BGV Charity Fund director shares insights about collaboration with local authorities at Second Communities Forum in Zhytomyr region
BGV Charity Fund
Polina Aldoshyna, head of the BGV fund, participated in the forum "Effective Governance on the Path to the European Union" held on November 11 in the town of Khoroshiv.
In her speech, the fund's director talked about the team's cooperation with local authorities during the war in Ukraine, highlighting the crucial role of involving communities. She stressed that they particularly need to contribute to project descriptions as local insights are invaluable in deciding where resources should go. Clearly defining needs, explaining their importance, and presenting them as official requests to local authorities significantly increase the chances of receiving assistance. Over the past year of the full-scale war, the fund secured 38 million hryvnias in aid for the Zhytomyr region.
Successful collaboration with local authorities in the first year allowed the foundation to carry out various social projects, including "Every Life Matters," which delivered 30,000 food kits to residents aged 70 and above, and the initiative in collaboration with German partners, which allowed distribution of 1,600 kits for newborns. Other efforts included providing humanitarian aid to the regional perinatal center, preparing Christmas gifts for children from vulnerable and displaced families, and targeted support for preschools, nursing homes, and, of course, our incredible soldiers.
"The BGV fund's team has successfully secured funds from foreign donors for urgent needs in the Zhytomyr region. We mainly apply for international grants, receiving targeted assistance from specific institutions: governments or international organizations. Grant work is an effective tool for attracting aid, which requires time and a professional approach and is worth utilizing. The experience our team gained over a year of war allows us to recommend that all communities delve deeper into this line of work," said the head of the BGV Charity Fund.
Foreign guests, including Tallinn Mayor Mihhail Kõlvart and the Estonian delegation, also attended the event. They are long-term BGV Charity Fund partners who have consistently supported the Zhytomyr region since the beginning of the full-fledged invasion.
