Social workshop “DREVKO”: a space for new opportunities

In the small town of Okhtyrka in the Sumy region, there is an ambitious social project capable of creating new opportunities for young people among internally displaced persons and for youth who have found themselves in difficult life circumstances. The plan is for the "Drevko" social workshop to become a hub for professional development and employment for those who need help most.

"We want to give young people the chance to grow even in difficult conditions," says Oksana Danilova, the team captain. The social workshop will operate on the principle of learning through practice, producing goods that will be in demand both locally and nationwide.

The "Drevko" team consists of four people, each of whom plays a key role in the project's development. Oksana Danilova is responsible for strategy and marketing. Her leadership skills and ability to see the bigger picture helped shape a clear vision for the project's future. Mykhailo Melnyk, the idea generator and source of inspiration, helps find new solutions and shape conceptual approaches to the work. Anna Holubchenko, a photographer with a creative mindset, adds visual aesthetics and creativity to the project. Artem Tananiko, the master craftsman, is responsible for the technical side. "We came together around a shared goal, to create a space where young people can grow and gain professional skills, even if they had no relevant abilities before," Oksana says. The team is bound together by shared experience at the civic organization "Building Ukraine Together," where they learned to work in a coordinated and effective way.

The team learned about the Impactpreneurship 2.0 course through Instagram, and it was this project that pushed them to shape their idea into a concrete plan. "We had always been interested in how social entrepreneurship works, and we decided to give it a try. The training was thorough, we gained the knowledge we had been lacking and took third place in the super-final," Oksana shares. An important factor in their success was the support of mentor Andrii Honcharov, who helped the team at every stage of the work.

"We want to prove that even in our difficult conditions it is possible to create something meaningful and keep young people in the region," Oksana says. The main problem the project aims to address is the shortage of jobs for young people without experience, in particular for internally displaced persons. The workshop will provide an opportunity to learn and work without the need for prior professional training.

At the same time, the team is aware of all the challenges. Okhtyrka is located near the border with Russia, which creates additional risks. "We understand that some circumstances are beyond our control, but we are ready to adapt, even if we have to relocate production," Oksana explains. Looking ahead, the team plans to scale the project and create similar workshops in other communities across Ukraine.

The course gave the team not only knowledge but also self-belief. They plan to register the enterprise and are ready to make their products available on the market. "We will inspire others by our own example. The main thing is not to be afraid and to take action," Oksana adds.

"Drevko" has every chance of becoming an important social enterprise that will develop the economy, address unemployment, and support young people in difficult circumstances. Their story proves that social entrepreneurship can change the lives of both individuals and entire communities.

The initiative "Course in Social Entrepreneurship 'Impactpreneurship' on the FUNdraiser platform" is implemented by the NGO "International Agency for Change" with the assistance of the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with financial support from the governments of Denmark and the Netherlands and financial support from the European Union provided within the framework of the "EU4Recovery, Empowering Communities in Ukraine" project.