„Million Worth Community” airs on 1+1: TV-presenters announced

On January 28, at 9.50 am the 1+1 TV channel kicks off a new business-social reality show „Million Worth Community”, where united Ukrainian territorial communities will contend for UAH 1 million investment from the Western NIS Enterprise Fund (WNISEF) by creating projects to improve life in the regions.

Video: https://1plus1.ua/gromada-na-miljon/video/hto-otrimae-grosi-na-realizaciu-biznes-idei-divis-gromada-na-miljon-z-28-sicna

The „Million Worth Community” project will be TV-presented by Iryna Ozymok, WNISEF Local Economic Development Program Manager, who supports transformation projects and reforms in Ukraine, and Dmytro Ohniov, a businessman and owner of one of the largest Ukrainian farms, European-modeled „Merynos-Zakhid”.

With their long-term experience of successful business management and knowledge of decentralization processes, the TV-presenters will help united territorial communities facilitate their projects implementation, thereby improving the quality of life of ordinary Ukrainians in the regions.

„Western NIS Enterprise Fund, which I have an honor to represent, strives to change the lives of ordinary people for the better. We want to show that little money can make big changes. We are giving UAH 1 million for the development of a business project of the winning community, but this money will not be easy to get,” said Iryna Ozymok, adding that she would be fastidious while evaluating the participants.

The TV-presenter and businessman Dmytro Ohniov told that apart from the WNISEF’s main prize some communities will get special prizes from the Merynos-Zakhid company: „I saw very charismatic leaders among the participants and was truly amazed with projects that communities implement in our country. Two communities will get special prizes from us. The first one is a trip to Austria to adopt Austrian agriculture experience, and the second one – 30 pedigree sheep, which we’ll give to a community for the livestock sector development.”

Susan Fritz, U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) Regional Mission Director to Ukraine, emphasized the importance of the educational and social mission of the project: „I am convinced that the project will help many Ukrainians understand the decentralization process and see the prospects that it opens. It will generally contribute to the economic development of regions and the development of local governments.”

Alla Stashchenko, who heads the 1+1 trendy projects genre orientation, noted that this kind of social projects format is a novelty on Ukrainian TV: „This project is uncommon for the audience – by means of the reality show format we want to focus on the communities’ development in our regions. The project was a challenge that we faced with inspiration. We believe that television must bear not only entertaining, but also educational impact.”

The project will involve five united territorial communities. Thus, the „Million Worth Community” reality show will be participated in by the winner of #community flashmob Scala-Podilska community of the Ternopil region, which strives to produce bottled water from local springs. The community uses its own resources to repair regional roads, open youth centers and gyms.

Pechenizhyn community of the Ivano-Frankivsk region possesses significant tourist potential and is known for its craftsmen. They will compete with Novopskov community of the Luhansk region, which made a significant contribution to the improvement of its territory. This community applied its efforts to renovate and insulate kindergartens, repair roads, install street lighting with energy saving technologies among other things.

Buzka community of the Mykolaiv region, which actively develops its agricultural potential, will also participate. The main value of the community is the fertile land that yields rich harvest of vegetables. The fifth participating community is Kniahynyn. The head of this community in the Volyn region supervises local kindergartens and schools, manages roadwork and street lighting installation in the community towns and settlements.

The reality show presupposes a series of trials, where communities should prove the ability to run business and develop the potential of their region. The community that stands the tests better than others and proves its business project to be the best will win UAH 1 million from the Western NIS Enterprise Fund.

The production of the project is carried out by „1+1 Production” with the financial support of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) DOBRE program. „1+1” TV channel will run the premiere on January 28 at 9.50 am.