In January 2021, the Youth Public Environmental Organization "Our Home - Manyava" was selected to participate in the project “Engage, Interact, and Create: Youth for Developing Dohesive and Sustainable Communities,” implemented by the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Ukraine and funded by the British Embassy.
Within the project, a youth initiative group of 28 participants has been formed — representatives of the NGO ‘Our Home – Manyava’, as well as teachers and students of Manyava School
Establishment of an Eco-School at Manyava School
On April 7, 2021, an ‘Eco-School’ was officially opened at Manyava School — a modern learning space for environmental education.
Equipment worth UAH 169,981 has been purchased, including:
Water analysis kit exact® micro 20, Acer Aspire 5 laptop, Epson L805 printer, projector, Canon EOS 2000D camera, seven SIGETA MB-12 student microscopes, Wi-Fi router, educational literature, and etc
Environmental culture trainings
During May, three one-day trainings were held for members of the youth group and lyceum students:
‘Stepping Towards Eco-Responsibility’ — developing eco-habits and waste-sorting skills.
Environmental Culture — an Essential Part of Our Future’ — fostering environmental awareness and teamwork skills.
Observing the State of the Environment: Learning to Study Water and Aquatic Ecosystems — practical research on water resources in the villages of Manyava, Porohy, Rakovets, and Solotvyn
Environmental campaigns
In April, three large-scale campaigns were conducted:
Plant a Tree’ — over 400 spruce and pine seedlings were planted near Manyava Lyceum.
Clean River’ and ‘We Support a Clean Environment’ — over 2 km of the Manyavka River, the area of Manyava Skete, the lyceum, historical and cultural sites, and the central part of the village were cleaned.
Over 180 people participated.
Student Drawing Contest
For the All-Ukrainian Environmental Day, the contest ‘How I See the Environment of the Future’ was held, with 42 students from grades 5–9 participating.
Winners were awarded prizes, and all participants received souvenirs from IOM.
Environmental expeditions
In June, two educational expeditions were conducted to study the condition of the water resources of the Manyavka and Bystrytsia Solotvynska rivers.
The results showed that:
No pollutants were detected in the water;
Aluminum levels are within acceptable limits;
Sawmills do not create anthropogenic impact on the Manyavka River.
Based on its cleanliness level, the Manyavka River has been classified as very clean water.
Collaboration and Communication
Within the project, working meetings were held with local authorities to address environmental issues in the Solotvyn community, and informational leaflets and videos were prepared and distributed.
The youth initiative group participated in 10 training sessions organized by IOM: on project development, fundraising, communication, participatory democracy, human rights, gender equality/prevention of sexual exploitation and abuse, and environmental protection.
The project contributed to the development of active, environmentally conscious youth, increased environmental awareness within the community, and fostered partnerships between educational, civic, and governmental institutions of the Solotvyn territorial community.
