PUBLIC DISCUSSION TAKES PLACE WITHIN THE PROJECT “WE ARE THE CITY”

Within the framework of the contest “We Are the City” “Zaporizhstal” Integrated Iron and Steel Works organized public discussion for consideration of pressing matters of Zaporizhzhya social life.

The program and project manager of the Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center Darya Kasyanova, Chief Engineer of “Zaporizhstal” Integrated Iron and Steel Works Volodymyr Buryak and other experts shared their experience in creating and managing successful projects with the discussion participants, who represented over 80 non-governmental organizations

. “Today volunteering is a “crutch” for the state and the major driver force for all the positive changes, happening in the country”, says Darya Kasyanova. “This applies not only to helping military serviceman, but also to helping children, hospitals, senior citizens etc. When submitting a project, it is necessary to consider responsibility, to totally understand one’s own abilities and resources”.

Tetyana Kaminskaya, director of the charity foundation “Svitlozir” (“Clear Sight”), told us about the scale of the initiative implementation, which became possible due to victory in the “Zaporizhstal” contest.

“We have been participating in the contest “We Are the City” for three years”, she points out. “Over this period of time we have organized a lot of charity events, which are still in demand. First and foremost is restoring sight of our veterans and low-income citizens, who simply have no means for medical treatment. Grant from “Zaporizhstal” gave our foundation an impetus for developing a systems project, which has got a lot of partners.”

It is worth mentioning, that the budget of the contest “We Are the City” grows every year. Thus, in 2014 the total prize fund amounted to 1.1 million UAH, this year it constitutes 1,5 million UAH. Winning projects receive grants in the amount from 50 thousand UAH to 100 thousand UAH.

“Those citizens of Zaporizhzhya, who are full of initiative, offer more and more interesting ideas every year”, says Chief Engineer of the works Volodymyr Buryak. “If the first time there was under 50 offers, the second time we received over 200. I believe, this year we can even reach a thousand! We see, how active Zaporizhzhya citizens are in their desire to implement their ideas, and we will help them do it.”

The discussion participants also considered issues of municipal improvement, creation of areas for leisure, culture, education, sport, as well as matters of volunteer movement, patriotic upbringing of the younger generation. A number of Zaporizhzhya citizens, full of initiative, also offered their ideas and projects for developing social sphere.