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From small steps to big changes: stories of the Right to Business training course graduates
December 17, 2024
Natalia Shramko. Inclusive workshop ‘Everyone Matters’
This story began in Odesa seven years ago, when four mothers of children with autism decided to create a space where their children could learn, socialize, and develop. Natalia was one of them. It all started small, but over the years the project has grown into a powerful inclusive workshop that now helps not only children but also adults with special educational needs.
The war brought new challenges, but the workshop team was able to hold on thanks to the determination and support of people who cared - work was resumed a month after the start of the full-scale invasion.
Natalia successfully completed the Right to Business training course in Odesa, and it has become the key to new great opportunities. The knowledge helped her to receive an international grant of UAH 1,700,000, which allowed her to set up new spaces, purchase equipment, and create more jobs for people with disabilities.
Natalia Shramko
‘We named our workshop ‘Everyone Matters’ because it's not just words, it's the meaning of our work. Everyone deserves a chance and support, and together we are changing lives. Currently, there are two spaces: for children and adults. These are separate locations equipped with workshops, filled with various means and tools for learning, development, and joint activities’.
This story inspires not only those who are directly involved in the work of the workshop but also the community as a whole. The products created in the workshop not only bring joy but also prove that social entrepreneurship can change the lives of thousands of people. It also encourages all business owners to look for new training opportunities and resources to develop their businesses.
Inclusive workshop ‘Everyone Matters’_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Anzhelika Dashenko. ChocolifeBox. Sweets that heal the soul
Angelika, a pastry chef, has always been passionate about making desserts. Her love of chocolate turned into a business during her pregnancy and quarantine due to the COVID-19 pandemic, when she started creating kits for making natural chocolate at home. Angelika's products were very popular among connoisseurs of craft products, and she received many orders, including corporate ones.
However, the full-scale invasion forced her to leave everything behind and relocate from the occupied Bilopillia to Sumy city. Anzhelika doubted whether it was worth resuming the business after the relocation, and whether craft sweets would be in demand. But the answer turned out to be simple.
Anzhelika Dashenko
‘Sweets help to cope with stress, so my business is more relevant than ever. Even during the full-scale invasion, we additionally started holding chocolate painting workshops for people with disabilities, soldiers with PTSD, and internally displaced persons. After all, when people create sweets with their own hands and taste them in the process, it helps them to unload emotionally and psychologically and communicate. I don't just make sweets. I want every piece of my chocolate to bring joy and help people overcome difficulties’.
Thanks to the Right to Business: From Idea to Profit course in Sumy, the entrepreneur received new knowledge, a grant for equipment worth over UAH 120,000, and ideas for expanding her product range. Anzhelika has created a business plan and now understands how to scale her business, including selling sweets abroad, to Poland and Germany.
In addition, the entrepreneur provides free training for women from frontline towns. Her initiative helps women on maternity leave, single mothers, and women with disabilities discover a new hobby or source of income through workshops on chocolate production and decorative crafts.
This story shows how, even in the most difficult times, you can create a product that brings joy to people and helps them recover, turning a dream into a stable and successful business.
ChocolifeBox_________________________________________________________________________________________________
Olga Bakutiak. Yagidna tea. Tea that unites communities
Olha, an IDP from the de-occupied village of Mala Rohan in the Kharkiv region, has managed to turn her hobby into a source of income and help unite her community. Before the war, she worked as an economist, but due to the hostilities, she was forced to leave her home and temporarily move to Kryvyi Rih, and then abroad with her two children.
After returning home, Olha decided to develop a business producing fruit and berry chips, pastilles, and herbal teas from raw materials she grew herself. When she returned to the Kharkiv region, at the request of her neighbours, she began to take care of their gardens. As a result, there was plenty of harvest to make products!
After successfully completing the Right to Business: A Course for Entrepreneurs training programme in Kharkiv, Olha received a grant of over UAH 110,000 to develop her business. With this support, she bought new equipment, furniture for her offline shop in Kharkiv, and seedlings to expand her berry garden.
Olga Bakutiak
‘During our studies, we learned the nuances of doing business step by step. I was so eager to open a store as soon as possible that I didn't wait for the results of the grant selection process, but started acting while I was still studying. The grant I received strengthened and accelerated all the processes’.
Now Olha plans to open a mini-café in her home community, where she will be able to enjoy aromatic teas, hold masterclasses, and create a cosy atmosphere for watching films. Currently, the entrepreneur is focusing all her efforts on corporate orders and gift sets. However, in the spring, Olga plans to return to her expansion ideas to attract more people to her business and continue to unite the community.
Yagidna tea_________________________________________________________________________________________________