Community reBuilding: UMAEF and Cedos Will Help Develop Community Centers in Eleven More Hromadas

In July 2024, the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund (UMAEF) and Cedos launched the second wave of the Community reBuilding competition, offering grants to support the creation or renovation of community centers across Ukraine. These centers will serve as spaces for community activities, cultural events, and local engagement.

The response from communities was overwhelming, with 366 applications submitted. Due to the high level of participation and a strong focus on supporting veterans, UMAEF increased the number of winners from the planned ten to eleven. The additional grant was awarded to create a veterans’ space in Piadyky Hromada.

Each of the eleven winning communities will receive UAH 1,400,000 ($38,000) to develop their community centers, along with guidance from mentors specializing in architecture, culture, communication, and social interaction. Experts will also assist the communities with project implementation, focusing on engagement, inclusion, and communication.

The winning projects include:

• Bar Hromada, Vinnytsia Region: Creating a versatile space in the public library for meetings, training, and cultural activities, with dedicated zones for books, IT, cinema, and children’s activities.
• Boiarka Hromada, Kyiv Region: Developing a multifunctional cultural center in a historic summerhouse, which will also host a veterans’ center, a youth space, and a community museum.
• Halytsynove Hromada, Mykolaiv Region: Establishing a cultural and artistic center in the village club, offering art studio space, educational programs, and social support.
• Hrymailiv Hromada, Ternopil Region: Transforming a room in the Fedorovych Museum into a versatile venue for events like cinema clubs, workshops, and literary evenings.
• Dovzhan Hromada, Zakarpattia Region: Creating an inclusive space called “Fortress” for group activities, film screenings, and community gatherings.
• Kolomyia Hromada, Ivano-Frankivsk Region: Developing “Hart,” a supportive space for veterans and their families to host events and receive psychological assistance.
• Kopychyntsi Hromada, Ternopil Region: Building the public space “NAVKOLO” for educational programs, psychosocial support, and initiatives to integrate displaced persons with the local community.
• Moshny Hromada, Cherkasy Region: Revitalizing the Doctor’s House, a historical building, to function as a museum and cultural center for educational and artistic events.
• Pustomyty Hromada, Lviv Region: Establishing a hub focused on social rehabilitation for veterans, community integration, and support for displaced persons.
• Piadyky Hromada, Ivano-Frankivsk Region: Expanding the “Warmth of a Winged Soul” health center to include spaces for cultural, educational, and psychological support for veterans.
• Slavuta Hromada, Khmelnytskyi Region: Launching the Art Tech Hub, a space for learning about robotics, programming, and 3D printing, alongside co-working facilities.

These community centers aim to foster interaction, support local initiatives, and involve all residents, especially those from vulnerable groups. By creating spaces for joint learning and planning, the project seeks to strengthen social cohesion, which is particularly crucial during the war.

The projects are expected to be completed by mid-August 2025.

Community reBuilding is a collaborative effort between Cedos and UMAEF to provide financial and expert support for developing or enhancing community centers, ultimately driving local development and unity.