“Action for Hope”: Final Project Defense of the “Action in Hope” Mini-MBA Program Participants in Dnipropetrovsk Region

Over five training modules, the program participants—businesspeople, entrepreneurs, managers, and community activists—along with the team from the Mudra Sprava Patriarchal Foundation learned how to effectively communicate, present, and organize their own business and social projects. The curriculum included lectures on:

• Ethical Business
• Personal Effectiveness
• Business Modeling
• Public Relations (PR)
• Human Resources (HR) Management
• Leadership
• Negotiations
• Grant Management
• Financial Management
• Project Management
• Operational Management
• Marketing

Throughout the program, participants progressed from a dream and an initial idea to developing and refining it into a detailed project. According to the participants, the lectures were interactive, with many real-life examples and practical tasks that allowed them to apply their knowledge immediately.

The final academic milestone for each representative of the Pidhorodne community was the defense of their project before the program’s instructors. “In presenting their projects, each speaker demonstrated the knowledge gained throughout the training program, as well as faith in their own abilities and the capabilities of their community,” noted Svitlana Buhai.

As part of the initiatives for community development, social entrepreneurship, and family support, a number of innovative and socially important projects were presented:

• Online food sales and delivery platform—a new solution to support local producers and consumers in a convenient digital format.
• Career Center—a space for developing professional skills, finding jobs, and building careers, with a special focus on veterans and youth.
• After-School—an educational space for children and teenagers that offers alternative leisure and extracurricular skill development.
• Correctional and Development Center—an institution that provides professional assistance to children with special educational needs.
• “Kava FM” mini-bakery—the expansion of an existing establishment into social entrepreneurship with support for the local community.
• “Lake Proskuriv: deepening the bottom” project—an ecological initiative to restore the reservoir and improve the recreational area.
• “Lake Proskuriv: equipping a campsite” project—the development of tourist infrastructure for outdoor recreation.
• Inclusive playground at the Pidhorodne city library—an initiative to create a safe and accessible space for children with disabilities and all others.

It’s also worth noting that many of these projects considered the community factor and the project’s benefit to others, with a large number having a social focus.

Next, the representatives of the Pidhorodne community will receive their certificates and begin collaboration with the UGCC Consultation Center team, which will provide step-by-step assistance in implementing the projects.