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I'm staying
The main idea of the 6-episode documentary project "I'm staying" is to show human strength and the power of uniting local authorities, businesses, proactive people, etc. in order to develop their small homeland, their community, no matter what conditions it finds itself in.
The strategic task of our project is not just creating documentary programs and distributing them among people.
It is a demonstration in expert environments to establish partnerships between communities, donors and government structures and any other interested parties. To try to solve community problems through such a partnership.
After all, we want not only the voice of the capital or big cities to be heard in Ukraine, but also the voice of communities, so that small towns and villages are viable, even in war conditions.
The creative team of the project visited both front-line, de-occupied, and rear communities. To show through people's stories the problems facing small towns and villages, as well as possible solutions. And all this - in ordinary human language, with specific examples.
...They baked bread during the occupation because there was nothing to eat. And then they applied for a grant to develop their own business - and now they have a small bakery and sell bread in the village.
... When the front line passed through their villages, they organized themselves into a team of volunteers and literally put out fires with their bare hands. Now they are already working in uniform, with several fire engines and holding their flame front.
...They harvested even when the fields were cultivated from shells. Seeding was carried out in minefields despite the loss of equipment.
...We built not just temporary housing for IDPs, but found a way to integrate displaced people into the community - to provide jobs and houses with the right to transfer ownership after 5 years.
...The boy whose village was destroyed and who starred in the Imagine Dragons music video, stood with them on the same stage in Poland, does not want to live anywhere but in his native village. Now a new house is being built for him, where he will have his own room.
...Employees of the bombed CHPP, who repaired it during the air raids and found a way to restore light and heat to the residents.
...Enthusiast who grew an entire arboretum from seeds on a site where old bush houses once fell apart.
And many more stories, which are united by love for the country and a sense of responsibility for it, were included in the series of documentary programs "I'm staying".
The communities of Ukraine have a lot of worthy stories, worth telling about them, and even adopting certain experiences.
The documentary project "I am staying" was created with the financial support of the International Renaissance Foundation.