I am Sasha, a 19-year-old, who was born and lives in the one-of-a-kind Ukrainian town. That is Snihurivka of Mykolaiv Region. It’s hard to put into words how special the place is. The town is located almost on the same distance from the cities of Mykolaiv and Kherson on the Ingulets River. Locals jokingly call it Singapore because of the similarity of the names. This unofficial name of the city has been passed down for generations.
In 2022, the town, like the rest of Ukraine, my town suffered. As a result of the ongoing war in the region most residents left. Now people have been returning, and it's like the entire town is coming back to life.
Upon returning many young people, including my family, friends and myself, encountered the problem of the lack of socialization. But none of us wanted to stay at home all the time. On the contrary, we were eager to socialize and grow. However, there was never a place for us to do so, and that was a problem for us to solve.
That is why I decided to participate in the UPSHIFT program of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF). I suggested it to my friends, and so we created our team, the Snihurivka Youth Service or SYS.
As part of the project, we created the first youth space in the community, known as SYP. The local authorities provided the venue and materials for the renovation, and we developed the design of the space and brought it to life.
Our projects aim to provide psychological relief for young people through the use of art therapy. To do so, we conduct workshops on Ukrainian folk crafts: pysanky making, loom weaving, beadwork, and wax candle making.
We also hold movie nights where all those interested can watch their favorite movies on the big screen.
With our project, we want to encourage the socialization of young people, because one cannot live without society and communication. We were able to bring together like-minded people who seek not only to relax but also to improve themselves and their community.
Our team believes in the butterfly effect that the Chinese proverb refers to: “The flapping of the wings of a butterfly can be felt on the other side of the world.” The theory suggests that small actions are capable of generating large changes. Everything we do might have a potential for a lasting and impacting effect.
The initial action causes other smaller changes, eventually leading to a cumulative effect.
And that is exactly how our apparent little project, which started with a 'What if,' ended up being of great help to the youth in communication, psychological relief, and personal growth.
You can learn more about the project and follow our social media accounts:
https://www.instagram.com/sms.singapore
