№27(40) 3.7.2003

For five moths the newspaper "Vhoru" has informed its readers about the story with the students' center in the district of HBK, street 28 Armiyska. In the end of January Stanislava Podobyeda asked the editorial board for help: at that point she as the last teacher of the center was being fired. The last students' center, where about 150 children spend their free time after school, was under the threat of being closed. Together with the newspaper the coalition of NGO from Kerson region "Partnership for transparent society" helped to protect children's rights and the teacher's rights. No to allow such a horrible thing to happen, the members of the coalition appealed the decision to the court, 9 NGO negotiated with HBK and the city executive committee and offered to solve the problem during mediations.
The newspaper "Vhoru" published 4 articles dedicated to this subject. The first meeting of the lawyer of HBK and the deputy mayor Sergiy Cherevko was conducted on April 3rd. There were also two representatives of the coalition "Partnership for transparent society" Igor Zhytchenko and the author of this article Oleksandr Burmagin, and the deputy of the city council Pavel Maslov. But the meeting with the head of the company HBK Sergey Rybachok, deputy mayor of the city Sergey Cherevko and the author of this article took place only in two months. And on July 2 the vice-mayor Sergiy Cherevko officially stated that the agreement was signed by the city executive committee and came into action on July 1st. They already published the order to hire Stanislava Podobyeda to the center of extracurricular work in Dneprovsky district, her position sounds "cultural organizer at the students' center, street 28 Armiyi, building #5".
The story about rescue of the students' center can serve as an example of cooperation between the NGO, city council and the company in the solution of very importnant problem. Stanislava Podobyeda, students and their parents are once gain thankful to everyone who helped them:
deputy of the city council Pavlo Maslov, activists of the coalition "Partnership for transparrent society", Kherson regional charity and health foundation, Kherson regional organization of the Committee of voters of Ukraine, Public institute for development of local self-government, Kherson city center for youth initiatives "Totem", Kherson city association of journalists "Pivden", Kherson regional union for protection of consumers' rights, Novokakhovka council of the Ukrainian union for nature protection, editorial board of the newspaper "Vhoru". And of course, the management of OSC "HBK" and the deputy mayor of Kherson Sergiy Cherevko.

Oleksandr Burmagin, "Vhoru"