Local projects

Local level.

Analyzing many years of cooperation of AUAYC “Alternative-V” with Ukrainian and foreign governmental agencies and public organizations, as well as considering the willingness of young people to do something useful for society, to gain new experience, new knowledge and skills, the organization initiates annual projects aiming the development of social partnership and volunteering at the local level.

The main goal of the projects – spreading the ideas of volunteering as an important resource for solving social problems of local people, raising attention to the traditions of charity and the development of social responsibility. The task of projects – to help those who need it, to draw public attention to the important role of philanthropy in solving social problems of the local community and invited to participate in volunteer activities as many citizens, organizations and business leaders as possible.

“The Week of Volunteering”, “Volunteering in Local Social Institutions”, “Good Action”, “Days of Europe in Ukraine”, “My World”, “Active Citizens” – are the set of activities in which everyone can express their desire to do something useful for the local community, to help those who needs it. It could be any work – from carrying out reconstruction on the territory of children’s homes and shelters (painting playgrounds, fences, etc.), collecting donations for the social institutions (toys, clothes, stationery, books , music CDs, etc.) to conduct classes in foreign languages, organization of creative workshops in orphanages, shelters, schools.

We believe that every young person has a great potential and a quite big talent, but not all of them show it out at school or at the university. For a person to mobilize their inner potential, open and develop a new characters, gain new skills and experience, sometimes need to be at a distance of thousands of miles from home and from those whom he used to seek advice in any life situation. You must ask yourself the question “What do I know?”, “What I can do?”, “What am I worth of?” Challenge yourself and the result will be seen!

“Week of Volunteering”

Every year during the week AUAYC “Alternative-V” holds the week of volunteering with the moto “Volunteer with me”, which aims to unite the people with a common work – to help others.

Within the project, we direct vector volunteering in five areas: day of “special” people, elderly day care, Day of the Child (help cancer and HIV-positive children), Environment Day (help nature) and Day of the World Heritage.

To join the week of volunteering can every student, doctor or teacher, painter, builder or any agency, institution, school or university. Join us and you will put a piece of your heart to those who badly needs it!

“Volunteering in Local Social Institutions”

Active volunteers of AUAYC “Alternative-V” are involved in the Youth exchanges. During the training courses and seminars, participants receive a huge amount of new knowledge and skills and when returning to the Ukraine they embed the gained knowledge in the new projects.

For example, the project “The New Life to the Old Chairs” during which volunteers made creative workshop for students Velykokarashynskyi school and work together to give the new life to old things are – namely, an old school chair perfectly ordinary. It turned out really fun, creative and interesting pastime for both children and volunteers and a wonderful combination of work with pleasure.

“Good Action”

AUAYC “Alternative-V” in cooperation with some shopping centers in Kyiv initiates and makes the project “Good Action”.  The project’s goal is to is involve locals who are shopping in a supermarket, to help pupils of Kyiv city Orphanage named by M.Horodetskoho and shelters for minors Service for Minors of the Kiev City State Administration.

Buyers are invited to buy one items from list of needs of children, such as household chemicals, personal care products, stationery, children’s underwear, hosiery, socks etc. The projects usually lasts for 5 hours of time and in the end all items are collected, being calculated and signed and transferred to the special institutions.

“Days of Europe in Ukraine”

For several years already AUAYC “Alternative-V” has been taken part in workshops and activities devoted to celebration of Europe Days in Ukraine. Our organization is preparing quizzes to check the knowledge of participants of European capitals, traditions and culture, as well as organizing games and animation for youngsters. Also in this informal “meeting with locals” we popularize the idea of volunteering among the Ukrainians.

“My World“

Organization of United Nations invited all inhabitants of planet to take part in the global interactive survey “My World”. All-Ukrainian Association for Youth Co-operation “Alternative-V” is the partner of UN organization in the frames of global survey “MY World” in Ukraine. Working with partners as “Alternative-V”, UN aims to capture people’s voices, priorities and views concerning better future selecting the most important six points from 16 proposed.

The results of the interactive survey “My World” will serve as the base for the definition of the next set global goals to end poverty on period after 2015 years that will be discusses during General Assembly This project gives unique opportunity for Ukrainians to influence on the governmental processes that meet expectations of society. It will help to hear the opinions of people concerning future development of the country, especially according providing of socially-economics reforms.

“Active Citizens”

AUAYC “Alternative-V” is the partnership organization of the British Council’s program for youth in the area of intercultural dialogue and social development – “Active citizens”.

The project aims to facilitate social changes through contribution of individuals who are influential within their community towards achieving sustainable development both locally and globally. It provides them with tools and support to better understand how to work with people from diverse backgrounds and avoid conflicts. In Ukraine the project is focused on working with youth in developing behavior and skills which promote intercultural dialogue and conflict resolution across the whole of Ukraine, and others affected specifically by the conflict in the East of Ukraine.

The project includes the following components:

• Trainings and workshops where participants get knowledge and management and planning skills for efficient cooperation, better understanding of sustainable development for positive changes locally and globally.
• The Active Citizens share their knowledge in their communities.
• Social actions initiatives. The Active Citizens use their new skills to develop and run sustainable social action projects that address issues which they have identified in their community.
• International study visits, international partner networking, online resources, research, conferences.
• The project gives an opportunity for participants to take part in social development of their communities as well as to get new professional contacts to improve their leadership skills and to demonstrate their active citizenship.

Under this program, representatives of AUAYC “Alternative-V” as a partner-organization are responsible to conduct trainings for 30 active citizens of Ukraine. These master classes should be made at local, regional and international levels and last about five days. Facilitators are to introduce in details the purpose of the program. This program is focused leadership potential formation of a social sphere and aims to promote skills development of intercultural dialogue and social responsibility as basic qualities of the leader of the 21st century.

Project  “A destiny of former Ostarbeiters children who were born between 1944 and 1945 in Germany”

“Our mother hadn’t ever told us the truth about our birth in Germany”. German-Ukrainian project gives us information about children of former Ukrainian Ostarbeiters . Project “A destiny of former Ostarbeiters children who were born between 1944 and 1945 in Germany” is the result of German-Ukrainian cooperation in support of “Memories, Responsibility and Future” and the Foundation of Robert Bosch . The project partners were the German NGO “Circle of Friends of the museum complex Neuengamme concentration camp” and the All-Ukrainian Association for Youth Cooperation “Alternative-V”. The project was initiated by historian Janine Dressler from Hamburg. Ten people who were born in Hamburg and the surrounding area were interviewed by volunteers  of AUAYC “Alternative-V” in Ukraine about their destiny. Children who have been retired many years ago, told in an interview about their return to Ukraine after the war. They also described their life in the former Soviet Union, such as how their parents survived Stalin’s time with them. Some answers of the current pensioners are adequate and demonstrated the importance of the subject, which is still not lit in historical research. There were first discussed their opinions about their childhood, their father’s home and suffering people who were forced to work in National Socialist Germany.

Report about this project in german language you can find: link