In July 2024, the Mashiv Village in the Vyshniv community of Volyn Oblast saw the opening of a public space, symbolically named "Free Thought." The name was chosen by the villagers themselves through a vote. The opening of this space became a significant event for nearly every resident of the small village, where cultural and youth activities have gained new momentum at its heart, and a new format for communication between the government and the community has been born.

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The establishment of this community space was made possible with support from the USAID HOVERLA Activity.

 

A Historical Transformation

 

 

This building was once the largest and most elegant in the village, constructed by the Polish noble family Golubovsky at the end of the 19th century. After the family left the village in the 1940s, the building housed workers from the tractor station, served as a collective farm warehouse, a rabbit farm, and later as a club and library. It hadn’t been renovated for a long time.

However, over the past year, the building has undergone a true transformation. With funds from the local budget, a major renovation was done, including repairing the ceiling, installing windows, and adding a bathroom. Later, a library was established, and with support from the USAID HOVERLA Activity, brand-new furniture and equipment were added.

On the opening day, villagers came together for the event, curiously exploring the cozy rooms and eagerly pulling the latest book editions from the shelves.

 

 

Sixth-grader Oleksandra Sats was captivated.

"I love reading, so I’m thrilled that during the summer holidays, our village now has a place where we can spend our time productively. There are so many interesting books here, and I’ve already picked out the first one I’ll read – Colleen Hoover's novel 'November 9'."

 

 

Equally delighted was Viktoriia Kapitaniuk, a mother of three who came with her eldest son. The boy was most excited about the board games and the news that a cartoon screening would soon take place in the center. 

"In our village, we only have a pond, which parents are afraid to let their children go, and a bus stop where young people often gather. Most of the time, the kids are just on their phones. But in a space like this, they can find something that interests them and start getting involved in activities," says Viktoriia. 

 

 

She knows firsthand how important it is to engage the youth, having served as Head of the Youth Council in Vyshniv before her maternity leave. The youth council was established in the summer of 2023.

"As an active resident and a singer at the local club, I was eager to get involved in developing the Youth Council. Initially, there were few volunteers, and one of the challenges was the lack of a proper gathering place. The Vyshniv Village Council provided us with a hall, but it wasn’t very convenient because we had to work around the session and meeting schedules. The community really lacked a place where active young people could gather and organize events. And now, it's not just a nice building – it’s equipped with the necessary technology."

 

A Concentration of Synergy Between Local Government and Community

 

Over the past year, the Youth Council has grown and strengthened institutionally, with more than 20 members receiving various training, including those done by the USAID HOVERLA Activity. Through HOVERLA training, members gained knowledge of youth policy, communication, advocacy, and conflict resolution, as well as conducting a survey on youth needs.

"This year, we implemented a large-scale project called 'School Participatory Budget' at the initiative of the Youth Council. Each school proposed projects (such as rest areas, table tennis, or board games) for community funding. The students themselves selected the projects through electronic voting," says Kateryna Bohomaz, a Youth Council member and lead methodologist at the Center for Culture, Arts, Aesthetic Education, and Sports. 

 

 

Youth Council representatives and local government officials also applied to a competition from the Volyn Institute of Law, a grantee of the USAID HOVERLA Activity, to equip this space in Mashiv. 

"Mashiv is a very close-knit village. Its residents are always among the  ahead of the curve and most active. Such people need a place where they can come together, communicate informally with local authorities, plan joint actions, or hold public hearings and strategic sessions. I think we succeeded because we were ready for radical changes and a complete rethinking of the walls of this old building," says Kateryna. 

Also officials from the Administrative Service Center can visit Mashiv village and not only provide services but also teach people how to obtain certificates through Diia.

With the USAID HOVERLA Activity support, laptops, a projector, a printer, bookshelves, and other furniture were purchased for the space. If the gray walls of the former library were empty before, now the stylish, technology-filled space is buzzing with life: movie screenings, master classes, and festivals are held there. Soon, there will be training sessions for the elderly age group, and a series of events on the region’s intangible heritage – for example, they will make paper flowers and bake bread according to a local recipe, filming the process to preserve the tradition for future generations.

 

Residents as the Most Valuable "Resource"

 

"The 'Free Thought' public space has been a huge success because it was created not in the center of the community, but in a more remote village. This is what especially drew the attention of the residents. We don't plan to stop with Mashiv; we’re already thinking about developing similar spaces in other starosta districts," says Kateryna Bohomaz.

The establishment and development of the Youth Council were actively supported by the local authorities, adds Kateryna. She says their village head is "easy-going" and likes it when young people take the initiative. This active attention to youth is not without reason, as it is Mayor Viktor Sushchyk’s strategic priority for community development.

Says Mayor Sushchyk:

“Our community may lack touristic or industrial advantages, but our greatest resource is our people. Such a space will help us engage people in solving issues related to community development, especially youth,” says Viktor Sushchyk, Mayor of Vyshniv.   

 

 

A similar space was established thanks to HOVERLA support in the Lokachi community in Volyn Oblast – the Center for Public Communication and Consultation, which began operating in test mode in March 2024.