Mariupol Youth Union
The Mariupol Youth Union, a non-governmental organization, joined UCRN in 2019, but has been working for a long time to develop the potential of its hometown and the entire Azov region, focusing on four areas of activity:
- activating and expanding the participation of citizens – and in particular, young people – in decision-making,
- assistance to socially vulnerable social groups,
- support for sustainable development initiatives,
- as well as the organization of training programs.
The main mission of the Mariupol Youth Union is to unite the community around solving urgent social problems, cooperating side by side with municipal, state and business structures.
Today the organization implements the following projects:
- Project “Development of innovative and non-formal learning environment for young people at risk of social exclusion in Mariupol and Priazovye” – building the capacity of youth spaces to reduce exclusion and conflict, improve social cohesion among young people in Mariupol and Priazovye
- The EU4Youth program – to generate income and employment opportunities for young IDPs and young people affected by the conflict in Ukraine by supporting microbusiness, agricultural initiatives, self-employment and vocational education.
- The SkillsLab program – a non-formal training for young people in the Azov region to develop self-motivation and soft skills necessary for career success and starting your own business.
- The project “Jointly. Social services for families in the community” – helping communities to create and provide quality social services to families in difficult life circumstances. The project is implemented by the organization in Mariupol and the future Sartana community of Donetsk region.
The partners of the Mariupol Youth Union are the United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), the United Nations Population Fund (UNFPA), the Delegation of the European Union to Ukraine, the Embassy of Finland in Ukraine, the Danish Refugee Council, the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), PO “Donetsk Women’s Council”, local self-government bodies in Donetsk and Zaporizhzhia oblasts, etc.