A community building center based in the House of Culture has opened in the village of Yevhenivka, part of the Snihurivka Hromada in the Mykolaiv Region. Its goal is to provide people with a place to relax, support one another, and develop their creative potential. The hub’s operations take into account security risks due to its proximity to the front line. The center’s creation and development are being managed by NGO VIVAT in partnership with the Snihurivka Military Administration.

The Snihurivka 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.

A key feature of the Snihuri hub is its physical and social accessibility. People from different social groups and of various ages, regardless of their physical condition, have the opportunity to freely visit and use this space. To achieve this, the House of Culture underwent renovations, including replacing windows and doors, removing thresholds, and repairing the restroom.

We aim to help all residents of the community and promote their socialization. From the very beginning, this project was focused on creating an inclusive space. Accessibility, inclusive, and universal design were the principles that guided the Cedos team, mentors, and the renovation crew. I believe we have achieved what we set out to do. Moving forward, our work will involve engaging people with disabilities in our community building center and working with them and their families.

Tamara Dyrda, Head of NGO VIVAT, project manager

The space will host charitable sewing workshops, art therapy sessions, reading meetings, and research on the creative needs of older adults. The hub will also serve as a place for legal and psychological consultations, access to social services, and the use of the computer room.

With the onset of the full-scale war, due to enemy shelling, most cultural institutions in the Snihurivka Hromada are in a state of disrepair. Until today, we didn’t have a place where we could peacefully engage people in discussions on various life issues, particularly social ones. Having endured the horrors of occupation and forced displacement, the residents of our community need a place to relax and fulfill their creative, intellectual, and athletic needs. We are delighted that today, thanks to Cedos and WNISEF, our community has the opportunity to gain new knowledge and spend their leisure time productively in comfortable conditions. After all, spending time together with family not only brings positive emotions but also unites generations.

Yuliya Zavadska, Deputy Head of the Snihurivka City Military Administration

The proximity to the front line and frequent air raid alarms force people to adapt their daily lives to safety requirements. A space where residents can gather, spend time, communicate, and implement their ideas helps the community members share experiences, emotions, come together, and overcome common challenges together.

Read also about the opening of a community building center in Ovruch in the Zhytomyr Region, the DobroHub Space of Happy People which opened in the Dobroslav Hromada in the Odesa Region, and the Nezlamni Veteran Space which opened in Nizhyn.