The Recovery and Development Consultants program is a training initiative of ISAR Ednannia, implemented with the support of the European Union. It trains specialists who help communities recover and develop, establish partnerships between authorities and citizens, launch local change projects and attract funding. Participants are people from NGOs, local governments and business initiatives who are already working at the local level and want to do it more systematically.
Danylo Shchogol grew up in the village of Dar'ivka in the Kherson region, a community that was under Russian occupation in 2022. Together with like-minded people, in 2017, Danylo created the initiative group "Dar’ivska Hromada", which on October 20, 2019 became an official civil society organization working in the community uniting 15 villages.
"We realized that we need to provide a legal basis for our activities. When you want to work with larger partners and donors, raise funds, and participate in open competitions, an initiative group is no longer enough. You need a civil society organization," Danylo explains. He also adds that the goal of their NGO "Dar’ivska Hromada" is to promote the comprehensive development of the community, strengthen its capacity, and increase the level of public participation.
After the de-occupation of the Kherson region, the organization focused on humanitarian aid - they helped with food, hygiene products, and delivered aid in a targeted manner, paying special attention to the most vulnerable categories of the population. And thanks to French partners, they brought medical equipment to the local hospital.
Currently, the NGO "Dar’ivska Hromada" is not as active as before the full-scale invasion, as Dar’ivka is located near the contact line and is under constant shelling.
"It is difficult to talk about recovery and reconstruction in a community that is literally surviving. Currently, we almost do not engage in a humanitarian mission in the community, because it is less and less needed. Currently, in the Kherson region in general, and in Dar’ivka in particular, specialized organizations are working to evacuate the population and provide targeted assistance," says Danylo.
Therefore, Danylo is now focused on coaching and helping other communities organize and develop.
"I really wanted to participate in this program"
Danylo says that when he saw the recruitment for the training of trainers of the "Recovery and Development Consultants" program, he decided to submit his application.
Danylo has been training communities and civil society organizations for three years and works with various organizations: the Charitable Foundation "Rokada", the NGO "Southern Development Strategy" and the NGO "Educate for Ukraine". The trainings are mainly aimed at those people who work directly in the social or educational sphere: social workers, educators, veteran support specialists and those who work with vulnerable groups of the population.
“Before the program, I lacked a holistic and systemic vision. University education in social work is actually of a good quality, but it does not always keep up with modern demands and challenges. In particular, we do little research on the issue of comprehensive community restoration and their resilience. And this is extremely important, because a social worker in a community must know how to restore trust there, how to create a barrier-free space, and how to integrate all community residents into decision-making processes. It was important for me to understand how ISAR together with its European partners see this process – not only in terms of infrastructure or architectural issues, but in a broader sense,” he says.
The submission process took three days – Danylo was putting together a portfolio so as not to lose or forget anything.
“I really wanted to get into this program,” he says.
"At first it was a little scary, because I was the youngest participant. But the trainers did a fantastic job and by the third day of training everyone had started feeling as if we belonged to one group. We still communicate and call each other, help each other, and share achievements. This is greatly facilitated by both our team of trainers and ISAR Ednannia."
The training combined lectures with practical exercises and analysis of real community cases.
Life after training
After the training, Danylo and his colleague conducted a pilot training for the community of the city of Ukrainka. According to him, he was a little nervous before his first work with the community, but the preparation turned out to be of high quality.
"The materials we received as trainers are very high quality. After studying them, you just go and work with the community," he says.
Danylo shared his knowledge with students of the Faculty of Psychology of Taras Shevchenko National University of Kyiv, for whom he conducted classes as an assistant. He also uses his newly acquired experience developments during trainings for communities in different regions of Ukraine.
At the same time, Danylo emphasizes: the role of a trainer is not to offer ready-made solutions to the community.
"It is important to understand that a coach is not some sort of super expert who decides everything for the community. We are mediators. We can help people self-organize, highlight problem areas, create a platform for dialogue, and update their experience. Because only the residents of the community decide what it should look like in the future, in partnership with local governments, business, civil society, and the media. You definitely don't have to be a magic wand, because you really aren't it," he says.
The training also influenced his own vision of recovery processes. Danylo says that after the program he better understood how community development should take place and what to focus on when working with people.
"In my work and trainings, I began to use new tools and place different emphasis. It's not just about infrastructure restoration, but also about restoring trust as the main capital of the community. A lot of people don't realize that many problems arise precisely because of its lack," adds Danylo.
“Do not belittle your achievements"
Before applying for participation in the Recovery and Development Consultants program, Danylo Shchogol advises you to carefully read all the requirements, soberly assess your capabilities, and in no case belittle your achievements.
"I advise you not to be afraid to apply. Once I was not selected for my first educational program - it was a real tragedy. But I did not give up. And I applied for three others. There are a lot of opportunities now. So everyone who is afraid - be afraid, but do it."
The programme is implemented within the framework of the EU Unity4Community project, funded by the European Union.
