On 25 November, Kyiv hosted Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 Forum, the final event in an educational programme designed to strengthen local initiatives and attract international investment in the reconstruction and sustainable development of Ukraine.

Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 Forum was attended by Mariin Ratnik, Deputy Minister for Economic and Development Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia, Vitalii Bunechko, Head of the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration,Klen Jäärats, Executive Director at Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), and representatives of the Estonian and Swedish embassies in Ukraine. The event brought together local government leaders from about 20 communities in the region, as well as international partners, including representatives of the Belgian Agency for International Cooperation (Enabel), the German Marshall Fund (GMF), EIB JASPERS, and SIDA.

‘Estonia consistently supports Ukraine in its efforts to win this war and achieve peace. We are helping to rebuild the country, providing not only cement and bricks, but also strengthening the resilience of its people by sharing knowledge and building the capacity of local government officials. I am delighted to see the excellent results of Impact Zhytomyr 2.0. Now it is your turn to make a real impact,’ said Mariin Ratnik, Deputy Minister for Economic and Development Affairs at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Estonia.

Impact.Zhytomyr Programme provides an opportunity to strengthen local initiatives and transform ideas into clear plans. It also attracts more international investment to the region, contributing to Ukraine’s reconstruction and sustainable development.

‘Since the outbreak of the full-scale invasion, Estonia has been the first of our international partners to respond to Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy’s call to become a partner to one of our regions in reconstruction projects. In cooperation with ESTDEV, we have already implemented several significant projects in sectors such as education, medicine, support for displaced persons, and community development. Many more initiatives are either in the implementation stage or planned for the future. We are confident that, together, we can achieve even more to strengthen our regions and improve people’s well-being. Especially since our cooperation evolved long ago from a reliable partnership into a true friendship,’ said Vitalii Bunechko, Head of the Zhytomyr Regional State Administration.

Over 60 Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 participants received three months of individual mentoring from Civitta UA experts. During this time, they learnt how to create competitive projects to attract funding and effect change in the region.

During Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 Forum, the finalist teams presented their project concepts for the development of communities in the Zhytomyr region to international partners:

• revitalisation of the Zhovten cinema and creation of the Zshyto creative economy space in Zhytomyr;
• a children’s centre for extracurricular education, a paediatric centre and a secure video surveillance system in Berdychiv;
• a STEM laboratory in Brusyliv;
• the NE_SYDY_MOLOD youth space in the Horodnytsia community;
• energy-efficient modernisation of the lyceum in the Luhyny community;
• the Future is Here career guidance centre in the Semenivka community;
• mobile medical teams with mammography equipment for five communities in the Zhytomyr region;
• an eco-initiative for waste sorting in the Cherniakhiv community;
• a psychosocial support system for medical professionals in Ovruch;
• modernisation of sewage treatment facilities in the Irshansk community.

The jury selected ‘Mobile Medicine for Remote Communities in the Zhytomyr Region’ as the winner of the Forum. This initiative provides women in small communities in the region, such as Olevsk, Slovechne, Ovruch, Hradkovychi, and Narodychi, with affordable diagnostics and mammography. It promotes medical justice and equal access. The winners received a symbolic ticket to Tallinn, as well as a trip to Estonia to share their experiences.

A project pitching session was also held during the Forum, in a speed-dating format, between the programme’s finalist teams and development partners.

Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 programme is a follow-up to Impact.Zhytomyr 1.0, which was implemented by the consulting company Civitta in partnership with the University of Tartu and with the support of ESTDEV.

The first stage involved strengthening the institutional capacity of local authorities to develop and implement projects financed from international sources, particularly EU funding. Over 280 participants from 64 communities gained practical skills in project management, stakeholder engagement, and sustainable development. As a result, 150 participants developed 63 project concepts and submitted grant applications.

‘Impact Zhytomyr 2.0 is a natural extension of the programme’s first phase. Strengthening the capabilities of local authorities will significantly accelerate Ukraine’s recovery and help it to achieve European Union standards,’ said Margus Gering, Head of Cooperation and Development for Ukraine at ESTDEV.

‘The main goal of both stages of the Impact.Zhytomyr training programme is to equip community leaders with the practical knowledge and tools needed to implement projects effectively and capitalise on the opportunities that cooperation with the European Union offers Ukraine, both on its current path towards EU membership and beyond,’ said Klen Jäärats, Executive Director at Estonian Centre for International Development.

According to Yaroslav Zhydyk, Associate Partner at Civitta Consulting and Head of Regional Development at EasyBusiness, a high-quality application requires analytical thinking, an understanding of the logic of change and knowledge of donor requirements. Participants in Impact.Zhytomyr 1.0 and Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 honed these skills.

Training communities to write projects is only part of the job. According to Ivanna Didur, Associate Partner at Civitta Consulting, it is equally important to foster a culture of partnership and cooperation within communities. These changes have already begun in the Zhytomyr region and could serve as a model for other regions, given that the challenges faced by communities across the country are similar.

Since the outbreak of Russia's full-scale invasion, Estonia has been involved in the reconstruction of the Zhytomyr region. The country has already allocated over EUR 50 million for the next three years to fund restoration and development projects in the region, with EUR 12 million earmarked for 2025. These funds are enabling important initiatives that are transforming communities in the Zhytomyr region to continue.

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Reference:

Impact.Zhytomyr 2.0 is implemented by Civitta consulting company with the support of the Government of Estonia, Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), Zhytomyr Regional State Administration and Zhytomyr Regional Development Agency. The programme's information partner is EasyBusiness NGO.