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The Novovorontsovka community held a regular meeting of the Working Group on Public Safety and Recovery (WGPSR), attended by representatives of the military administration, the village council and its structural units, activists, and a police officer from the community. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss the security situation in the community, summarize the results of implemented projects over the past 2 years, and determine priorities for 2026
Among the key initiatives implemented in the Novovorontsovka community, thanks to the activities of the WGPSR:
- Installation of road signs and speed limiters.
- This initiative involved the installation of more than 100 road signs and speed limiters. The project was the result of cooperation between the police, the Novovorontsovka settlement council, the district administration, and the UNDP. This has improved road safety, especially on the expressway that passes through the settlement. Local residents and the school principal observed a decrease in animal collisions and an increase in drivers’ compliance with traffic rules.
- Camera surveillance has been installed in the community, contributing to compliance with the curfew and facilitating a prompt police response to offenses.
- Community hub development: the development of a public space where children can engage in active activities has been completed.
- Support was provided to the fire brigade, and firefighting stands were offered to institutions.
- Additionally, direct support was provided to the working group through the purchase of furniture for the arrangement of their premises.
The meeting participants also discussed priority areas for the Novovorontsovka community for 2026, taking into account the current security situation and the community's limited financial resources. Among the priorities were the following initiatives:
- Purchase of drone detectors and installation of warning systems in settlements.
- Creation of a crisis center. This would allow for the temporary accommodation of internally displaced persons (IDPs), families affected by domestic violence, and children in need of temporary shelter. The project requires major renovation of the building.
- Veterans Center. Despite the difficulties with infrastructure investments due to the security situation, the importance of creating a veterans center to support military personnel returning from the front was emphasized.
- The urgent needs of local fire brigades were identified.
- Video conferencing equipment is needed to ensure the practical work of commissions and online meetings.
- Organization of home medical care training for employees and the population.
- The problem of a large number of stray dogs in the community was discussed. The issue of organizing the capture, sterilization, and placement of animals in shelters remains a pressing concern.
- Issues of large infrastructure projects that require significant investments in the repair and arrangement of buildings and shelters were also raised.
- The participants also proposed the arrangement of modern sports and playgrounds in more remote villages of the community.
The participants of the meeting expressed the hope that these priorities would be taken into account when planning the UNDP's activities for the coming years, as well as attract the attention of other donors. The importance of creating conditions for those who remain in the community and the willingness to share experience with different communities and regions were emphasized.
As a reminder, the WGPSR in the communities was created in the summer of 2023 by orders of the heads of the military administrations within the framework of the initiative "Kherson region: public safety and recovery in conditions of change", implemented by the "Union" Foundation with the assistance of the United Nations Development Program (UNDP) in Ukraine with the financial support of the Government of Denmark.
