The communities of the Kherson region presented universal recommendations for the restoration of life in settlements after de-occupation

On February 16, 2024, the Kherson Regional Charitable Fund "Union" presented universal recommendations regarding the action plan and priority directions for restoring the vitality of settlements after de-occupation. 

The recommendations were developed together with representatives of three already de-occupied the Stanislav, Bilozerka, and Chornobaivka communities in the Kherson region. The recommendations were based on the results of in-depth interviews with local residents and officials of the mentioned communities, as well as surveys of community residents regarding the consequences of the russian occupation, the process of restoring the life of settlements, and consultations with the heads of military administrations of the Kherson region. 

"Residents of the liberated towns and villages of the Kherson region gained invaluable experience in restoring life in their communities. This is not only the experience of managers or specialists; it is the concentrated experience of all residents, which the developers tried to consider while working on the proposed checklist. And this experience is transferred in this way to those who are still waiting for de-occupation," says Mykola Homanyuk, Candidate of Sociological Sciences, Associate Professor of the Department of Geography and Ecology of Kherson State University, consultant of the "Union" Foundation. 

The universal recommendations are compiled as a checklist (action plan) of more than 150 questions, structured by key directions: security, infrastructure, humanitarian aid, medicine, economy, human resources, etc. 

Thanks to these questions, it will be possible to quickly assess the actual state of affairs in the newly de-occupied settlements, determine the priority recovery areas, and optimize aid provision to the community. 

"The Novomykolaivka territorial community has been temporarily occupied for almost 2 years. And the longer the occupation lasts, the more problems will have to be solved in the liberated communities, - says Hliebova Yevheniia, head of the Novomykolaivka village military administration. - Each de-occupied territory will have its own history, but it is important, both for the authorities and for the public, to work on an action plan immediately after de-occupation, a kind of communications map or algorithm of actions. All participants in these processes must understand what we do, who we interact with, where we go, and what is possible and what is not. The finished developments are very relevant and valuable because they are taken from real practice and work experience in already de-occupied territories. When we go to work in our territories, we will definitely use the cases of our colleagues, which are concentrated in the checklist of necessary actions during the de-occupation of communities." 

The developed recommendations are universal and can be used by any community, regardless of its size or specificity. They will help assess the priority needs of de-occupied communities in various sectors, develop an action plan in the first weeks after de-occupation and measures to restore life support in the future and create a clear and effective aid coordination system by combining the efforts of the authorities, public organizations, and volunteers. 

You can familiarize yourself with the full list of recommendations regarding the necessary actions during the de-occupation of communities at the link - https://bit.ly/checklistua