Since its establishment in 2019, Ukrainian Antiquity has been dedicated to empowering proactive youth and equipping them with strong civic competencies. Through various activities like volunteering, scientific pursuits, and cultural heritage preservation, the organization built a thriving network of enthusiastic teenagers committed to enhancing their civic skills and making a positive impact.
However, when the full-scale invasion unfolded, Ukrainian Antiquity had to halt its offline activities for safety reasons. Undeterred, the organization found a way to keep youth engaged in civic activism.
“Today, more than ever, we must strive to protect education and nurture youth activism,” emphasizes Natalia Pishchulina, the CSO’s leader.
With support from USAID/ENGAGE, Ukrainian Antiquity launched the “Active Position of My Region. Through the Eyes of the Children” project, involving high school students from grades 8 to 11 in revitalizing youth spaces in Kharkiv and Chernihiv oblasts. Responding to growing demand, the CSO later expanded the project to Sumy Oblast.
“Failure to engage with young people and provide them with opportunities for personal growth may result in them leaving the community for educational purposes and not returning. Thus, involving youth in such initiatives offers a chance for them to come back and contribute to community development after completing their education,” believes Natalia.
The project comprised three phases: (i) comprehensive training to equip students with civic education, project management, and fundraising skills; (ii) dedicated mentorship to nurture their initiatives; and (iii) an online pitching event.
Thanks to the remarkable support from the USAID/ENGAGE program, the CSO’s primary donor, the CSO not only refined the project’s concept and execution but also greatly enhanced its communication and fundraising skills. This resulted in bringing in fresh expertise and additional funding to bring the youth’s ideas to life. The partnership also enabled the project to attract considerable attention from local authorities and businesses, which, despite the involvement in the project pitching stage, showed genuine interest in the initiatives and provided valuable support. This included assistance with facility renovations, logistics coordination, and additional funding.
“A youth space is more than physical walls; it revolves around individuals. It offers young people the chance to cultivate their activism and contribute to community development,” explains Natalia.
With the support of USAID/ENGAGE, the CSO awarded $2,700 to six teams of teenagers from Yuzhne, Ripky, Mena (Chernihiv region), Eskhar (Kharkiv region), Trostianets, and Svesa (Sumy region) for their projects. Among the projects, the Yuzhne team established the “VSELI HUB,” an activity center for rural youth and active community members. Thanks to the fundraising training provided by the CSO, the team also succeeded in securing additional financial support of 70,000 UAH from the community and received contributions from local entrepreneurs totaling 55,000 UAH.
Eskhar focused on promoting “gentle Ukrainization” by creating a modern cinema within the community’s cultural center, featuring licensed Ukrainian movies for local youth. In addition, after implementing the initiative, the Eskhar team supported the project by offering mentorships to fellow project participants and actively engaging in CSO’s volunteer activities. Moreover, the team’s leader represented their initiative at the international conference “UA: War. Unsung Lullaby,” conducted to discuss the violation of children’s rights due to the military aggression of the Russian Federation against Ukraine.
Mena opened the “Dream Room,” offering quality leisure, communication, and creative events for young people. Ripky introduced the “Space of New Opportunities,” aimed at enhancing public activity, community development, and youth engagement, offering educational, leisure, volunteer, and cultural opportunities. In the Sumy region, Svesa launched “START,” a youth space for film screenings, discussions, book clubs, and community engagement. Trostianets created the “MAJORnyi BOX,” a mobile youth space for educational workshops, self-development sessions, master classes, games, and open-air movie screenings, serving local youth in both the city and nearby villages.
Moreover, the teams that participated in the project but did not receive funding for their initiatives at the final pitching stage gained valuable knowledge and insights, equipping them to independently seek further support for implementing their ideas.
“Everyone we work with in this project is already an activist, a future leader who will positively impact the community and Ukraine. Our project gives a starting point, offering children a chance to advance and nurture their activism,” says Natalia.
Natalia believes that her organization’s impact on community development is immeasurable, particularly as young people in small communities frequently lack information regarding avenues for engagement in activism. She underlines that instilling a sense of activism should commence during school years. With this in mind, the organization is committed to continuing its focus on enhancing youth activism, restoring youth spaces, and strengthening communities’ capacity to engage young Ukrainians in the recovery of Ukraine.