The Creative Kolohub community building center in Ovruch was opened in the premises of the Andriy Malyshko Central Library. Its goal is to engage various social groups in the life of this border community, which has suffered from Russian shelling. The renovation also strengthened the capabilities of the library’s youth department. The project is being implemented by the NGO Initiative Youth of Ovruch Area in partnership with the Andriy Malyshko Central Library and the Ovruch City Council.

The Ovruch Hromada is one of 10 hromadas that won a competition held by the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund and Cedos. As part of the competition, each community received a grant of 1,000,000 UAH to create a community building center, along with mentoring support from experts in architecture, culture, communications, and social interaction.

About the Center

The space will serve as a venue for volunteer workshops, art therapy, legal consultations for internally displaced persons (IDPs), psychological counseling, meetings of the Zorepad poetry club, ethnographic explorations of Polissia traditions, and exhibitions of works by local artisans.

Opening

In April, the official opening of the center took place, gathering active youth, representatives of civil society organizations, local government authorities, and all interested community members.

With the opening of the CREATIVE KOLOHUB community building center, the Ovruch community now has a platform for informal educational events for children, youth, and adults, fostering civic engagement, integrating IDPs, reintegrating veterans, and involving vulnerable populations in community life. It is no coincidence that the community building center is based in the premises of the Andriy Malyshko Central Library in Ovruch, because our library is an already available space where presentations of works by local artists, workshops, educational events, and public discussions can be held. At the same time, the library will retain its function as a place with access to books and information, which can be useful for leisure, education, or work-related needs.

Natalia Rybynska, Deputy Mayor of Ovruch

The space has already hosted the All-Ukrainian Exhibition of Motanka Dolls titled Ukrainian Women’s Protective Charms, meetings of the Poetry Without Shelter poetry club, psychological training sessions, financial literacy classes, and other activities. Future plans also include digital literacy workshops for the elderly, parental coaching, and master classes featuring local folk decorative arts and crafts artisans.

Creative KOLOHUB brings together different people equally interested in active participation, learning, and joint activities: youth, the elderly, internally displaced persons, and the unemployed who are actively seeking employment opportunities.

The success of any event lies in the comfort of its participants. Ensuring this is easy when the focus of organizational approaches and solutions is on barrier-free accessibility in all its forms. The operation of the community building center in our community is organized according to this principle: at KOLOHUB, no one is indifferent to the problems of others, we welcome people of all ages, and wheelchair users can access all areas. We’ve created a safe and comfortable children’s corner and an environment where everyone, regardless of age, can feel protected and valued.

Iryna Zhornyk, Member of the NGO Initiative Youth of Ovruch Area

Read also about the opening of an inclusive hub in the Snihurivka Hromada in Mykolayiv Region and about the community building center in the Dobroslav Hromada, which opened in the Odesa Region.