With support from USAID’s Economic Resilience Activity (USAID ERA), Volodymyr Dahl East Ukrainian National University (EUNU) signed an agreement with two other USAID ERA partners, the NGO Association of the Ukrainian Agribusiness Club and Kernel, a prominent manufacturer and exporter of grain and leader in the global sunflower oil market. 

Through this cooperation, students will have access to internships and hands on training at Kernel’s facilities, in tandem with educational courses at EUNU

“We are glad that our university is collaborating with experts from the Kernel Company to explore new opportunities for the development of agriculture, engineering, construction, logistics, computer-integrated technologies, and electronics,” said Olga Porkuyan, EUNU Rector. 

“We hope to address the practical training needs of higher education seekers and jointly organize lectures, seminars, and training sessions, as well as engage in scientific, international, and grant-related activities.” Natalia Teriakhina, Head of the HR Department at Kernel Company, explained, “We aim to arrange internships and practical training opportunities for both students and university staff at our company. Additionally, we seek to launch online courses for students to develop essential soft skills, focusing specifically on communication, critical thinking, and responsibility. The combination of our research facilities and the extensive scope of agricultural production will allow students to have high-quality practical training opportunities, along with remuneration.“  

EUNU is an internally displaced university that has had to relocate twice from the Luhansk Oblast and is currently operating in Kyiv city. It has been a partner of USAID ERA’s since 2018. USAID ERA is currently establishing three modern laboratories for training future engineers at the university. After resuming operations, EUNU began re-establishing its partnerships with the business sector and is now collaborating with ten Ukrainian companies.  

With support from the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (USAID ERA), the non-governmental organization (NGO) Youth Movement Shift (NGO Shift) has been implementing a social Art Coworking project in Dnipro for over a year, helping nearly 300 youth to acquire new skills through master classes and art therapy sessions and receive training in the creation of visual content and social media management (SMM).  

The creative space, Art Coworking, began operating in 2020 in Kramatorsk, Donetsk but was forced to related to Dnipro when Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022. USAID ERA helped NGO Shift equip their new space with a serger machine, two laptops, a 3D printer, a primer machine, and a coffee maker, which are helping Art Coworking expand their educational courses and workshops and host events. 

Within one year of working at the new location, NGO Shift conducted 22 master classes, 22 meetings for psychosocial support, and 22 art therapy sessions. Program participants took professional courses in sewing, fabric printing, and 3D modeling, which have helped them sustain and build their businesses in spite of the war. 

One local resident, Olha, embroiders clothing with traditional Ukrainian patterns. After participating in training and individual consultations on creating visual content and SMM, she revamped her Instagram page and began to receive more orders for her products.  

Irina, a local ceramicist, took a course in 3D modeling at the co-working space, which helped save money on mold-making. She also participated in training sessions on visual content and SMM, which helped her improve content and ultimately the performance of her social media page. As a result, Irina received new orders, gained confidence in her business, and later developed a business plan. She was awarded a grant from an international organization to purchase a kiln and continues to develop her business and participate in fairs in Dnipro City. 

Oleksandr, an Internally Displaced Person (IDP) from Kramatorsk City, lost his job during the war. In addition to gaining sewing skills at Shift, he attended psychosocial meetings and took an SMM course. With this support, he founded his own company and now oversees a team of professional seamstresses and is expanding his business. 

Both IDPs and local residents affected by the war have responded positively to the meetings dedicated to psychosocial support. These meetings, along with Art Coworking Space’s art therapy and book and conversation clubs have created a community where people can build professional and social connections.  Olena, an IDP from the Luhansk region, attended over 10 sessions of the psychosocial support group and said,

“For me, each visit to this space was very important and positive, with interesting activities and pleasant people. After these meetings, I felt like I was recovering – not just hiding or trying to escape from the war, but simply starting to live my life in a different place and a pleasant environment.” 

NGO Shift invites anyone interested in utilizing the equipment at the Art Coworking Space to contact them. Due to limited space, they strongly recommend to book a time in advance from Monday to Saturday and stay updated by subscribing to their Facebook page.

If you are interested  in launching your creative startup with the help of Art Coworking Space, please send a message through Instagram.

With the assistance of the USAID Economic Resilience Activity (ERA), entrepreneur Hanna Telychko launched the “A-Robot” robotics and programming center in Kurakhove, Donetsk Oblast. Currently, it is the only center of such kind operating in a small town.

Hanna received a grant from the USAID ERA to open STEM Education Centers. STEM-education (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) involves a combination of the natural component, innovative technologies and mathematics in studying. Under this grant, LEGO erector sets, a TV set, laptops, and three multimedia boards have already been installed in Vuhledar and Kurakhove.

The entrepreneur is creating the center in Kurakhove “from scratch”. More than 60 children aged 5 to 16 enrolled in it. They have training sessions twice a week.

Training is held in groups of five students according to the quarantine requirements.

“We usually work with six-year-olds, but now five-year-olds come to class. The youngest design robots, then program them with a teacher – learn how to start the motor, various sensors – color, slope. Senior students also master designing, communication and teamwork skills. I get great feedback from the children and parents. Our first lesson is a test one, after which the parents with the child decide whether to stay with us. Everyone who came bought a monthly subscription,” – said Hanna Telychko.

The entrepreneur hired two local teachers.

“When I saw the announcement of the opening of the Robotics Center, I was very happy. We hadn’t any in our town. My child is interested in assembling robots in class, learning to program them. It promotes creative development. My son even started to study better at school, because he hurries to classes at this center. I also expect that there will be competitions, some championships, we will take part in them,” – said Tetiana Kostiuchenko, the mother of 11-year-old Ivan, who attends classes at the Center.

Now Hanna Telychko is recruiting groups of people willing to study robotics in Volnovakha.

“Our mission is to show parents and children an alternative to games on phones and tablets so that children do not just sit for hours with gadgets, but learn programming, create games, develop them. We work to improve communication skills and teamwork. In the future, you can make good money on programming, because the world is changing, many professions will not exist soon, we all need to adapt to this,” – shared Hanna.

You can register for classes in Kurakhove and Volnovakha by following this link: https://www.facebook.com/A.Robot.ua/

Hanna is also developing the Robotics Center in Vuhledar, which is attended by more than 100 children.