On 2 September, representatives of LDA Odesa and partner organisations met to discuss the development of local democracy, strengthening international partnerships, and supporting Ukrainian communities.
The participants identified key areas for further cooperation, including expanding the Local Democracy Agencies (LDA) network in Ukraine, supporting women’s leadership, attracting international funding, and strengthening communities’ resilience to energy and winter-related challenges.
The meeting focused, among other things, on cooperation with communities across the Odesa region. Oleksandr Sheka, Head of LDA Odesa, presented an overview of the organisation’s work and its vision for further development. The agency was registered in April this year.
Oleksandr Sheka also proposed establishing an international cooperation hub in the Odesa region. The concept would bring together online tools, mobile outreach to remote communities, expert support, and international partnerships. The discussion also covered humanitarian and social protection cooperation, engagement with Italian experts, and the development of initial institutional partnerships.
ALDA and its partners also agreed to continue working on expanding the Ukrainian LDA network. A new 36-month project, expected to be signed with the French Development Agency (AFD) on 9 September, will provide support to six existing Ukrainian LDAs and facilitate the establishment of additional agencies. In the longer term, the network is expected to grow to ten LDAs. The update was presented by Anastasiia Buslaieva, Coordinator of the LDA Network in Ukraine.
Women’s leadership was identified as another priority area of ALDA’s work in Ukraine. “As part of the project supported by U-LEAD with Europe, an open call is planned for up to 100 Ukrainian women leaders, alongside an online academy and the selection of 25 participants for an offline boot camp,” said Liudmyla Yatsiv, Project Manager at ALDA Ukraine. Partners will support the outreach to potential participants and recommend experts and trainers. Grant opportunities will also be available for selected project initiatives.
Particular attention during the meeting was given to energy resilience and winter preparedness in Ukrainian communities. Partners discussed support through the provision of generators, energy planning, renewable energy solutions, and energy storage systems. Potential practical solutions include solar power installations, backup power systems, and the modernisation of water supply infrastructure.
The participants also agreed to strengthen communication and information sharing, including exchanging updates on project implementation and other materials for dissemination through ALDA’s and partner organisations’ communication channels.
Following the meeting, ALDA will prepare and share additional materials with partners on the proposed international cooperation hub, planned activities, and budget priorities. Partners, in turn, will continue coordinating their efforts and providing proposals for supporting Ukrainian communities.