Galyna Chupryna

Ukraine, Donetsk

Our country, Ukraine, as all other former republics of the Soviet Union, has a lot of problems to solve. One of them appears to be building of civil society. Creation and development of market economy, democracy and provision of maximum rights and social services to the population of the country are the important elements of this general problem.

I would like to stress that the Ukrainian government does its best to cope with the mentioned problem, but the complicated economic situation characteristic for the period of changes makes it hard to solve all the problems immediately.

The existence and active work of the so called “third sector” in our country, i.e. NGOs, to my mind, helps a lot in creation of civil society. One of the fields of activities of the Ukrainian NGOs is defending of human rights and provision of social services to the vulnerable groups of the Ukrainian population, i.e. children, youth, women, elderly and disabled people. These target groups need special attention, and our NGOs provide it to them.

But activities of any structure can be improved, that is why my field of research, on the one hand, was studying the American NGOs, their methods of work, programs and projects for future introductions of their experience in Ukraine. I would like to stress with deep gratitude that I’ve visited and got acquainted with numerous American non-profit organizations, and had the opportunity to study their ways of providing assistance to the people with special needs.

Understanding of the EXISTENCE of the problem, having exact and proved data on it, open discussion on how to solve the issue on all possible levels are of great importance.

When a government (because of different reasons) cannot cope with the social problem, NGOs are of great help. They provide information on the existence of problems, gather facts and data, help to estimate the size of the problem – and assist in solving them.

The American NGOs have a very large experience in solving social problems, well worked-out programs being in force for dozens of years, especially in the field of assistance people with special needs. My research provided me with precious knowledge on the programs for children (those ones with different degrees of mental retardation, physical disabilities, aggressive behavior and having depressions; orphans and neglected kids, etc), for women (namely, those being victims of family violence), for elderly and disabled people.

 The results of my research in the USA are as follows:          

          - to hold a series of detailed informative seminars about a number of the American programs for people with special needs (wrap-around program for children, after-school developing program, creative program for gifted kids, family-helping programs “Generations Together” and “Family Friend”, “Ohiopyle Pattern” program (creation of a special rehabilitation camp for children with behavioral problems), creation of a shelter for victims of family violence, creation of a center for people in crisis situations, therapeutic program for prevention of aggressive behavior of youth and young adults, “Job agency” program, etc.) – for both for official governmental organizations’ staff workers and representatives of regional NGOs;          

          - to create the Family and Children’s Center – a new project on the basis of partnership of already existing several Donetsk regional NGOs: “Community Initiatives”, “Zhetem”, “Kindness”, “Mercy”, “Bereginya”, “Health of Youth”, “Mithrill”, “Horse”, etc., having a well-developed system of volunteering – and cooperation with official regional social services as well as with the American colleagues from Elwyn Institute, Philadelphia, Pressley Ridge School, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, REES and GSPIA departments of the University of Pittsburgh;

          - to organize exchange of groups of professionals between Donetsk region and the American aforementioned organizations for sharing practical and theoretical mutually useful experience;

          - to organize cooperation and cultural and scientific exchange between the Ukrainian Humanitarian and Cultural Institute in Pittsburgh and the Donetsk regional association “Community Initiatives” for developing sister cities’ relations

           - to hold a series of trainings on fundraising for the representatives of the Ukrainian NGOs. As another field of my research was detailed studying of fundraising, I’ve gained both theoretical and practical knowledge in writing grant proposals, holding campaigns, both annual and for special events, finding probable donors, etc. through attending the course in fundraising for NGOs, studying reference books and data-bases of the 3 best American philanthropy schools in the University of Pittsburgh, Indiana University and Mortenson Center in Urbana-Champaign, Illinois, and plan to share my experience with the Ukrainian professionals of the field;

            - to create a data-bases on: a) international foundations supporting Ukraine; b) Ukrainian NGOs assisting different groups of people in need, experiencing lack of financing for such help; c) probable private donors, firms and corporations ready to help them financially, by providing free services and other types support;

             - to start editing a bulletin on the problems of philanthropy, in which special events organized by the regional NGOs would be advertised, described and discussed; to gather statistic data on situation in defense/violation of human rights in the Donetsk region for Human Rights Watch organization, for its professionals to analyze it and to work out recommendations to improve the existing situation;

               - to attract local lawyers to the mentioned process of analytical work aiming at improving the Ukrainian laws in force by amendments and changes of them, or working out the new ones for regulating the situation in the country;

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