Inaugural Meeting of the ‘Veterans’ Voices: Taking Needs into Account in Community Strategies’ Project

The first working meeting took place under the joint project of ARRKO with the NGO «From Village to City». The project aims to help communities effectively integrate veterans’ needs into local development strategies — through analysis, focus groups, and involving veterans themselves in developing solutions.

The project is implemented with the support of the International Renaissance Foundation and the East Europe Foundation under a programme funded by Norway (Norad) and Sweden (Sida).

During the meeting, the project’s logic was presented, a further work plan was agreed, and it was determined how communities would take part in shaping the studies. Right from the start, all participants showed readiness to cooperate and work systematically on the topic of veterans’ needs, which is an important condition for subsequent quality strategic planning.

The project side was represented by Arutiun Mikaeli Papoian, Head of the NGO “From Village to City,” Zhanna Ovcharova, Sofiia Markosian and Pavlo Borshch.

The project’s expert, Anatolii Melnychuk, presented the preliminary methodology for conducting the focus-group studies and outlined the key preparatory stages.

Representatives of the three participating communities also came to the meeting.

The Boiarka community was represented by Olha Papoian, Head of the Social Protection Department, Olena Kovtun, Head of the Medical and Social Expertise Department, and Iryna Kozubenko, Head of the Project Management Sector.

From the Byshiv community, village head Ivan Roznai, his deputy Oleksandr Nechai, and Hennadii Yunik, Head of the Community Development, Investment and Spatial Planning Sector, took part.

The Fastiv community was represented by city mayor Mykhailo Netiazhuk.

We thank the communities for their openness and readiness for dialogue, and the partners for their joint work on a topic that has real significance for people.

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