“At the entrance to the FestRepublic space, where the event began, visitors are greeted by a huge stand with a map of Ukraine. The slogan in the left corner reads: ‘Knowledge is the light that will never go out!’. Young people gather to take pictures in front of the map.”

“Education is about the future of this country. And we firmly believe that its future lies in Europe. Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, we have invested around EUR 400 million in various youth and educational programmes – from building shelters to supporting universities from the temporarily occupied territories that have moved to different parts of Ukraine,” said EU Ambassador to Ukraine Katarina Mathernova, who opened the event together with Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi.

“The competition encouraged us as journalists to cover this topic.

By the way, after my story was aired, we received an offer to cooperate with the Cherkasy State Business College, which also actively cooperates with the EU in educational projects,” says Valentyna. “So we will continue to inform the community about this. In fact, in such challenging time it is very important to feel that we are not alone, that we have support. And we, the news people, will actively work to ensure that as many people as possible know about this help and support.”

“I live and work in frontline Zaporizhzhia. I see how much help the EU gives to our community, which is regularly shelled by the enemy,” says Natalia. “Russia is destroying, and with the help of the EU, we are rebuilding, creating shelters and hubs. Pupils and students are being provided with equipment and laptops. Our children really need such moral and material support during the war.”

“Journalists asked a first-year student if he liked studying with the new equipment. He replied, ‘What if you had been driving a Zhiguli all your life and then switched to a Mercedes, would you like it? Indeed, working on a state-of-the-art, digitally displayed machine is impressive,” says the headmaster.

“The modernisation of facilities, the innovative machinery, and the introduction of cutting-edge technologies establish necessary high-quality conditions for an advanced education and professional training matching the labour market needs. We must remember that vocational school students are the future of key industries, and their knowledge and skills are necessary for Ukraine’s recovery and economic growth,” emphasized Henrik Huitfeldt, Head of the Public Finance, Business Support and Social Policies Section at the EU Delegation to Ukraine.

“This is a good centre, there are many specialists there, but no social workers. So, when additional services are needed, ours provide them,” says Ivanna Danylyshyna. “Usually these are cases where we can provide the support needed more quickly. Or when the services are not related to the rehabilitation at the centre.”

“We meet them in the ward or somewhere in the premises, tell them about ourselves and offer our services. Sometimes doctors recommend us,” says Valentyna Onishchenko, the social worker, about her work with veterans. “Often the centre patients need to go to the hospital where they have to be reviewed by the Medical Evaluation Board. Some have to go to the railway station or somewhere else. We have transport facilities.”

“We also practice purchasing some things for rehabilitation. These can be, for example, crutches for walking after discharge, postoperative bandages, which the patients are not provided,” adds Valentyna Onishchenko.

“This analysis and debate are crucial as Ukraine will be adopting its rules and regulations, including those related to the work of the national data protection regulator, as part of its EU accession process,” says Oleksandr Shevchuk, author of the study and personal data protection expert at EU4DigitalUA. “Therefore, business, citizens and government agencies must clearly understand how the regulator works, what requirements it sets and how sanctions are imposed.”

“This body will be responsible for implementing the provisions of the General Data Protection Regulation in Ukraine and will perform three key functions: preventive measures and explanatory work; control measures regarding violations; and investigative powers. At the same time, a mechanism for transparent appointment of inspectors who will be engaged in inspections and sanctions is important,” says Liliia Oleksiuk, EU4DigitalUA project expert.

“Since the Revolution of Dignity, the involvement of artists in depicting significant events, including the Maidan, has had an extraordinary emotional impact. For example, the ‘I am a drop in the ocean’ poster from the ‘Poster Strike’ series has inspired people to take to the streets,” says Yvette Delikatna, the EU-funded Association4U’s key communications expert. “Artists have always managed to convey the meaning of the changes the country is going through in a poignant and concise way, and document our struggle for freedom and dignity. That’s why we came up with the idea of putting together a collection of artworks that reflect our path towards the EU and showcasing them in the exhibition.”

“From the very beginning of the war, it was a way for me to help myself and people express the emotions and experiences through a concentrated visual creative form. That’s why my works are often ambiguous and metaphorical,” says Artem. “I literally painted them every day to reflect all the events that were happening. For example, a work that alludes to an aeroplane and the closure of air travel for russians directly reflects this EU decision and the support and gratitude of Ukrainians for it. Another work, that talks about the path to the European Union, shows it in the form of a line that directly reflects the bloodstained path – as it is the war.”

“On 28 February 2022, just four days after the start of the full-scale invasion, Ukraine applied for EU membership. It was a moment that changed history. As the world was looking at the war unfold, Ukraine was looking to the future,” said Katarina Mathernova. “In the darkest times, hope and the European perspective have become the driving force for a country fighting not only for its freedom, but also for the values of the whole of Europe. Moreover, Ukraine is not just defending itself – it is living, creating, and developing culture even during the war. Exhibitions are opening, artists are working. This is the strength of Ukraine.”

“During such a teeming activity, we did not pay attention to certain things related to documentation and planning. We needed mentoring support to organise everything and understand where we needed to improve. After reviewing our activities with the help of mentors, we identified areas that needed to be strengthened and improved,” says Nataliia Hlinchakova, Project and Program Management specialist at Caritas Kryvyi Rih.

“In particular, it would be useful for us to work on a fundraising strategy, as Caritas Kryvyi Rih is a charitable foundation that depends on external funding. At the moment we are constantly looking for patrons, but this process is quite complicated and without the right knowledge it becomes even more difficult. That is why we need to be strengthened in this area,” says Natalia Hlinchakova.

“Supporting the organisational development of NGOs with very different experience, activity profile and structure is a complex but interesting process. For each NGO, we conducted an in-depth assessment of the current situation and developed a set of expert recommendations to improve their activities in the short and long term,” says Stanislav Bohdanov, Strengthening Through Unity project coordinator. “This will allow them to better fulfil their mission, adapt to challenges, attract the necessary resources and have a sustainable impact on their communities.”