Open-air cinema, smart benches with solar panels and the first inclusive room for children have appeared in Kurakhove. And ten more new sports and playgrounds in schools, kindergartens and outdoors have been built. A total of 18 projects received grants from DTEK’s Do-It-Yourself Community aimed at improving living conditions in Kurakhove and other towns of the community.
‘DTEK shares the values of society, therefore for many years it has been a reliable partner of community and Kurakhove. For nine years now, the company has been helping to implement projects that are personally initiated by the residents of the community. I am grateful to those active and caring people who participate in the project and continue to inspire us for making improvements together. Through the combination of your aspirations for a better life and the grants the company provides for the implementation of these ideas, we achieve positive changes in our community,’ said Stanislav Valantir, Director of DTEK Kurakhivs’ka TPP.
The first completed project was a beach volleyball court, which is ready for use.
‘Pupils of the children’s volleyball department sports school will hold competitions and trainings in the open air. It is very good for health. In addition, the playground can be used for sports activities for children with inclusive needs. Children can study together with their parents. Going in for sports is always a concern for the health of the whole family,’ told Natalia Boiko, Head of the Beach Volleyball Centre Project.
Almost all projects implemented in Kurakhove community have an inclusive direction. When developing their projects, the initiators made sure that each of the users had the opportunity to engage in sport activities, study and visit tourist places without restrictions.
In 2021, 32 communities in 11 regions of Ukraine took part in the Do-It-Yourself Community 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.