#EU4Youth - presenting the project
On March 27, 2024, a press conference was held to present the EU-funded #EU4Youth project to support young veterans and IDPs. Project participants will have the opportunity to receive training and communicate with businessmen and economists. In total, 60 veterans and internally displaced persons in Ukraine will be selected to participate, and 10 of them will be awarded a grant of €6,000 to develop and/or start their own business. The selection process is currently underway.
"Our organizations have experience in implementing various international projects, and of course, at a time when the war is ongoing, everyone should contribute and show their gratitude to the people who are defending Ukraine. That is why we have taken up the implementation of this project, which is to integrate veterans through entrepreneurship," says Oleksandra Shchukina, head of the Smart Media NGO.
Ukraine faces many challenges and will face even more over time. Many issues need to be addressed now; according to various estimates, there will be between 1 and 5 million veterans in the country, and their integration should be addressed now.
"The state strategy should be aimed at supporting veteran businesses. One of the strategic objectives of our project is to develop a policy document on veteran business," said the head of the NGO Ukrainian Veterans.
International expert Dovydas Vitkauskas is convinced that the issue should be approached comprehensively, taking into account the interests and advantages of all stakeholders.
"We have seen that since the beginning of the full-scale war, some countries have provided very significant assistance to our military, but it is important that this assistance is not a one-time one, but something that will have strategic importance. We are studying the experience of other countries and have come to the conclusion that integration through business and education solves many problems at the same time: psychological, economic, and social," says Dovydas Vitkauskas.
The project to support young veterans and IDPs has a certain stage, and the selection of participants is currently underway.
"We are currently accepting applications from veterans and IDPs in Ukraine. The age limit for the project is 35 years. We have to select 60 participants for whom we will hold online and offline events, communicate with businessmen and economists who will work with the participants to create business strategies. We will support ten participants with grants of 6,000 euros. However, we will be looking for opportunities and programs to support more ideas and help them to be implemented," says Oksana Alekseeva, head of the NGO "CHAS DYI".
Thanks to comprehensive solutions and the involvement of various stakeholders, it will be possible to build new sustainable relationships that will benefit not only each individual but also the country as a whole.
Applications are accepted until April 30, 2024. The application form is available here: https://forms.gle/1auwnHNGReoR5n6e6
This project is implemented by the consortium members: NGO "TIME OF ACTION", NGO "SMART MEDIA", NGO "UKRAINIAN VETERANS", NGO "SOS UKRAINE", funded by the European Union and implemented in Ukraine. The contents of this project are the sole responsibility of CHAS DIY and its partners and do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Union.
