OREANDA-NEWS. September 22, 2008. The East Europe Foundation (EEF) and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) Project Coordinator in Ukraine recently awarded the NGO Union to Promote Green Tourism in Ukraine more than USD22,000 to support the growth of small and medium businesses in the town of Bar in Vinnytsia oblast, reported the press-centre of EEF.

The award was given through their joint Local Economic Development (LEaD) program, which promotes rural economic development by helping local partners support start-up entrepreneurship using available resources and providing grants, networking opportunities and technical assistance.

“The unemployment level in small towns and rural areas is much higher than in big cities or in regional centers. That is why we supported a project that will be implemented in small towns and villages and will help people from rural areas find jobs,” EEF Executive Director Victor Liakh said.

Through the project, the Union to Promote Green Tourism in Ukraine will work to stimulate employment in rural areas by developing viable tourism and craft businesses. According to Union Project Coordinator Oksana Bass, most tourists are interested in taking home souvenirs of the region and many locals are skilled craftsman.

However, capitalizing on both of these has been a challenge until now. “A lot of people in our area know how to do crafts, but don’t think about it as a source of income,” she said. “They don’t know where they can sell souvenirs or how to do it. So we gather them and teach them the basics of business, as well as train them to make new kinds of crafts.”

Developing partnerships among NGOs, governments, community groups and businesses and obtaining commitments from local governments or local businesses, generally in the form of co-financing or in-kind contributions, is fundamental to the LEaD program.

Program beneficiaries include Ukraine’s working poor, individuals with special needs, rural residents, the elderly and people with limited job skills. Since 2003, the LEaD program has invested more than US750,000 in 14 oblasts and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. Between 2004 and 2007, LEaD trained 8,504 people and helped create 2,685 jobs and 1,102 businesses in 10 oblasts.