Vidnova Fellowship gave 23 scholarships to those, who returned to Ukraine
Vidnova Fellowship has awarded 23 grants to those who returned to Ukraine.
Vidnova Fellowship awarded 23 scholarships to Ukrainians who left the country after the full-scale invasion, but decided to return home or move to another region. Public, cultural and educational activists continue to work on initiatives that bring communities together and make their lives better.
The program started on August 24, 2022, on the day of the 31st anniversary of Ukraine’s independence. Due to Russian aggression, more than 12 million people have left the country and 1.5 million have come back. Migration or return – are individual decisions taken under different living conditions and family circumstances, different experiences and needs, as well as high levels of stress. Such decisions concern our own security, they are personal and cannot be evaluated. By launching the Vidnova Fellowship Ukraine program, we are not trying to influence these decisions, but we want to support those who have independently decided to return. Because we know that for many, the obstacles to getting back are the loss of housing or a source of income.
Vidnova Fellowship Ukraine provides financial and mentoring support for Ukrainians seeking to resume their activities in the country. The fellows receive 16,200 grants each month to implement ideas, unite and revitalize local communities. The founder of the program is the German union commit by MitOst gGmbH in partnership with Insha Osvita. The project is being implemented with support from SAP company.
About grant holders of the program:
– Creating spaces for forcefully resettled people and communities reconstructing their homes.
Art-educator Larysa Litkovska organizes a support area in Bucha that will function as an art studio.
Actress Mariia Chuprynenko works on a space for those, who were forced to move to the Kherson area, where her music and folk Ukrainian songs will be played. Mariia has already taped her parents’ songs.
– Improving working conditions in communities
Public activist Kira Okhrimenko creates a working environment for elderly women in the villages of Sumy District through the “My. Native” project. In her work, Kira draws attention to the problem of social isolation of rural residents. Now she is focused on scaling up the project, attracting volunteers and working on the establishment of an NGO.
– Restoring museum spaces
Zoreslava Klymenko, Director of the South Ukrainian City Historical Museum, updates the storage facility and introduces the latest technologies. As a result of the grant, the permanent exhibition “Heroes Don’t Die” has been updated in the museum, portraits of fallen soldiers have been decorated, a military diorama has been restored, and a multimedia video projector and trestles have been acquired.
– rethinking the cultural legacy of some regions of Ukraine.
Yanina Alieieva, head of the “My Province” NGO, carries out research and gives lectures on the history of small towns in the Poltava region to strengthen the identity of the inhabitants, find their own cultural landmarks and get rid of Soviet clichés.
– exploration of war topics and trauma through art.
Media journalist Viktoriya Kratinova works on the film “Bloody Oil” directed by Johnny Kyivsky, about the resistance of Ukrainians to the russian invasion and the real price of the aggressor nation’s energy resources.
Journalist and art critic Yuliia Manukian revives the work of the NGO “Urban Re-Public” (Kherson) in Odesa and documents the consequences of the war for the cultural heritage of southern Ukraine. Yuliia has established the project “Animation of Artistic Resistance in the Occupation” to support the artistic community of Kherson. Discussions on decolonisation problems have become a separate block from the project. Yuliia is now publishing research material.
Distinguished Artist of Ukraine Oleksandr Doroshenko has painted 4 paintings on the Russian-Ukrainian war and is looking for opportunities for an exhibition.
Philologist Tatiana Hanzha is developing the script for the film “Occupied” about rape as a tool of war and is working on an informational campaign for women who have become victims of violence.
Activist and journalist Olena Brutska has set up a special “Front Letters” project with Vogue magazine – materials in the form of letters from the trenches of defenders fighting on the front lines. Additionally, as a communicator, Olena was able to raise donations to sew women’s military uniforms.
Multidisciplinary artist Alexandra Krolikowska explores collective memory in wartime through photographs taken by soldiers.
Director Maryna Maykovska is creating a series of films on animal evacuation in Bucha. Plans to promote the film project within international animal welfare and human rights organizations.
Art director and photographer Borovets Oksana gives meaning to the traumatic experience of the loss of her home in the “Keys” project. The author uses the symbol of abandoned keys which no longer lead to homes, as they were destroyed after a full-scale invasion and the russian-Ukrainian war.
– teaching and caring for children.
Teacher Krykun Albina created and implemented the professional orientation course for teenagers and youth “Architect of your future”. This is a program to identify the talents and strengths that will become a reference for the choice of future occupations. She is now working on a new project, Career Development Trajectory, which is aimed at helping youth develop a career strategy.
Nataliia Ukrainets leads activities in the development of children with autism and the development of delayed psychospeech. With the help of the project, Nataliia opened the Early Development Center “PrekRASni” to increase the number of professional early development experts in Ukraine during the war.
Paralympic fencing champion and teacher Andrii Demchuk runs fencing masterclasses for students who have been forced to relocate to the Lviv region.
– other artists supporting other artists
Cultural director Oleksandra Kyriushyna took part in organizing the exhibition “Burn”, for which she found grant support. Around 30 ceramic compositions by the author have been included in the exhibition.
– providing psychological assistance
Coach Natalia Korbut organizes retreat-training, during which female volunteers can recharge, replenish resources and gain extra energy.
Entrepreneur Tetiana Dashkovska created a space of help for those who were forced to temporarily move to Zaporozhye due to the war. She held several meetings aimed at unification, training, communication, and providing psychological assistance to the community. Now she is developing the space and reviving the activity of her own bakery.
– developing upcycling skills to restore infrastructure in the de-occupied territories
The founder of the eco-brand “3.14BAN | PIBAN” Kateryna Uvarova popularizes the culture of recycling and conscious consumerism, as well as expands her own business. Kateryna designed packaging, created a video clip, tested samples of new products, and also participated in a charity festival.
– carrying out organizational and informational activities.
Anastasia Pobidash, an activist and founder of the children’s studio of Ukrainian dance, works on the organization of the charity training festival “Culture for nature”. The lists of participants and the organizing committee of the event have already been formed – a scenario and an information campaign will be created in the future.
Musician and teacher Maria Burmaka spoke at a press conference at the Military Media Center, recorded an interview for the “Musical Front” project, participated in the development of scripts for plays about St. Nicholas, took part in the “Territory of Heroes” marathon for the Day of Defenders and other charitable projects.
Grant holders will continue to work on social initiatives until the end of March 2023. You can find out the latest information about the project on the Facebook page of Insha Osvita.
