Since September 2023, Kateryna Ozimkovska has been working as a first-category specialist in the Department of Education and Science at the Rivne Oblast Administration. She manages document correspondence on education topics from various entities and redirects them to relevant individuals for implementation.

Simultaneously, Kateryna is pursuing a master's degree at the National University of Ostroh Academy. She is a civil activist devoted to her small, yet cozy and native city of Ostroh.

"I always try to be active and useful for the community, participating in various activities for its development," Kateryna shared. "I constantly study and attend public events to discover new opportunities and acquaintances, communicating with people who have experience and ideas to make the world a better and more modern place."

Kateryna attributes her success to the youth internship program in the Ostroh City Council, supported by the USAID HOVERLA Activity: "The youth internship program opened up great opportunities for me. I got to know the leadership of our city, got acquainted with the work of various departments of the city council, their responsibilities, and the budget of our community. I chose the department of project and investment activities for my internship because it works on development projects for Ostroh community. During the 10 fruitful days, I went through the capacity development training from the Sustainable Development Agency, where I started writing my first development project for the community, helped with the preparation of documents for other projects, and participated in the session of the city council."

The youth internship program allowed Kateryna to learn how the local government works and how important it is to engage young people in decision-making at the local level to advance the inclusive and transparent development. As a result, she was employed by the Rivne Oblast Administration.

The USAID HOVERLA Activity implemented an internship program to encourage young people to join their community's local governments and empower them to influence local decision-making. HOVERLA supported 22 communities in the implementation of the youth internship program, as a result of which more than 70 young people became interns in local government. During internships in local government bodies, young people gained valuable practical experience and understanding of the activities of their territorial communities. Seven out of 70 interns received jobs in local government and regional authorities.

"Be an active mechanism of your community! Try, learn, join the initiatives, develop yourselves, and be active. Don't be afraid to make mistakes and be heard. After all, every small action is a step towards something better and more beautiful!" emphasizes Kateryna as she addresses young people.