Active citizens, representatives of civil society organizations, charitable foundations, homeowners’ associations, and anyone seeking to improve their city took part in a two-day training session on writing social projects, organized by the Kherson Regional Charitable Foundation “Union” in Kherson.
The program covered the entire process—from analyzing community needs to preparing a project proposal, budgeting, and seeking funding opportunities, as well as the practical use of AI in developing social initiatives.
What was particularly striking during the workshop was that almost none of the ideas the participants worked on directly addressed security.
And this speaks volumes about the real needs of people in a frontline city. Despite the fact that the security situation in Kherson remains extremely difficult, the constant danger, anxiety, attacks, and exhaustion give rise to another, no less important need. People lack not only physical safety—they are critically lacking in communication, normality, interaction, a sense of community, and space to live.
That is precisely why many project ideas focused on social cohesion, adaptation, socialization, support for children, and creating opportunities for gatherings, shared activities, and the restoration of human connections.
One participant put it very succinctly when explaining why such trainings are so important specifically in Kherson:
“When people from Kherson travel to other regions for similar trainings, there’s often a feeling that we’re simply not understood. People may sympathize, but they don’t experience the reality we live in every day. Here, however, we’ve gathered with those who know what’s happening in the city, who speak the same language of experience. It’s very inspiring.”
This is one of the main takeaways from this training: such initiatives are important not only as learning opportunities, but as spaces where people reconnect with one another.
Local trainings like these provide an opportunity to bring together people who have a deep understanding of the local context, challenges, and the community’s real needs.
For frontline communities where people continue to live, it is important to implement not only infrastructure or crisis initiatives. Projects for the Kherson region are also about restoring trust, human connections, and the ability to plan for the future once again.
Even under the most difficult conditions, there are people in Kherson who want to take action, create, and support one another.
This training was made possible thanks to the support of the European Endowment for Democracy. 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.
