with Disabilities the right to access education’. the first results did not take long to show up.

a legal and social consulting service, started along the lines of Project activities, has given assistance to over thirty individuals
with special needs. these results are hard to overestimate. its scope of operation is not limited to the boundaries of the luhansk
oblast only, let alone the town. a vivid example is a 31-year old disabled lviv native, svitlana shpakovska, who was dismissed
from her University after she became handicapped. after a much legal consultation and psychological counseling by the luhansk
organization she managed to get readmitted to the University.

another story speaks of a University student-to-be from alchevsk, luhansk oblast, 17-year-old valentyna khoruzha. valentyna
has been wheelchair-bound since her childhood, but strives to get a University education. after consultation from the luhansk
association on the possibilities of getting education, selecting her major, and prospective employment, valentyna and her mother
had an appointment with the vice-rector of the luhansk state University of culture and arts. after the meeting valentyna was
invited to enter one of the faculties of her preference in lieu of the faculty of her primary choice which was to become a stage
director. valentyna has now taken some time to make up her mind.

the Project results can be explained by the integrated approach taken by the association in dealing with the issues of accessing
education for people with special needs. For example, the association takes concrete actions to overcome architectural and social
barriers to education for people with disabilities. an example of this is electric lifting equipment purchased with a grant and installed

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«my name is Valentyna Khoruzha. This
year i am applying to the luhansk National
Taras Shevchenko University, faculty of
Psychology. To be able to get a decent
education i need support from civil society
on a van that makes on-boarding /off-boarding of handicapped organizations. yet the major problem is the
passengers easy. in fact, the lack of such a basic ability to the normal issue with transportation. if you only knew
functioning of groups with limited mobility curtails their chances of how much i am excited to know our van is now equipped with an
community socialization, where the role of education is of an utmost electric lift to ease boarding and getting around town. And i’m not
importance. the only one who’s excited! A big thank you to everyone who takes
care of us! »
in addition, the organization conducts public audits of the
architectural accessibility of educational facilities in town and the Valentyna KhORUzhA, 17, Alchevsk»
oblast and advocates for the creation of a barrier-free and access- (a thank you note from Association’s client)
friendly environment in educational institutions. the organization
collaborates with local authorities to influence policy development
and decision-making in this regard. it intends to continue pursuing
this endeavor in the future as well.
«dear friends!
my name is Kostia Kriukov. After i sustained a trauma i
Vasyl ROmANyUK move around in a wheelchair. i like working with a com-
Public information Specialist puter, socializing with friends, and attending interesting
UNdP Civil Society development Programme» events. The biggest challenge is long distances that are
hard to cover in a wheelchair. i’m not saying i’m afraid to
use some elbow-grease, but it gets difficult at times. Now
we have a cool lift that makes my car boarding a fun. biNGO! This is
it! Thank you so much to those who purchased it!»
Kostia KRiUKOV, 14, luhansk»
(a thank you note from Association’s client)

http://csdp.org.ua


helP yoUrselF by helPing others —
yoUth initiAtives

W
ithin the framework of the project ‘the Dream is close: from youth initiatives to local Policy involving the vulnerable
groups of youth’ the kherson city center of youth initiatives ‘totem’ supported the joint initiative of students of the
kherson school of service and Design and tsiurupynsk boarding school for disabled children. the project aimed
to develop volunteer skills among the student of the kherson school of service and Design whilst at the same time enhance
communication skills among disabled children and their peers from the ‘outside world’, as a step to community socialization and
adaptation. the project was made possible by funding from the Ministry of Foreign affairs of Denmark and implemented by the
UnDP civil society Development Programme.

a significant part of the kherson school’s student body is made up of those classified as ‘vulnerable youth’ such as orphans, children
with single parents, persons with alcohol abuse problems, etc. Witnessing the social inequality of the disabled children at the boarding
school, the students eagerly volunteered to help. this triggered a feeling of being useful, needed, and gave the students a purpose. the
disabled students of the tsiurupynsk barding school experience a severe lack of communication with the ‘outside world’ as their visitors
are mainly older persons representing sponsors and the charity community. this leaves them with very few chances to communicate
with their able-bodied peers. During the first visit to the boarding school a plan for the next event was made.

its objective was to have five students from the school of service and Design – future hairdressers and stylists and their supervisor,
style the hair of five disabled students for their school’s graduation prom. this school prom is one of the most important events
in the life of a teenager, especially for the girls who want to look beautiful. these students with special needs can dance in their
wheelchairs, but to have their hair done professionally, let alone visit a beauty salon, was an unreachable dream. For them their
professional hair styles were the best experiences in their lives. other boarding school students, witnessing these amazing
transformations, have now ‘besieged’ the volunteers. as a result, the hairdressers-to-be have created some five to seven hairdos

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each! While taking care of those, they were approached by the Deputy Principal of the other tsiurupynsk specialized school #2,
asking them to visit other graduates from her school. the girls immediately accepted the invitation despite being extremely tired.
the following day saw many more students with new and fancy hairstyles.

this initiative turned out to be both valuable and needed. it included volunteerism, communication and the ability to use one’s
existing skills to help those in need, who valued it immensely.
While at the same time, for the vulnerable youth volunteers,
their involvement in these social activities gave them a
purpose and sense of achievement which may in the future
help prevent them from continuing with their bad habits
and risky behavior. by helping others they have helped
themselves.

now more activities are underway, which have turned to
be useful both for students from the school of service
and Design and disabled students from the boarding
school. During their last planned event, the students
who participated in the project received a certificate of
appreciation from the kherson city Mayor. this was their first
experience of dealing with municipal authorities. to some,
this may seem insignificant but a mere acknowledgement
of one’s efforts by the Mayor significantly raised self-esteem
amongst volunteers. they now know that their good deeds
do not go unnoticed.

Olena AfANASieVA
Project Coordinator

http://csdp.org.ua


yoUth With sPecial neeDs
Protect their
right for eDUcAtion

“singing has been my dream since i was a child”, says svitlana sharing her life story. “When i was at school i would always take part
in singing contests and talent shows. Usually i would win a prize. so when it was time to choose my career, i never had a second
thought. i chose one of the country’s leading vocal training Universities”.

starting her degree, svitlana dived deep into student life and dreamt of a happy and promising future. then her life was turned
upside down. “the world around me just froze”, grieves svitlana. “all of a sudden the colors turned to shades of black. life lost any
meaning. the more i thought about my situation, the more my hopes and dreams disappeared. they just evaporated, leaving me
with nothing but a hideous wheelchair.”

then suddenly when svitlana’s need to keep hold of the slightest piece of hope, was more important than ever, she received
another blow. her University had decided to expel her because of her disabled status. the bridge, that until recently joined her to
her cherished future, had been destroyed.

but svitlana wouldn’t let go. by accident she came across information about the ‘association of young Disabled People of eastern
Donbass’ – skhiD, a luhansk youth cso that had started to implement a project called ‘the creation of a social Partnership Model
to enable People with Disabilities the right to access education’. shortly after she wrote a letter to skhiD, svitlana received a call
from tetiana barantsova, the Director of the association of young Disabled People.

after numerous meetings and a supporting letter from the skhiD, svitlana left for the capital in her pursuit of a lost life and the
right to education. Unfortunately, her first encounter with the University staff did not leave much to hope, especially at a time when
her self-esteem was very low after months of physical and mental isolation. they told her that a singer’s career and a wheelchair
did not mix! svitlana again turned to skhiD for advice. the girl was granted an appointment with the University’s chancellor and

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after an agonizing, day-long wait the supporting letter from skhiD and svitlana’s charisma gave the chancellor no choice but to reverse
the University’s decision and re-enroll her. currently svitlana is a third-year student and is passing her exams. she has also gained
much more confidence because for the first time since becoming disabled, svitlana has crossed the huge distance from one end of the
country to the other. she spent thirty hours on a train to make it to the skhiD seminar ‘creation of a social Partnership Model to enable
People with Disabilities the right to access education’ in luhansk. now with thanks to skhiD, svitlana is singing again.

Following her first success, svitlana has received
advice on transport provision in the capital,
individual mentor opportunities and student
dormitory accommodation, as guaranteed by
the law of Ukraine on social security of Disabled
Persons in Ukraine. in addition to svitlana, 120
other people with special needs have received
counseling services to help ensure the right
for education. this has been delivered by the
friendly open social and legal consultancy of the
luhansk association of young Disabled Persons,
made possible by the UnDP’s civil society
Development Programme.

Tatiana bARANTSOVA
director, luhansk Association
of young disabled People
of eastern donbass – «Skhid»

Vasyl ROmANyUK
Public information Specialist
UNdP Civil Society development Programme

http://csdp.org.ua


liFe WithoUt barriers, or
is there light At the enD of the tUnnel?

t
he life of oleksandr was similar to hundreds of his peers. Full of dreams, expectations and the anticipation of something
better to come. Work at the coal mine offered a stable, albeit modest living. his feeling of security and stability was constantly
undermined by the safety threats that existed everywhere a mile down. yet trouble found him where he least expected it, at
home. Whilst doing the household chores he sustained an injury that changed his whole life.

then there was a hospital visit and a diagnosis, which confirmed his handicapped status. oleksandr had had the ground kicked out
from under his feet. long, dark, days followed one another deepening his feeling that the end was nigh.

“We heard about oleksandr from an acquaintances of his that visited our center”, recalls grygoriy kalashnikov, the “life Without
barriers” Project Manager in sverdlovsk, luhansk oblast. “being completely lost and disillusioned was endangering his life”,
maintains Mr. kalashnikov. as a result of complete social and physical isolation his condition deteriorated, while lack of mobility
and movement led to the loss of a kidney.

“When we first met, oleksandr appeared very reserved and reluctant to what we were suggesting to him”, Mr. kalashnikov, who
is wheelchair bound himself, continues. after a series of consultations with a trained psychologist, followed by the membership
of the sports and rehabilitation center, the life of oleksandr began to improve. “it’s hard to overestimate the impact the Project
has had in this situation and many other instances as well”, says Mr. kalashnikov. the Project Mr. kalashnikov refers to is supported
by the civil society Development Programme, falling within the framework of “improving the rights and situation of vulnerable
groups”. now oleksandr regularly attends table tennis session and gets a lot out of them.

as far as the impact and achievements of the Project are concerned, the Project Manager and his team have a lot to share. since the
start of the Project a ‘social taxi service’ has been renewed and co-financed providing for the transportation of over forty handicapped
passengers. notably, the organization enables better transparency and accountability of local authorities. For instance, the Project
staff conducted an audit of the existing social taxi service. it revealed a number of shortcomings in the previously established rules
and regulations regarding the identification and transportation of end users, the eligible groups of people who are the Project’s
focus. the audit results and recommendations were presented to the local authorities who co-finance this initiative. With regards
to this the local authorities have taken steps to ensure better transparency and increase the efficiency of the taxi service.

20 i
sUccess stor es


the Project staff comprises completely of people with disabilities. this recruitment policy enabled about seventy people with
special needs in sverdlovsk, realize their right to work. the Project also started an information and consultancy center which
offers legal, psychological, and rehabilitation services for disabled
persons free of charge. in the course of the first two months some
forty people with special needs were provided with legal and
psychological assistance.

in addition to this, the Project conducted a public audit of the
existing social infrastructure facilities to assess their disabled
accessibility and then gave recommendations to be included into
a reconstruction project documentation. the recommendations
were delivered to the local Department of architecture supervising
the reconstruction of four of the town’s hospital buildings. such
positive influence was made possible due to the inclusion of Project
representatives into the local accessibility committee, a public
advisory board to the local authorities. thanks to membership of
this committee, the Project representatives managed to solicit local
authorities’ approval to introduce a ‘request stop mode’ for public
transportation. this alone is a significant development in ensuring
the creation of a barrier-free and access-friendly environment for
people with special needs.

Vasyl ROmANyUK
Public information Specialist
UNdP Civil Society development Programme

http://csdp.org.ua


hoW to iMProve
An effectiveness AnD trAnsPArency
oF a technical inventory bUreaU

e
ven if you have never visited a technical inventory bureau (tib) in your city, you must have heard from your friends or
colleagues that tibs are not about transparency and simplicity. it appears, these institutions were formed according to one
all embracing and ambiguous principle and are, identical in their complexity and intricacy. yet, there are exceptions that
need to be noted.

hoW it all haPPeneD
the idea to improve the administrative services in sverdlovsk came about in 2009. it was supported both by the local authorities
and the town community. it would have remained just an idea if not for the support of the UnDP civil society Development
Programme. the idea was to assist the local authorities in sverdlovsk in developing the standards of administrative services. the
luhansk agency for sustainable Development partnered with the sverdlovsk agency for regional Development to implement the
project in sverdlovsk. the sverdlovsk agency was established and managed by vadym epstein, a local lawyer and town council
member.
shortly after the project started, targeting the improvement of administrative services including those provided by the tib, vadym
epstein was given the opportunity by the local authorities to take over the sverdlovsk tib. this introduced a certain degree of
uncertainty with regards to the future of the project. For example who would continue the activities of the ngo? how could the
Project’s initiatives be completed? the answers to these questions were quick to emerge. by joining the efforts of the luhansk
agency with Mr. epstein’s ngo background, it became possible to introduce significant improvements to the work of the sverdlovsk
tib in a shorter period of time than had been originally envisaged.

Please Meet the neW tib
the first issue to attract the attention of the new director was its business hours, which included only two visitor days per week. Mr.

22 i
sUccess stor es


«in fact, it doesn’t take much to improve the work of any institution.
One needs to instill a management system that has a staff member follow a procedural routine
rather then be creative in finding solutions...»
Vadym ePSTeiN
director Sverdlovsk Technical inventory bureau

epstein found this unacceptable and immediately took action. a former civil society organization leader and now the tib director,
Mr. epstein increased the number of working days from four to five. he also issued a regulation that made every working day a
visitor day. this meant that the residents of sverdlovsk now got five visitor days instead of the original two to take care of their
business.
the second regulation Mr. epstein passed issued specific procedures for every staff member. such innovations initially caused
dissatisfaction among some employees. eventually tib staff realized that the new operating schedule, policies and procedures to
work with visitors, turned out to be convenient not only for their clients but also for them. the business process was optimized,
making the tib’s work more efficient. the number of clients waiting to be seen lessened as both waiting time and queues were
cut. this resulted in an improved working environment and improved staff morale. the citizens of sverdlovsk also noted the
improvements. this was reflected in a sociological poll conducted in May 2010. the study showed that customer satisfaction had
increased to some 80%.

the best is yet to coMe
the lack of any guards adds to customer satisfaction among the tib visitors.
thirteen guards were replaced by a network of cctv cameras which record
surveillance footage on a hard drive. this has made the services delivered
by the tib more transparent and the work of the tib staff more accountable,
alleviating worries of potential visitors. as tib director, vadym epstein also
plans to introduce a web-camera in the visitor reception hall enabling any
internet user to observe the service provided to visitors.

Oleksiy KUbAR
head, luhansk Region Sustainable development Agency

http://csdp.org.ua
chAPter ii. enhAncing citizens’ involveMent in the Process 23
of Decision-MAking on the locAl level


‘PUblic initiatives’ aDvocates For the rights
oF kirovohraD citizens
chAllenging the Decision of the locAl AUthorities

a
imed at the improvement of the public’s ability to check the activities of local authorities, the kirovohrad association ‘Public
initiatives’ has made significant progress in instilling public influence over decisions adopted by the local authorities. these
results have been made possible by holding public council meetings, conducting legal consultations and the involvement of
community leaders and members of parliament. a vivid example of the project’s influence is the positive experience in protecting
the rights of the local communities in kirovohrad, the wellbeing of its citizens, the adoption of transparent and fare decisions by
the authorities and the enhancement of democratic governance principles.

groUnDless tariFFs Will not Do
in July of 2010 the kirovohrad association ‘Public initiatives’ was approached by local residents whose buildings were maintained
by the communal servicing company “kreP”. the residents sought assistance in preparing a public appeal to the Prosecutor’s
office. they wished to launch an investigation against senior staff of “kreP”, who ignored the statutory procedure to hold public
hearings before implementing any tariff increase. based on “kreP’s” fraudulent process, the city council adopted a decision on the
housing tariffs increase.
the ‘Public initiatives’ association’s lawyers prepared their case and submitted it in order for the Prosecutor’s office to launch
an investigation. based on the investigation results, the kirovohrad Prosecutor’s office commenced legal action and lodged an
objection to the city council’s decision. Unfortunately, the city council ignored this objection. Following this, the residents of the
apartment buildings, serviced by “kreP”, filed a lawsuit and won. based on the court’s decision, the housing tariffs were revised in
the interests of the residents.

a staDiUM is saveD!
on the 16thof February 2010, a 9992 м2 plot of land used since 2004 by the kirovohrad olympic sports school as a back-up
baseball stadium, was rezoned and ‘appropriated’ by a group of ten individuals (including city council members and their relatives)
for private housing construction under kirovohrad city council resolution #3167.

24 i
sUccess stor es


based on the articles 50, 51, and 80 of the land code of Ukraine that such land
plots are treated as recreational facilities and may not be appropriated, the
Public Prosecutor lodged a protest against the resolution. this objection was
rejected by the city council Members.
initiated by the kirovohrad association ‘Public initiatives’, a Public council
meeting was held to discuss the situation whilst an information enquiry was
forwarded to the Mayor of the city.
to generate public awareness the association involved a wide range of community leaders
including: the kirovohrad regional club ‘For the lawful state’, the kirovohrad olympic sports
school, the kirovohrad Department of the national olympics committee, the kirovohrad
Department of the national human rights Protection committee, the association of
entrepreneurs, the public organization ‘self-reliance’, the kirovohrad regional organization
of People with Disabilities, local Media, and others.
on the 20th of september 2010 the kirovohrad association ‘Public initiatives’ also raised this
issue during a public hearing. in turn, the city Prosecutor’s office commenced legal action
against the city council regarding the resolution which resulted in its eventual cancellation.
Following this chain of events, aimed at raising public
awareness regarding the activities of the local authorities,
the city council’s resolution was widely publicized
amongst the local community, state authorities, sports and
public organizations and the Media. this generated public
outcry against the resolution. Under increasing pressure
from the public and the regional state administration, the
individuals who were illegally granted rights of ownership
of the allotted land plots, eventually gave up these rights.

Valeriy zbOROVSKyi
Project Coordinator

http://csdp.org.ua


a sUccessFUl PUblic revieW
of the coMMUnAl hoUsing econoMy
in the toWn of PervoMAisk

t
he practice of successful public review to enjoy the support of local authorities and to expedite the communal housing
reform through forming of associations of condominium co-owners in town.
is it possible to conduct a public review of the activity of a local governmental body? Well, yes, if the given parties to the
process, the public and the local authorities, favor positive changes and as a joint effort try to accommodate the issues of the
community. the proof for this assertion can be found in the activity of an ngo called the luhansk center for Political and social
research “Politsocium”. as a direct result of collaboration with Politsocium, Pervomaisk town council of the luhansk oblast, passed
a resolution that warrants the public review of the activities of the Pervomaisk town council and its subsidiaries. this is, perhaps,
the first instance in the country, when a resolution about public review has been adopted by a local self-government body.
it is a common fact that every Ukrainian town encounters severe problems in the ‘economy’ of communal housing. these include
but are not limited to the influence of the current economic and financial crisis, scarce funding, and unsatisfactory quality of
services provided. a way to address these issues is to start reforming the economics of communal housing. something the head
of the Politsocium, cso Mr. volodymyr ivanov, suggested to the town mayor. the first step was the passing of a resolution by the
town mayor that warranted public review of the implementation of the municipal programme for reforming communal housing.
the methodology for the review served the resolution of the cabinet of Ministers of Ukraine as of 05.11.2008 # 976 “on approving
the Public review of the activities of the executive bodies”.
in the course of the review, the study was aimed at: forming a market of the communal housing services, the activity of already
functioning associations of condominium co-owners (acc), fixing and reconstructing the apartment buildings, waste disposal,
heating and hot water supply, drinking water supply, and the involvement of the citizens by the town’s executive committee in solving
the issues, including the approval of the tariffs for the communal housing services. For instance, a public review study shows that
communal housing tariffs are designed in such a manner that 43% of all funds generated is allocated to staff salaries and 39% on taxes
and mandatory payments. only 8% is spent on building materials, 7% on energy supply and 3% on miscellaneous payments.
the loss-making of the communal housing economy is aggravated by the fact that wear and tear of the municipal water pipelines
is 80% that leads to some 40% loss of water supplied to the town. the wear and tear ratio of the central heating equipment varies
between 60%-80% with efficiency of around 70%. Forming the associations of the condominium co-owners can save good costs:
the monies spent on the salaries of expanded staff, abundant tax payments and charges may be re-allocated to the fixing and
replacing of worn out and outdated communal equipment.

26 i
sUccess stor es


based on the public review by “Politsocium”, an expert opinion was prepared, which included recommendations for the Pervomaisk
town council and its executive committee, favoring the creation of the associations of condominium co-owners. the Pervomaisk
mayor willingly acceptance the public review, as a tool to enhance the implementation of the local municipal programmes by the
local authorities.
as a result of this on 25 May 2010, the Pervomaisk town council passed a resolution that warranted ‘Public review of the activities
of the town council and its executive bodies’. Following this the recommendations of the public review were included in the
resolution by the town’s executive committee on 12 July 2010.
in particular, a list of activities to enhance the creation of accs included:
1. employ the most effective and efficient forms of acc management, through a number of cost-effective mechanisms.
including the most optimal taxation system, management system that alleviate acc operation costs.
2. exploit the current legal framework to facilitate the forming of accs of condos with fewer apartments to favor such
formations, especially where the costs collection is scarce.
3. the communal housing service department was tasked to provide all
necessary and mandatory most current documentation to the newly
established accs that would eliminate extra cost for producing those
in the future.
4. the communal housing service department was tasked to open
separate accounts per every condominium and to approve a
schedule of reconstruction with their housing committees to ensure
transparency in cost spending and encourage the formation of the
new accs.
this resolution facilitates the reforming of the communal housing economy
in town through the development of existing and the creation of the new
associations in the town of Pervomaisk.

Volodymyr iVANOV
head, "Politsotcium" Regional Center for Political and Sociological Research

http://csdp.org.ua


implementation
organization Project title contact information
period
"nadiya" society for the Pro- "serving the needs and representing 20.12.2009 – 4 chornovola st., Drohobych; lvivska oblast 82100
tection of Disabled children the interests of children and youth 20.09.2010 (03244) 3-59-45; (067) 456-11-47
with special needs in the city of nadiya_ua@ukr.net
Drohobych"
"nadiya" charitable Foundtion horlivka typhlo-center - "Window to 20.12.2009 – 34 komsomolska st., horlivka
the world". "creating computer learn- 20.06.2010 Donetsk oblast 84626
ing typhlo-center and media library (06242) 55-79-98; (050) 904-8505
for visually disabled people 80509048505; alladud@gmail.com; http://deti.dn.ua

"logos" charitable organiza- Mini-print shop as an employment 20.12.2009 – 40 Myru prospect, chernihiv 14000
tion for Disabled children model for people with disabilities 20.07.2010 (067) 439-71-65, (050) 313-32-42
nad-lozben@yandex.ru; nnlozben@gmail.com
"totem" center for youth the Dream is close: from vulnerable 20.12.2009 – 2-a Molodizhna st., kherson 73000
initiatives youth initiatives to youth policy" 20.09.2010 (0552)26-6-072 , (066) 700-60-04
totem@public.kherson.ua
http://totem.kherson.ua
"skhiD" association of young creation of a social partnership model 20.12.2009 – 59 volodarskoho st., off. 105; luhansk 91005
People with Disabilities of the to ensure access to education for 20.09.2010 (0642) 71-99-69 ; (095) 808-44-04
eastern Donbas region disabled people" ami-cxid@ukr.net;
http://ami-cxid.org.ua/
"life Without barriers" Union creating an accessible environment 20.12.2009 – 2 kosiora st., sverdlovsk
of People with Disabilities for persons with disabilities in the city 20.07.2010 luhansk oblast 94800
and disctrict of sverdlovsk of luhansk (050) 976-21-87 ; (097) 326-64-64
region schwarzgold@rambler.ru;
http://behinderte.ucoz.ru
luhansk region sustainable creation of information centers for 20.12.2009 - 45-a brativ Palkinykh st., off. 24
Development agency administrative services in the cities of 31.07.2010 luhansk 91016
sverdlovsk and severodonetsk" (0642) 58-19-98, (0642) 58-50-06
lrasD@ua.fm; kubar@ua.fm
http://www.open.lg.ua
"Politsotsium" regional cen- "Public review of the program of re- 20.12.2009 - 46 oktiabrska st., luhansk 91055
ter for Political and sociologi- forming the housing and communal 30.06.2010 (0642) 52-81-31, (097) 94-84-085
cal research services management in Pervomaysk" politsocium@ukr.net
"civic initiatives" association "Public initiatives in decision making" 20.12.2009 - 8/22 Dekabrystiv st., kirovohrad 25006
20.09.2010 (0522) 24-35-29, (066) 49-86-34
association@monitoring.kr.ua; vozbor@ukr.net
http://www.monitoring.kr.ua

28

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