Human rights activists of Bila Tserkva region help IDPs to master the profession and tools of local democracy

Publication date: January 30, 2024

Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the Bila Tserkva-based NGO “Legal Unity” (Kyiv region) has not only continued to provide legal aid to residents of Kyiv oblast communities, but has also implemented crisis response and recovery and social cohesion activities. An example is the systematic work with the community of internally displaced persons, which has been supported by the Legal Development Network since February 2023 as part of the program to strengthen the capacity of local organizations to respond to the challenges of war. We will talk about how the organization helps IDPs become self-sufficient and influential below.

Economic stability

“In February 2023, we started by setting up a business school for displaced women. More than 45 professionals and future entrepreneurs already knew what they wanted to do. But they lacked practical skills and knowledge. To prepare the training program, we involved deputies from the city council who are responsible for a certain area, so that after the school events, local authorities would know about the need to support this initiative in the future at the expense of the community. We carefully selected specialist consultants who know how to translate an idea into a business plan. The trainers were sought out based on feedback from other organizations with which we had cooperated.

In total, the team that implemented this initiative consisted of more than seven people – lawyers from our organization and our partner NGO “Sonyakh”, volunteers from among the IDPs and students of the legal clinic, as well as members of the city council.” says Oleksandra Shcherbyna, lawyer of the NGO “Legal Unity” and coordinator of the project.

The business school lasted three months at the Agency for Strategic Development.The school was organized by Olha Moroz, an activist and displaced person from Donetsk Oblast, who is a representative of the partner NGO Soniakh, which unites a community of about 3,000 internally displaced people. During the trainings, the participants were able not only to learn how to write business plans and effective resumes, but also to gain communication skills, psychological and legal support. Before graduating, three women found their dream jobs and four started their own businesses.

Thus, in July 2023, the organization launched the IDP Information and Advisory Support Center. As part of the center’s work, more than 150 IDPs were provided with support and guidance on obtaining a new profession, information on finding resources, business ideas, how to obtain grant support for starting a business, retraining and acquiring professional skills, etc.

“In terms of retraining and acquiring new professional skills, for example, the center trained in six professions: tailor, accountant, hairdresser, manicurist, driver, and barista.But it’s not just about helping people learn a trade. Our volunteers expanded the potential for realization in these areas: how to find more favorable working conditions, where it can be useful, etc.” says Oleksandra Shcherbyna.

The next step was to hold a financial literacy school for 25 displaced persons in December 2023. The organization continues to work in these areas in 2024.

Participation of IDPs in community decision-making

“Thanks to our constant work with IDPs, we know their problems. After analyzing possible solutions at the local government level, we realized that the creation of the Program for Support of Internally Displaced Persons for 2023-2025 could help in a comprehensive manner. In the summer of 2023, we began the process of developing it, involving IDPs and city council members. And in the fall, it was already adopted. Thus, the document at the community level helps to address the issues of financial support for internally displaced persons, extended retraining so that they can learn what they need and work according to their qualifications,” says Inna Malyshko, Executive Director of the NGO “Legal Unity”.

In addition to participating in the formation of local policies, Legal Unity helped to create an effective IDP council at the Bila Tserkva City Council. The organization advised IDPs on their rights and obligations within the council, and participated in a joint advocacy campaign. In November 2023, the council began its work and conducted strategic planning.

“Another area that we did not even know about was the support of newly created public organizations. We were approached by three initiative groups of internally displaced persons asking how to write projects, look for funds, where to apply, and what to build on in their activities. For example, one of these initiative groups consists of five women whose families have fallen soldiers. They want to open their own NGO to help other women in the same situation, provide some financial support on a regular basis, create a dialogue platform for these women, conduct trainings, and so on,” says Oleksandra Shcherbyna.

In total, Legal Unity experts have provided more than five consultations on the establishment of a non-governmental organization and are helping to create a strategic plan for 2024-2025.

Legal aid and tools

“When we cooperated with the IDP registration center and also with the NGO Soniach, we saw that there was a lot of misunderstanding among new community members about where to go, and we received questions about whether there were any directories with addresses and phone numbers. In fact, there was no such information. So we started collecting it. We talked to internally displaced persons, the center for social services, and IDP registration to understand what information is needed – where the institution is located, how to get there, how to write, call, and the work schedule,” says Oleksandra Shcherbyna.

The finished roadmap for IDPs was distributed in electronic format through social media, partner resources, and in hard copy to institutions and organizations frequented by IDPs.  

“We had a case when an IDP opened this road map and saw that the social security department she was looking for was two houses away. We received a lot of good feedback after the distribution of the guide, because it helps people to find their way around immediately,” notes Oleksandra Shcherbyna.

Each of the organization’s activities is carried out in conjunction with legal aid. In almost a year of work, Legal Unity has provided more than 300 consultations as part of the program to support local organizations.

Among the most frequent appeals in 2023 were issues related to fixing or compensation for destroyed housing; payments due to changes in legislation; and benefits for educational services, such as free meals in schools and kindergartens.

“We consulted people on site in remote villages, in our office, and after trainings and events we held for IDPs. Internally displaced persons began to use the information they received during the consultations, and then after a while, they would again get the opportunity to clarify or talk to lawyers about new issues after the classes. This practice was very effective,” says Oleksandra Shcherbyna.

The material was created with the support of the international charitable platform GlobalGiving, the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The content of the publication is the sole responsibility of the public union “Legal Development Network”.

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