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The PROSTO project team visited Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions

In the end of January, the project team visited the liberated hromadas of Kharkiv and Mykolaiv regions.

On January 24–25, Petro Makarenko, project expert, Mariia Zakharchenko, institutional coordinator and Dmytro Kulyk, procurement coordinator of the PROSTO project, visited the hromadas Shyrokivska, Snihurivska, Mishkovo-Pohorilivska hromadas of the Mykolaiv region, and had a meeting with the administration of Pervomayska hromada (the hromada’s staff work remotely in Mykolaiv). All of these hromadas have military administrations. The project team also met with Mykola Marinov, deputy head of the Mykolaiv Military Administration.

photo_2023-02-02_17-05-58.jpgThe destroyed premises of the ASC in Shihurivska hromada Mykolaiv region 

During the meetings, they discussed issues of access to public services, the situation with IDPs in the hromadas, and other aspects of access to services and recovery processes in the hromadas.  Hromadas of Mykolaiv oblast were at the epicenter of military actions for almost 7 months (end of March - mid-November), some of them were occupied, and others - were under massive shelling. Now numerous hromadas are facing infrastructure damage (up to 95%). Therefore, restoring public services requires support in technical equipment. Such equipment would let hromadas cover urgent requests and plan in a mid-term perspective. 

photo_2023-02-02_17-06-00.jpgSergiy Peresunko, Head of the Shyrokivska hromada Mykolaiv region, and Petro Makarenko, the Project Expert, near the destroyed premises of the ASC 

On January 29-30, the PROSTO team, as part of the SALAR International delegation, together with representatives from the Swedish Embassy in Ukraine visited hromadas in Kharkiv region and met with the Deputy Head of the Kharkiv Regional Military Administration Roman Semenukha to discuss recovery and local needs.

The delegation from SALAR International included Ryan Knox, Managing Director of SALAR International, Magnus Liljeström, Senior advisor, Alexander Mazurkin, PROSTO Project Manager, Sanna Rosén, Deputy Project Manager, Olga Kalinichenko, Senior expert and Dmytro Kulyk, Procurement Coordinator. They visited the Starosaltivska, Balakliyska, Izyumska, and Staroshevchenkivska hromadas.

meeting.jpgMeeting in the Kharkiv Military Administration, Photo from the site https://kharkivoda.gov.ua/news/119418

"I am impressed by the resilience and bravery of the Ukrainian people, the organization of hromadas in continuing to provide services the face of adversity and external aggression. We will continue to support the hromadas of Ukraine with a focus on providing residents with continuity of services, restoring hromadas and engaging residents in recovery and reconstruction processes," said Ryan Knox, Director of SALAR International.

In December 2022, 13 liberated hromadas in Kharkiv region received the first batch of crisis support from the project including necessary equipment to resume ASCs work, worth 1,140,000 UAH. In January 2023, the Balakliya hromada received a car and two sets of equipment to provide services to residents in remote locations.

"During the 11 months of Russia's full-scale aggression, we have begun the process of rebuilding and restoring public services in the de-occupied territories. Thanks to the support of international technical assistance projects, we are confidently bringing vital services closer to residents. We are grateful to the PROSTO project for supporting the hromadas of the Kharkiv region in organizing on-site service delivery using the Mobile Administrator and Mobile Center centre, as well as for arranging workplaces for administrators. Together, we will definitely achieve the goal of Victory and the well-being of Ukrainian society," said Maryna Bobranitska, Deputy Head of the Department for System Development of Administrative Services of the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

photo_2023-02-02_16-20-43.jpg
The damaged administrtives buildings in Izyum hromada Kharkiv region

In coordination and cooperation with partners, PROSTO will continue to support liberated hromadas in 2023.

Additional information:

SALAR represents all 290 Swedish municipalities and 21 regions in Sweden. The association has existed for more than a hundred years and strives to promote and strengthen local self-government and the development of regional and local democracy.

SALAR International is subsidiary of SALAR and supports democratic community planning and administration at the local and regional levels, using knowledge and experience from Swedish local and regional governments.