On 22 February 2021, the spring semester of the project “Norway–Ukraine. Professional Adaptation. Integration into the State System” started in Zhytomyr.
This semester brought together 35 participants, including 7 military personnel, 20 ATO/JFO participants, war veterans and persons with war-related disabilities, and 8 family members, including wives of service members and the widow of a fallen ATO participant.
The participants began their studies under the programme “Organisation of One’s Own Business.” The course focused on entrepreneurship, the basics of web technologies, and opportunities to participate in regional, national and international programmes aimed at attracting funding for business ideas and social entrepreneurship initiatives.
The project was implemented in Zhytomyr by Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University and the NGO “Center for Conversion and Professional Adaptation” (CCPA), with the support of the International Foundation for Social Adaptation.
The first week of the semester was intensive. In addition to training sessions held both online and in classrooms, several important events took place.
On 23 February 2021, Oleksii Illiashenko, Deputy Minister for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine for European Integration, visited Zhytomyr region and, at the invitation of the leadership of Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University, also visited the university. One of the key topics discussed was the partnership between the university and the Ministry for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine on ways to integrate the “Norway–Ukraine” project into the state system.
On 24 February 2021, Zhytomyr Polytechnic hosted events commemorating the university’s fallen heroes — graduates who gave their lives for Ukraine. These events included the opening of a memorial plaque dedicated to the Heroes of Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University and the photo exhibition “Say ‘Yes’ to Life After Armed Conflict.” Students, university guests and course participants had the opportunity to attend the commemorative events.
On 27 February 2021, the official opening of the spring semester took place. Thanks to the informational support of the International Foundation for Social Adaptation, and personally its President Volodymyr Rubtsov, the participants and invited guests had the opportunity to watch a video address by Erik Svedahl, Ambassador of Norway to Ukraine.
Representatives of public authorities at different levels joined the opening event, including Yurii Prokopets, Director of the Department of Labour, Social and Family Policy of Zhytomyr Regional State Administration; Olha Yurchenko, Director of the Zhytomyr City Centre of Social Services; and Oleksandr Sytailo, Mayor of Malyn.
They congratulated the participants and the Ukrainian partners of the project, including the International Foundation for Social Adaptation, Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University and CCPA. The speakers emphasised the importance of the project for cities, towns and the region as a whole, as well as the readiness of local authorities to support its integration into the state system at the regional level.
Among the guests was also Valerii Lohinov, Head of the Territorial Department of the Ministry for Veterans Affairs of Ukraine.
The participants were welcomed by Oksana Oliinyk, First Vice-Rector of Zhytomyr Polytechnic State University; Iryna Zhyhlei, responsible for organising the educational process under the “Norway–Ukraine” project at Zhytomyr Polytechnic; Mykhailo Psiuk, Head of the NGO “Center for Conversion and Professional Adaptation”; and Nataliia Kharytonova, the project psychologist.
The opening event was also joined by Nataliia Honchar from Malyn, a graduate of the first cohort of the project. She thanked the project team and partners for the knowledge she had gained, which helped her prepare and submit a project focused on the rehabilitation of ATO/JFO participants and their children. Her project won funding for implementation in 2021.
Nataliia especially highlighted that the project reaches not only large cities, but also smaller towns and communities. Although the programme is intensive, it produces real results. Her story encouraged the new participants not to be afraid of challenges and to overcome them with the support of the project’s friendly team.
The words spoken at the graduation ceremony in December 2020 — “The ‘Norway–Ukraine’ project at Zhytomyr Polytechnic will continue” — have now been fully realised.
A new chapter of the project has begun, and CCPA hopes that it will lead to 35 new success stories for the participants, their families and their communities.
