“To create jobs and support people in difficult times”. NGO “Pravo” became a part of the all-Ukrainian project on employment

Publication date: July 5, 2024

The NGO Pravo from Khmilnyk, Vinnytsia oblast, has joined the all-Ukrainian project Army of Recovery. It cooperates with the local employment center, allowing residents and IDPs to temporarily employ and engage in paid, socially helpful work.

The Ukrainian government launched the Army of Recovery project in the fall of 2022 to engage people who have temporarily lost their jobs in rebuilding the country through community service.

The project involves citizens who have received the status of unemployed or are registered as job seekers at the employment center. Applications for workers come from employers who need specific tasks. An example of such work is the weaving of camouflage nets.

The idea to participate in the project was born in January 2024, when the organization and the Khmilnyk branch of the Vinnytsia Regional Employment Center organized a joint discussion on involving IDPs in socially helpful work funded by the state budget.

• “The Executive Committee of the City Council included our organization in the list of clients for such work, which allowed us to create temporary jobs. In February 2024, the NGO “Pravo” hired the first 17 people. Now, the number of people engaged in public service work is over 200,” says Vitalii Dorokh, head of the NGO “Pravo”.

The process is as follows. The organization requests the Employment Center for the required number of people. They are deregistered and sent to perform socially beneficial work. During this work, they are credited with seniority, paid the minimum wage, and all necessary payments are made to the budget. Upon completion, the participants return to the employment center to look for a permanent job in their specialty.

The advantage of this initiative is that there are no strict requirements for participants. It is enough to register at the employment center and desire to work. This allows a wide range of people to participate in the project, which is especially important in times of war when many people have lost their jobs.

At the same time, Vitalii Dorokh notes that their organization faces specific difficulties. For example, the funds provided by the Employment Center can only be used to pay salaries and taxes. They do not consider the cost of bank fees and additional work for the accountant. This creates additional challenges that the organization solves through volunteer efforts.

• “However, the practice of temporary employment has proven its effectiveness and can be a model for other public organizations. The Army of Recovery project demonstrates how to create jobs and support people in difficult times using the state’s and civil society’s resources,” says Vitalii Dorokh.

The material was created with the support of GlobalGiving, an international charity platform, and the Charles Stewart Mott Foundation. The Legal Development Network is solely responsible for the publication’s content.

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