In the remote region of Uzhgorod (Western Ukraine), until a few years ago many children did not have the opportunity to attend school at all: The way was cold and just too far. The committed teacher Roman Stoyka drew our attention to the situation in 2012. The Charity then provided a school bus, which changed the lives of these children profoundly. The beginning of a long lasting and wonderful partnership. Three years later we installed a new heating system for the extremely cold winter days, and in 2017 we had a new classroom built because more and more children were able to attend school thanks to our initiative (Education needs Space).
Now many children, meanwhile young people, have finished school and are looking for a job. Together with the municipality of Uzhgorod, we have set up an apprenticeship programme to give the young adults a technical education. They specialize either in metal or wood processing (carpenter, blacksmith, joiner, etc.) and in the course of their training produce various utensils that are in great demand among the population of Uzhgorod. They are also allowed to sell these items.
With this initiative the young people can not only serve the strong demand for trained personnel in the region, but above all lay the foundation for an independent life. From "We want to learn" to "Tools for the future", our long-standing project in Uzhgorod, with which we accompany the children from first grade to apprenticeship, is a model project of our association: It stands for independence through education and sustainability.