"It's good to have a job," says Svitlana, who currently works in a bakery.
The woman returned to Kotelva to take care of her son's farm, who is now defending the country:
"I was looking for a job, but I couldn't find one. And then I had the opportunity to get a job at a bakery. I used to work at a school, we also baked bread there. So I'm familiar with it."
Svitlana, together with her colleague Tetyana, got a job thanks to grant support for entrepreneurs within the project "Support for the social and financial recovery of war-affected communities in the Poltava region."
A total of 60 people have been employed, and 24 employers have taken on new employees for vacant positions. Entrepreneurs receive financial assistance to pay the salaries of new staff. The initiative aims to increase the resilience of local communities to the economic and social stresses they experience due to the war.
"I understand that we can't compete with some establishments because they offer a comprehensive recreation format. We are famous for our cuisine. Therefore, we survive mainly on family holidays and dinners. The opportunity to hire a waiter is very relevant for us now, since the quality of service is also important in order to retain customers. We have already received positive feedback about his work," says entrepreneur Iryna, who, in addition to the waiter, has employed another worker.
Grant support will last three months so that the new employee has time to master the necessary skills, and the entrepreneur can improve his financial situation and be able to independently pay for the work of specialists.
"I don't understand modern technologies well, so the choice of work is limited. And I'm already over 50, it's difficult to work from morning to night. But here they teach me, help me, and the schedule is normal. I'm learning a new profession little by little," says Olena from Zinkov, who works in a garment factory.
The project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) and implemented by the Light of Hope NGO in partnership with JERU (Joint Emergency Response in Ukraine of the international NGOs Welthungerhilfe and Concern Worldwide).
