On September 23, a meeting was held in Kyiv dedicated to the third wave of the project “Side by Side: United Communities” in the Donetsk region.
At this stage, 13 more communities from the Donetsk region joined the initiative. Eight of them had already participated in the previous stages, but now need additional support. Together, this forms 23 new partnerships with communities from other regions of Ukraine.
As of September 22, 17 memorandums of cooperation have already been signed. And on September 23, two more pairs joined them: Kramatorsk City Council and Berdychiv City Council of Zhytomyr region, as well as Pokrovsk City Council of Donetsk region and Uman City Council from Cherkasy region. In total, 49 memorandums have already been concluded within the three waves of the project.
The results of cooperation are tangible. The partner communities provided almost 13 million hryvnias for the restoration of houses, schools, the creation of shelters and the decoration of alternative sources of water supply in the Donetsk region. For example, the Stryi community transferred 2 million UAH, the Mukachevo City Council and the Kholmkivka community – 3 million UAH each.
Also, partner communities actively help displaced people and residents of the Donetsk region with food, clothing, hygiene products and household appliances.
A separate area of work is being carried out with children and youth. In 2025, more than 300 children from the Donetsk region were able to improve their health, participate in cultural and educational programs, and attend master classes. Sports events, teleconferences and psychological support events are also regularly organized for young people.
The project “Side by Side: United Communities” is working, and the Donetsk region receives financial assistance, cultural, educational and social opportunities that make communities more resilient and ready for recovery.