The modern open-air educational space, an inclusive sensory room for children with special needs, and an IT lab for the elderly: all these things and much more will soon appear in Enerhodar thanks to DTEK’s Do-It-Yourself Community contest. 14 best projects received certificates for implementation.
‘DTEK cares about the future of the town, so for 9 years in a row, it has been helping local residents to implement important projects. Active and passionate residents of Enerhodar bring their most daring ideas to life. They do it for their own comfort and convenience. The company has been a reliable partner of Enerhodar for many years. And we are always ready to support and back up the town,’ said Maksym Shevtsov, Acting Director of DTEK Zaporizka TPP.
One of the winning projects is called ‘Safety’. Its author Oleksandr Pylypenko is confident that the installation of plastic figures will make crosswalks in the first district of the city safer. A campaign to install such figures has already started in all big cities of Ukraine. In Oleksandr’s opinion, they will attract the attention of drivers and make them aware of people crossing the road nearby. As a result, the drivers will understand that they have to be as attentive as possible and reduce speed.
‘My project aims to make the roads of our town safe. Dozens of people are injured and killed each year as a result of road accidents. As a power engineer, I know a thing or two about the importance of safety and zero injuries, both at the production site and in everyday life. I also have two children. This means that I care about their safety and health,’ said Oleksandr Pylypenko.
Also, thanks to DTEK ENERGY’s efforts, children’s and sports grounds will be created in Enerhodar, and recreation areas will be arranged and landscaped. A few more ideas concern inclusion. A specialized sensory room will be arranged, and an outdoor area for children with disabilities will be built at child care centre No. 10.
In 2021, 32 communities in 11 regions of Ukraine took part in the competition. The company received 667 bids, from which the project jury in each individual community selected the winners based on the specific criteria. Initiatives in the social sector, ecology and energy consumption, health care, sports, urban and rural improvement, as well as cooperation between communities, are among the winners. This year, the competition places particular emphasis on creating a barrier-free environment and inclusion in a broad sense. The Do-It-Yourself Community project was transformed once DTEK joined the First Lady’s Business without Barriers initiative. 60% of the programs and initiatives that communities and volunteers submitted to participate in the competition are based on accessibility principles.