Implementing initiatives within the framework of the USAID UCBI program, operated by the Kherson Regional Charitable Foundation "Union" in partnership with Chemonics, has been completed in the Bilozerka community.
The project aimed to strengthen public safety, social cohesion, and build trust between community residents and local government bodies.
Together with the community and partners, we managed to implement some critical initiatives that are already enhancing safety and trust in the community today:
🔸 Safe Shelters
Heating and ventilation systems have been installed in four underground shelters of the community. This not only creates more comfortable conditions during air raids, but also increases the level of safety for the civilian population.
🔸 Safety classes for children
Two educational institutions have safety classes—modern, interactive spaces where students master key skills in emergency situations. Classes are accessible and interactive, using multimedia tools, thematic games, and practical demonstrations.
🔸 Separate waste collection
Materials for the construction of sites and garbage cans were purchased for the village of Bilozerka as part of the initiative to introduce separate waste collection. Despite the temporary postponement due to the security situation, the community already has the necessary resource base to implement this environmental initiative in the future.
During a visit to the Bilozerka community, the head of the Foundation, Yuriy Antoshchuk, got acquainted with the functioning of the Community Security Center, which includes the local fire department and the office of the community police officer. These units were supplemented with the support of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) as part of the activities of the Working Group on Public Security and Recovery in the community and are today key elements of the security system at the local level.
Supporting deoccupied communities is not only about infrastructure or equipment. First, this is about people who remain to live and work under challenging conditions, building a new life on the destroyed one.
Implementing initiatives like those in the Bilozerka community demonstrates that even in conditions of instability, it is possible to create an environment of trust, security, and development. Cooperation between local authorities, the public, and international partners is the key to recovery and cohesion, which becomes the foundation for the entire region's future.
