The organisation regularly monitors and records those processes in society that are in the area of professional interests. We are focusing on both legislation and how it is implemented or human rights are violated. We follow the issue of migration, in particular - international protection, internally displaced persons, stateless persons and those at risk. We monitor the situation with access to justice for vulnerable groups, such as people with special needs, children, women and others. We record human rights violations and respond by protecting and raising awareness. However, we do not limit ourselves to the above-mentioned range of issues, as we try to respond to all human rights issues.
We involve both internal and external experts in our monitoring. We develop a methodology based on the specifics of the monitoring mission. Together with many stakeholders, both non-governmental and governmental, we prepare conclusions and recommendations to change the situation for the better with the participation of decision-makers.
The facts collected during the monitoring serve as the basis for advocacy campaigns.
As a result of our monitoring, we publish research and analytical reports. All these materials are available on the organisation's website and on the Internet resources of our partners. We also disseminate information in printing form.
The organisation is engaged in research activities in the legal field. We conduct both field and desk research. We study the legislation and practice of both our own country and other countries in order to develop recommendations for improving the situation in certain areas. Such research is widely disseminated and can be used by a wide range of different stakeholders, both national and international.
Our legal analysts and experts monitor new legislative and policy initiatives, as well as opportunities to improve existing legislation and policies on issues within our areas of interest.
With our extensive law enforcement practice, we identify areas for advocacy. We strive to engage in advocacy activities directly with representatives of the community whose problems our advocacy company is addressing.
For our part, we provide specific legal expertise and encourage society to take action. We work with the media and social media resources.
We are concerned with the existing stereotypes in society towards representatives of different groups, including Roma. With the help of advocacy compaigns, we change the attitude of the society towards Roma and the state authorities that make legal decisions.
Based on the results of our analysis, we provide clarifications of new legislation and develop proposals.
Our activities include strategic litigation, which ultimately influence state lawmaking and bring about institutional changes.
The work with communities by the NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” is systematic. It includes informational and resource support, conducting trainings, workshops, and consultations, assistance in activity planning, networking with other civil society structures, knowledge exchange, and more.
Among the most important activities aimed at enhancing the organizational capacity of communities are training events. This component also includes networking opportunities and support for collaboration. To achieve this, we organize forums that involve communities from across our network, as well as joint training sessions with neighboring regions.
Systematic work with community requests provides experts from NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” with a clear understanding of the needs of civil society organizations and initiative groups in educational programs, which form the grounds for a series of trainings conducted both independently and as part of larger events such as forums or social cohesion activities. Ongoing surveys, sincere communication, and maintaining ties with communities allow us to accurately assess needs and sometimes assist in formulating requests for training if communities have not fully mastered certain types of activities.
The trainings themselves and other educational events are carefully planned to ensure that the learning process maximally contributes to material assimilation and provides practical aspects for applying acquired knowledge. For this purpose NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” has established long-standing relationships with leading experts in practical education. Our organization's trainers focus participants attention from the first seconds to the last moment of each event. Feedback regarding the work of trainers is overwhelmingly positive, often exceeding expectations regarding the quality of education.
For comfortable training sessions, planning includes not only the educational program but also additional components that allow participants to open up, feel secure, and experience a sense of belonging to one team. This includes engaging icebreakers, playful activities, and artistic programs typically featuring invited artists or media figures.
The richness of events, team-building exercises, group discussions unite participants based on their activities, directions, and personal preferences. As a result, joint projects and interaction among communities are fostered both within a region and across Ukraine as a whole.
A creative approach to organizing educational events entails continuously monitoring innovations in educational processes, including the integration of artificial intelligence into educational programs. Therefore, experts from NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” regularly attend relevant training sessions to ensure the quality of trainings for our communities meets modern standards of non-formal education.
At every training and forum, NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” receives numerous requests to organize such events more frequently because they inspire and, in addition to providing specific knowledge and skills, energize communities to continue their activities, support those who are tired, provide psychological relief, and offer sustainable recovery effects.
We also pay special attention to mobilisation events aimed at supporting communities and promoting the socialisation and integration of IDPs, as well as social cohesion between IDPs and the host population.
Sport events on the occasion of Children's Day, Family Day, St. Nicholas Day were held in the form of relay races, workshops, football tournaments and other games, with dozens and sometimes hundreds of children and adults participating from IDP families, the affected population and host communities. In addition to sports coaches, in some regions, psychologists and specialists working with children from the NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” were involved in children's events, working with both parents, providing information, and children who need additional attention. Famous local footballers were also involved in sports events, which had a positive impact on increasing the motivation of children and their parents to participate in sports.
Social cohesion measures introduced to support the capacity of local communities to address the problems of socially vulnerable populations affected by the hostilities were held in the format of a workshop or a forum of local communities. Both local and national experts were invited to such events, which became, without exaggeration, an event for the community and a significant impetus for development.
One of the mechanisms for strengthening the organizational capacity of communities and expanding their rights and opportunities is the support of communities’ projects with which the NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” collaborates on a regular basis.
Local civil society organizations already enjoy the trust of the hromadas in which they operate, thus they are well-equipped to effectively respond to threats and provide prompt assistance to residents of hromadas, mobilizing the community itself. Additionally, civil society organizations are often present in hard-to-reach areas where humanitarian organizations may not always be present.
Civil society organizations and initiative groups within the network of NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” in the Odessa, Mykolaiv, Kherson, Kirovohrad, Zaporizhzhia, Dnipropetrovsk, and Kharkiv regions, with a minimum of three team members, can participate in the project support call.
The mini-grant program for civil society organizations has a dual purpose: firstly, it serves as a starting point for community-level protection activities, and secondly, it promotes the strengthening of community networks and enhances their resilience, particularly in hard-to-reach areas. The secondary goal is to further strengthen community structures, resilience, and effectiveness of civil society organizations with a special focus on protective measures, programs, and support.
Projects supported under the terms of the 2023 competition were aimed at mitigating risks in the protection sphere, including protection from gender-based violence, support for persons with disabilities, facilitating the integration of displaced persons into host communities, supporting vulnerable populations' access to basic services, promoting the involvement of displaced persons in community life, and reducing social tension and isolation.
They were also aimed at networking in order to strengthen the organisational capacity of start-up initiatives. Such projects were implemented through exchange visits, where less experienced CSOs and initiatives could learn from communities that already have strong organisational and expert experience.
In 2023, NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” supported 50 partner organisations and initiative groups to implement projects aimed at integrating IDPs and facilitating their situation in the new environment.
The vast majority of projects included a training component aimed at developing the skills and knowledge necessary for successful integration into society, as well as elements of relief and psychological assistance to reduce stress and improve the mental well-being of IDPs and affected persons. A significant number of projects implemented in 2023 were aimed at reducing social isolation for IDP children and the affected population and included communication, educational and sports activities. In particular, this applies to communities where offline education is limited or non-existent. Thanks to the implemented projects, safe, youthful, gender-sensitive spaces for communication and interaction between IDPs and affected persons, women and girls were created in some of the hromadas.
RIKA is a project that aims to unite people through learning and improving the knowledge of Ukrainian language. It is a network of conversation and integration clubs operating in a number of cities and regions of Ukraine.
RIKA is an opportunity to learn about the history, culture and traditions of the local region, study the history of Ukraine, get acquainted with the basics of law in Ukraine, etc.
RIKA is about cooperation between club members and local NGOs and local authorities.
RIKA includes excursions, visits to theatres, museums, cultural and educational events, etc.
Community House is a non-profit social space created by NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” with the support of the UN Refugee Agency to expand civil society opportunities for addressing development challenges, protecting human rights, and promoting peace in Ukraine.
The purpose of establishing the Community House space is to strengthen integration capacities for refugees, asylum seekers, internally displaced persons, and to unite civil society activists in Odessa and the Odessa region, as well as to promote learning and experience exchange.
Community House is created to engage:
- Target groups: civil society organizations and activists from Ukraine;
- Beneficiaries: population, especially vulnerable communities;
- Partners: state and local authorities, international organizations, and development agencies in Ukraine.
Community House can serve as an information, training, coordination, and advocacy center based on existing needs.
The space is open for civil society representatives and is free from any biases or discrimination.
NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” actively organizes and facilitates events related to the learning of Ukrainian language, history, ethnography, and local lore; arts, philosophy, acting skills, and oratory within the Community House. Alongside this, NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” actively seeks opportunities to develop new educational and social initiatives within the Community House, particularly focusing on learning foreign (English) language, improving computer and financial literacy, developing social networks and related areas, supporting physical and mental health, and organizing events for socialization aimed at fostering communication and idea exchange among participants and others. Representatives of NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL” are open to proposals and discussions regarding current needs and desires for conducting activities.
Community House is open for events organized by communities, other local and international organizations upon their request, provided they adhere to humanitarian principles and do not contradict the goals and objectives defined by the statute of the NGO “THE TENTH OF APRIL”.