EIB, EU and UNDP help refurbish buildings to accommodate growing number of art and music students
Myrhorod, Ukraine, December 21, 2022 — The European Union, its Bank, the European Investment Bank, the United Nations Development Programme, the local The institution and its partners recently renovated an old two-story building that had been in disrepair for over twenty years.
Its restoration was due to begin in 2020 and be completed by spring 2022. The war delayed its completion, but local authorities and construction workers continued to work despite the difficulties. Currently, the renovated building can accommodate him 800 students and his 47 faculty members. Renovations included new water and sewage systems, lighting and power, fire alarm systems, handicapped access, replacing windows and doors, and installing a new roof.
Speaking at the official opening of the new facility, Ivan**Lukelia**, Deputy Minister for Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine** said that today’s children will lead Ukraine tomorrow, and that “their academic, artistic and psychological development and well-being will depend on all aspects. It should be supported in any possible way. “
The renovation work was financed by a $509,000 loan from the European Investment Bank, a European Union bank, and supported by co-financing of $157,000 (5.77 million UAH) from the city and $217,000 (8 million UAH) from the state. I was.
**Deputy Finance Minister Olga Zykova** said more than 200,000 internally displaced people have taken refuge in the Poltava region since the start of the war, including families with many children. “Today the art school will open and about 800 children will be able to attend music and art classes,” she said. “We thank the European Investment Bank and the United Nations Development Program for their support, and we thank our partners for their continued active support in the development and rehabilitation of Ukraine’s damaged infrastructure. is an integral part of the project of economic development of the country.”
Jean-Eric de Zagon, Representative of the European Investment Bank in Ukraine: “I am very happy that despite the war, we were able to meet the growing needs of the Ukrainian community and continue construction. This is the main goal of the EIB and EU assistance to Ukraine. For the courage, resilience and strength that made the opening of this school possible, workers, local governments and our partners are the most vulnerable victims of war, and we thank them for their It is important to help distract them from all the fear they are going through. It’s the key to feeling normal for us.”
For many people living in crisis, art and music are more than aesthetics and entertainment, they are a lifeline to healing and well-being. Clinically speaking, art can help reduce tension and anxiety and lay a strong foundation for the healing process and coping with lifelong disability. Art can also alleviate PTSD and other problems that arise from exposure to extreme violence.
UNDP Resident Deputy Representative Christophoros Politis In Ukraine, it is becoming increasingly important to invest in the restoration of social infrastructure to ensure the uninterrupted delivery of basic services. To cope, it reaffirms the importance of investing in the psychosocial well-being of children and the wider community,” he said. We need to maintain our investment in resilience to ensure we are resilient.”
Background: The renovation of the art school in the Poltava region is being supported as part of the EIB’s Early Reconstruction Program for Ukraine. The Ukraine Early Reconstruction Program is his €200 million multi-sector framework loan from the European Investment Bank to local authorities to repair social infrastructure and support internally displaced persons and their host communities in her nine provinces of Ukraine. Improve living conditions. Donetsk and Luhansk, Kharkiv, Dnipropetrovsk, Zaporizhia, Poltava, Odessa, Kherson, Kyiv. The program is being implemented by the Ministry of Community and Territorial Development of Ukraine and the Ministry of Finance of Ukraine in collaboration with municipalities, with technical support from the United Nations Development Program of Ukraine (UNDP).