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The head of the organization, Daria Rybalchenko, recently participated in the panel discussion: “The Impact of Localization of International Aid on the Development of CSOs and Assistance Delivery. Responsible Partnership”at the forum “Development and Partnership – The Path to Building Peace in Ukraine.”
We would like to share some key quotes from Daria:
- “Successful fundraising campaigns are now mostly for the army, but communities also need to continue developing. We started communicating and building new relationships with donors and established humanitarian hubs within communities because we recognized a demand for it.”
- “Our network was created on the initiative of community foundations themselves. They came together and decided that they needed to network. However, I believe that effective networking is only possible when there is proper administration of the process.”
- “One cannot underestimate the non-financial resources available at the community level. These include people’s trust, an understanding of the local environment, and communication in a common language. Language is one of the most crucial aspects. I’m not talking about Ukrainian, English, or dialects, but about understanding the context.
For example, I lived in Kharkiv for a long time, where people often meet ‘by the glass building.’ When I came to Odesa, I realized that people there use the same phrase, but they mean a completely different building specific to that city.
Speaking the same language does not mean using identical terms—it means sharing the same mental images and deeply understanding the meaning behind them.”
- “Localization is a journey in which local and international organizations must meet each other halfway.
Local organizations must be prepared to take responsibility for the funds they receive and work on building their capacity.
Donors, in turn, should receive feedback on their work and be open to suggestions from the local level.”
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