Final Presentations of the “Energy Resilience and Independence of Communities” Program

The Khmelivska, Synivska, Talalaivska, and Prylutskа communities will be the first to receive funding for solar power plants — this became the key outcome of the final presentations of the “Energy Resilience and Independence of Communities” program.

At KSPA, energy projects developed by 11 communities from the Chernihiv and Sumy regions were presented — an event that reminded us that resilience begins not with technology, but with people.

It was a day that clearly demonstrated why the NGO “Kyiv School of Public Administration named after Serhiy Nyzhnyy” and the “Razom with Kernel” Charitable Foundation launched this program in the first place.

Over three months, participants worked on their projects — some built energy balances from scratch, others modeled water utility systems, while some tackled the lack of data and turned complexity into clear technical solutions.

And during the final presentations, it became evident how much effort stands behind each project.

We also saw how perspectives shift when communities begin to think beyond the “here and now” — and start planning strategically in terms of energy, resources, reserves, and future generations.

The session was moderated by Olha Babii — project mentor and an expert with deep knowledge of community energy systems. Together with the jury and experts, she raised the same critical questions that reality demands: will the solution pay off? can it be scaled? where are the weak points? and most importantly — can the community truly implement it?

At the same time, Anna Mishchenko, Managing Partner of KSPA, and Liliia Marachkanets, Head of CSR at Kernel and Director of the “Razom with Kernel” Foundation, emphasized another key point in their opening remarks: energy independence is not only about security — it is also about opportunity. The opportunity to save resources, invest in schools, kindergartens, and hospitals; to free up budgets and direct them toward development. That is why we teach communities to think not only technically, but strategically.

Among the key solutions presented were solar power plants, energy storage systems for schools and hospitals, modernization of water utility energy systems, and the introduction of energy-efficient equipment. This is a clear example of how learning materials transform into strategies — and strategies into real, actionable plans.

For some communities, these plans are already becoming the next steps. Other participants will also continue to receive support and guidance from us and our partners. Our shared goal is to ensure that all presented ideas are implemented.

This trust is not accidental. It is the result of the participants’ dedicated work, well summarized by Oleksii Ryk, representative of the Khmelivska community:“For our community, it is a great honor to be part of this program, and especially to be among its winners. This is not only recognition of our work but also a strong motivation to move forward. Programs like this help communities become stronger and more energy-resilient, opening new opportunities for development and innovation.”

Liliia Marachkanets also highlighted that energy independence is not only about security but also about growth:“Resilience and independence are also about opportunity. When a community saves resources, it can invest them in education, healthcare, and other social sectors.”

We are grateful to every community that has gone through this journey.

We also thank the speakers and experts from UNDP, GIZ, UNICEF, the Decarbonization Fund of Ukraine, the State Agency on Energy Efficiency, the NGO “Energy Security Center of Ukraine,” the Ukrvodokanalecology Association, the Solar Energy Association of Ukraine, and Oschadbank.

And we are especially grateful to our partners for supporting not just ideas, but the commitment of communities to work systematically.

The “Energy Resilience and Independence of Communities” project is implemented by the NGO “Kyiv School of Public Administration named after Serhiy Nyzhnyy” with the support of the “Razom with Kernel” Charitable Foundation.