Officials in Parafiyivka of the Ichnya Rayon wanted to keep the situation under the guise of decentralisation – that is, to turn the rayon into a single amalgamated hromada. Actually, why not – all officials stay in their places, all the levers of control remain in the rayon centre, in addition there are state subsidies. However, Valentyna Karpenko, elected many times as the head of the Parafiyivka rural settlement council, disrupted these plans. Though, the decision on participation in the pilot project on decentralisation was made at the session in April 2014.

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The Parafiyivska amalgamated hromada includes 18 villages, 4 agricultural enterprises, 5 kindergartens, 5 cultural clubs, 4 rural health posts, two outpatient clinics, a music school, three general secondary schools and over 6 thousand people. The unique feature of the hromada is the location of the National Reserve “Kachanivka” on its territory.

“If one rayon is transformed into one hromada, this is no longer decentralisation, but on the contrary – centralisation, concentration of all resources and leverage of influence in one hand,” Ms Karpenko convinced. Therefore, as soon as it became possible to get out in “free floating”, she led this process, and Parafiyivska AH became the first in the rayon to live an independent life.

Valentyna Karpenko is 70 years old, but you will never admit it as she is a businesslike, slim woman who talks intelligently, calmly, and without repetitions or thought-twisting. She is called Margaret Thatcher in the hromada, and she does not resent.

Instead of closing rural schools, kindergartens, outpatient clinics, rural health posts and dismissing experienced doctors and educators, as planned by rayon “decentralisers”, the residents of the Parafiyivska AH began to renew and expand the social sphere. A 10 bed-hospital was opened in the large village of Ivanytsi.

“The Parafiyivska AH is located on unique historical lands,” says Valentyna Karpenko. “The famous palace of the Cossack family of Tarnovsky – the basis of the National Historical and Cultural Reserve “Kachanivka” – is located nearby.”

Thus, the Parafiyivska AH plans to repair the roads and integrate Trostyanets with the unique Skoropadsky dendropark. The uniqueness of the hromada has not yet been exhausted. To be continued…

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