The public organization “Bilozerka Center for Regional Development” has been operating since 2006, focusing on the needs of five communities of the former Bilozerka district. Initially, the organization positioned itself as a district center of the Kherson regional youth public organization “Youth Center for Regional Development”. Later, it expanded its focus to work with children, youth, and women and to develop the community's social capital. Ella Petrenko, the Head of the Public Organization, emphasizes that the organization's primary mission has always been not just charity or humanitarian activities, but creating conditions where people would like to live in their native villages and settlements.
The organization is known for its transparent activities and reputation as a reliable partner. This trust allowed the Bilozerka Center for Regional Development to become a bridge between those who can help (donors, volunteers, initiatives from abroad) and those who need help on the ground. That is why, during the occupation, the NGO “Bilozerka Center for Regional Development” became a humanitarian center that supported residents of the Bilozerka community. Today, the “Bilozerka Center for Regional Development” provides psychosocial and legal support to residents of deoccupied communities, creates safe and veteran spaces, and restores the capacity of community institutions.
“We never wanted to be a merely humanitarian organization. We always wanted to give a fishing rod, not fish. However, humanitarian aid became necessary when a person simply needs to restore documents or receive psychological support. We became a bridge between those who wanted to help and those who needed help,” says Ella Petrenko.
In July, the occupiers shelled the Bilozerka Center for Regional Development office, forcing the organization to relocate to Mykolaiv. The humanitarian headquarters temporarily suspended its activities, but all other work continued, and services continued to be provided in the Bilozerka community.
Due to the security situation on the right bank of the Kherson region, which, unfortunately, is becoming more and more complicated, we were interested in what Ella Petrenko puts into the concept of “restoration”, how important it is now, and whether it is possible to talk about it at all:
“I am pleased that we survived as a team. I consider this our huge achievement. This is how the communities of the Kherson region live now: they are at the stage of survival. If we talk about restoration, we must start with restoring social ties. We need to maintain ties between people. Recovery must begin with restoring these ties between those who remained and those who temporarily left the territories. Without strong social ties, even the rebuilt infrastructure will remain empty and ineffective.”
Cooperation between public organizations and the authorities is one of the key factors in the success of the existence of communities in the current conditions and recovery in the future. Ella Petrenko notes that the Bilozerka Center for Regional Development experience has shown that the results are noticeable in those communities where the local administration is ready for partnership. For example, in several communities, the authorities openly cooperate with public initiatives because they understand that public organizations bring significant capital to the community, including personnel who are critically lacking, connections with the world, and trust, first to the NGO and then to the authorities themselves.
“I am pleased that we, as an organization, have already “grown up” to the level of partners considered. We all understand that we are all in the same boat now. However, there are also many questions for the authorities. And the information vacuum is very disturbing,” says Ella Petrenko.
Trust is not built overnight. What is important is transparency in finances, the possibility of citizens' participation in community life (at least through accessible and safe formats), and honest communication from the authorities. The lack of a simple communication platform creates a huge gap.
Communities' resource base includes finances, human capital, trust, infrastructure, and information. According to Ella Petrenko, communities have many resources, but these resources are often ineffective due to a lack of confidence, specialists, and transparent mechanisms. Communication is also essential.
“There is a huge lack of platforms for communication now. It would be perfect if the authorities would communicate with the people,” says Ella Petrenko.
But Ella Petrenko also emphasizes that restoration is not only the government's business. Everyone can and should participate in community life: “In the current conditions, the main task of citizens is to survive, and the authorities have more responsibility. But we must be ready to hear each other. We need to change our views on each other. And we have a lot of work ahead of us - to unite people so that they can hear each other and come to help.”
Ella Petrenko dreams of a Bilozerka community under the blue-yellow flag, where the rule of law reigns, where participation tools for citizens operate transparently, where business and the public work without “dark schemes.” This vision is not a utopia; it is based on practical steps that can be taken right now - from restoring open communication to ensuring transparent procedures in land and budget issues: “There should be a space in which you know that your potential can be realized. Everything will be for a person and about a person.” Ella Petrenko advises looking for public organizations in your communities and joining them - collective actions are much more effective than individual ones.
Restoration is a multidimensional process, and before building stadiums or reconstructing offices, it is necessary to restore human resources and their relationships. The Kherson region is currently experiencing a survival phase, and the task of public organizations, authorities, and residents is to create conditions allowing us to preserve social capital and gradually move to reconstruction. A community's real strength is its people and their willingness to act together.
Therefore, we invite you to participate in an anonymous survey to help us better understand the moods, needs, and challenges the Kherson region's population faces and assess the effectiveness of public organizations and authorities' work. Each of your answers is an essential brick in the foundation of future recovery. Your answers are completely anonymous and will be used exclusively in a generalized form for analytical purposes.
The interview has been produced by the Kherson Regional Charitable Foundation “Union” with the support of the European Endowment for Democracy (EED). Its contents do not necessarily reflect the official opinion of EED. Responsibility for the information and views expressed in this publication lies entirely with the authors.
