Convenient space for students of the Pavlohrad Inclusive Resource Centre and a comfortable modern dining room in Secondary School No. 9 are the first two objects of the winner project in Pavlohrad, which was kicked off thanks to DTEK’s Do-It-Yourself Community competition. This year, Pavlohrad residents plan to implement 23 more top projects, including a workshop for cooks from the West Donbass Vocational Lyceum, new pavilions for kindergarten students; a renovated school gym, an energy efficient ramp entrance at the young naturalists’ station, and much more.
The inclusive resource centre team began its journey in the competition three years ago from that same inclusive resource room. Now there is a whole centre for children with special needs. Classes for individual learning are equipped with modern technology, furniture and interactive materials. This year, the centre’s team decided to implement another idea in the Do-It-Yourself Community project to improve conditions in the centre — create a barrier-free, safe and comfortable place in the corridor, reception-living rooms and speech therapist’s room. They know better than anyone how important it is to help special children so that they learn more easily and feel comfortable in the modern world.
Another winning project has been successfully completed at the Pavlohrad Secondary School No. 9. Food Hall ‘Nine Vitamins’ — this is the name the team of activists gave to their idea to improve the conditions in the school cafeteria. Now the colourful room has been supplemented with new comfortable furniture.
‘Today, together with the city authorities, we commissioned the first two objects of the winning project of the Do-It-Yourself Community 2021 competition in Pavlohrad. DTEK ENERGY, as a socially responsible business and a reliable partner of society, cares about the future of communities. The company and the Mayor’s, Anatolii Vershyna’s, team, have been helping active Pavlohrad residents for eight years in fulfilling their dreams with their own hands to improve the comfort of life. Do-It-Yourself Community has already become a favourite public project involving more and more people. This year, the company supported the initiative of Olena Zelenska “Business without Barriers” and prioritized the accessibility principle in competition. We want everyone to have the opportunity to enjoy all the benefits of society and to feel complete,’ noted Andrii Chernetskyi, Administrative Development Manager at DTEK Pavlohradcoal.
In 2021, 32 communities in 11 regions of Ukraine took part in the competition. Residents of the communities submitted 667 applications, among which the competition commissions selected the winners separately in each community. Among the winners are initiatives in social sector, ecology and energy saving, health care, sports, urban and rural improvement. 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 has been transformed. And accessibility principles became part of 60% of the programs and initiatives that communities and volunteers submitted to participate in the competition.