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On May 22-26, 2017, in the framework of PLEDDG Project, entrepreneurs, civil society activists and local officials from Vinnytsia, Energodar, Kremenchuk, Myrhorod and Melitopol took part in a social entrepreneurship* study tour organized by PLEDDG Project. Participants got a unique opportunity to learn about best practices in developing social entrepreneurship in Lviv and Ivano-Frankivsk oblasts as well as to get a better understanding of how to unite efforts of local government, non-governmental organizations and entrepreneurs to solve urgent social problems with the help of social enterprises (SE).

The study tour began in Lviv. At Lviv City Council participants met with Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadovyi and representatives of City Development Institute. Mayor’s Advisor Victoria Dovzhyk explained how Lviv City Council was supporting local entrepreneurship development. In particular, she mentioned ”Women in Entrepreneurship” Project,  under which women participants were trained to start up and run their own business. This project was part of MLED Project , implemented by FCM from January 2010 until December 2014. After the meeting with Lviv city officials, the participants visited the SE “Rukomysly”, where they took part in a class in fulling fabrics production. “Rukomysly” is a social enterprise whose mission is to help vulnerable populations with employment as well as support the “Women Prospects” Center that deals with human trafficking prevention. The enterprise produces and sells hand-made goods, provides free training in filling fabrics techniques and wood processing. 30% of enterprise’s internet shop income are allocated to support social programs of “Women Prospects” Center (SE “Rukomysly” on Facebook ).

The following day the participants visited Vynnyky and Brody in Lviv oblast. In Vynnyky, they were introduced to a mutual assistance community called “Emaus-Oselya”. The community “Emaus-Oselya” is a non-governmental organization created to help people that found themselves in difficult circumstances. The mission of the organization is to help those people regain a sense of purpose, faith in life and their place in society. “Emaus-Oselya” forms a part of the international movement “Emaus”, with a total of 350 member organizations in 37 countries. The movement provides shelters for the homeless and supports them with money earned through gathering and processing second-hand items, handcrafts, organic production. Commercial activities of “Emaus-Oselya” consist in running charitable shops and garage sales, renovation of old furniture, sale of second-hand items and publication of a street journal “Prosto Neba”. However, the commercial component is only a part of this charitable project, as, along with donations from different benefactors, the community “Emaus-Oselya” helps to fund shelters for the homeless and carries out various socially important projects. (Web-site  and Facebook of “Emaus Oselya” community).

In Brody the participants visited the Center for Re-socialization of Former Prisoners, a charitable organization committed to social adaptation of former prisoners. It was founded in 1989 by a journalist Igor Gnat. The Center includes a social rehabilitation center for individuals that returned from prison, a place of temporary accommodation for IDPs and refugees, and a special facility for women that suffered from domestic violence or were victims of human trafficking. In spite of its social importance, the Center does not receive any financial grants or state funding. The Center exists only thanks to personal efforts of Igor Gnat and committed work of its residents. Mr. Gnat personally took the study tour participants on a tour of the Center’s facilities, which included a sawmill, a carpentry workshop, a workshop for production of fuel briquets, an animal farm, and a dormitory currently occupied by displaced persons from Crimea.

The third day of the study tour started with a visit to NGO “Maisternya Mriy” in Lviv, which is a day-care center for young people with special needs. The mission of this organization is socialization of people with special needs, their training in everyday life skills, and work and art therapy. Maisternya Mriy established a social enterprise specializing in producing tea bags with Carpathian herbs. The profits received from tea sales are spent on the center’s development. According to Hanna Ivanichiva, Manager of Maisternya Mriy, social entrepreneurship will gradually help the Center achieve financial self-sufficiency and independence from donors’ help. Hanna and her team sell tea packed in self-made linen bags. Maisternya Mriy plans to produce packed tea, sell their products in IT-companies and universities, and open similar establishments in small cities in Lviv oblast. (NGO “Maisternya Mriy” on Facebook).

Further on the participants went to SE “Gorikhovyi Dim”, an enterprise the main mission of which is poverty reduction through social entrepreneurship. It includes two components: a business component (a bakery, a canteen, catering services) and a social component (funding of the Center for Women in Crisis Situations; employment of vulnerable populations in Lviv; providing food for the homeless). The opening of the bakery became possible only due to financial grants. Shortly after the opening, the bakery became profitable and soon it started expending and increasing its assortment. Only natural products are used for baking pastries in “Gorikhovyi Dim”. 40% of the income goes to social and charitable initiatives. (Web-site and Facebook NGO “Gorikhovyi Dim”).

In the village Solonka, Lviv oblast, the participants learned how “AT Zelenyi Koshyk” grows culinary plants using hydroponic. This is the first Ukrainian innovative-investment agricultural project, implemented by the NGO “Business Club”, where culinary plants are grown in trays placed on special stacks equipped with LED lamps. The project is unique, for it works as an investment project: 55 shareholders, who are members of the Business Club, invested their money. Apart from the fact that such business model fosters the development of small business in Ukraine, the activities of “AT Zelenyi Koshyk” includes also a social component. At present, 10% of the enterprise’s income is allocated for the support of youth projects, creation of a business-incubator for ATO veterans and IDPs. (“AT Zelenyi Koshyk” on Facebook and web-site of NGO “Businessmen Club”)

In Ivano-Frankivsk the participants met with Mayor Ruslan Martsynkiv and learned about the whole spectrum of unusual and innovative projects implemented in the city by local government and the public. The tour of Ivano-Frankivsk social enterprises started with a meeting with Teple Misto team. This initiative joins together pro-active residents of Ivano-Frankivsk, who are striving to implement meaningful and useful projects for the city. Teple Misto projects encompass seven different directions: advanced education, modern art, urban space, development of advanced entrepreneurship, sustainable mobility, ecology and energy efficiency, and sports. (Web-site  and Facebook page of Teple Misto platform)

The first local social enterprise study tour participants visited was a public restaurant “Urban Spase 100, which is a physical space of Teple Misto. It is a modern restaurant designed in urban style, which serves as a model of social enterprise and unites pro-active people around the idea of Ivano-Frankivsk development. The founders of the restaurant are 100 socially active residents, which invested 1,000 US $ each in the business. 80% of the restaurant’s income is directed to various development projects. From its opening in 2014, Teple Misto provided funding for 38 initiatives. (Facebook page)

The participants also learned about a new and unique media product – UrbanSpaceRadio. This is an on-line radio pooling together interesting and useful ideas and fostering change in the urban environment. ( Facebook page)

While walking around the city, the participants admired the results of the cultural and arts program “Teplyi Art”, focused on modern visual art. The program envisages a number of initiatives, among which is the creation of art-objects by artists from other cities and countries and open arts lecture center.

A special feature of the fourth day was the project “Promprylad”, which envisages creation of an innovation platform on the premises of the old factory “Promprylad”, at the intersection of such functions as new economy, modern art, informal education and urban development. “Promprylad” is projected to become a platform for testing and disseminating knowledge and quality practical experience among experts, communities and companies.

Unique and interesting was a workplace Bukvytsa, opened in 2014. This is a production center, design studio and a shop in one place, as well as a future café. 10% of the profit is directed for the initiatives of Teple Misto platform.

During the last day of the tour the participants visited a training and production enterprise UTOG, that specializes in sewing clothing, providing training and employing people with hearing disabilities. At present, over 100 persons with disabilities work at the enterprise. The enterprise received recently an urgent and large state order for the army. Igor Ostyak, Director of the enterprise, implemented a social-investment project which is the first of its kind in the Carpathians: on the land plot of Ivano-Frankivsk UVP UTOG he built a residential building for the disabled. In a 7-storey, newly built building as many as 50 families live; they had been waiting for their own place to live for over 30 years. For the convenience of the disabled people, there are premises for the dentist, a computer room and gym, the hairdresser’s, a shop and other premises.

There are a number of companies in Ivano-Frankivsk which form a socially responsible eco-energy cluster. The participants of the tour visited modern car dealer selling electric cars Volt and learned about the social component of the cluster’s initiatives.

A hectic five-day study tour allowed the participants to understand the essence of social entrepreneurship and receive practical skills and tools for effective social enterprises. PLEDDG Project is grateful to all enterprises, their managers and staff for openness, time and opportunity to learn from the best.


⃰ Social entrepreneurship is the use of best practices of traditional entrepreneurship to solve social issues and achieve sustainable social changes. For social entrepreneurs, the most important objective is to achieve social changes through solving urgent problems, which are underestimated or ignored by state institutions or business structures.


P.S. We will prepare a short video about the tour, which will be accessible on our web-site and social media by the end of June.

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