Fifteen eastern Ukrainian entrepreneurs made a study tour to Kherson Oblast with USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) support.

Previously, the selected entrepreneurs completed a program on niche marketing. During online lectures, they learned what a business niche is, why it is important to develop a network of business relationships, how to use the network and re-profile the business during a downturn.

The tour participants visited OSA food production in Kherson, learning about the technology of making dumplings and other semi-finished products. They also visited Kurin farm vineyard and winery in the village of Stepanovka in Kherson Oblast, and saw how salad vegetables are grown on the Kishchenko family farm. In the village of Liubymivka, Kakhovka district in Kherson Oblast, they learned about growing saffron and its use in industry and at home. The group visited a blacksmith’s and got to know how green tourism helps attract new customers. In the village of Kairy in Kherson Oblast, they learned how to grow loofah (natural sponges) and asked about the contribution of entrepreneurs to the environment.

“I plan to reorient my business from industrial to craft production, as such products are now more in demand. I understand that this will require other approaches to work, but it is worth it. I am pleased to have taken part in this tour,” said Volodymyr Zhulynskyi, one of the participants.

During the trip, the participants established business contacts, and some agreed on further cooperation.

“Such tours are very useful, because they allow you to see how entrepreneurs work not only in your own niche, but in different or connected ones. In this way, people begin to think creatively, coming up with new ideas that they can implement in their work. New business contacts also appear, cooperation is born, and this is the purpose of such study tours,” said Kateryna Chechel, entrepreneur and tour organizer partner.

USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA) supported a study tour to the city of Chernivtsi on social entrepreneurship, for 15 representatives from Donetsk, Luhansk and south Zaporizhzhia Oblasts.

Participants visited social entrepreneurs working in Chernivtsi to learn about their history, the challenges they face and their achievements. This year marks the thirtieth anniversary of People’s Aid public organization. The organization unites several social enterprises providing work to people who find themselves in difficult life circumstances (including homelessness), a social shop and Papa Carlo carpentry workshop.

At Caritas’ Chernivtsi base, the group visited the Social Café. Here there are no price tags, and people leave an amount at their own discretion. The founders say this is an existing business model that not only covers expenses, but also generates money for the development of young people with disabilities, helping the needy.

ERA partner NGO SiLab also held several training sessions on social entrepreneurship for participants of the tour, focusing on building a social enterprise business model, determining the target audience, primary sales channels, financial modeling and legal aspects. Business communication has been established between the tour participants. The beneficiaries received new information and experience that they can use in their own communities.