USAID Project presents new communication campaign 'East: Reboot'

KYIV. Nov 1 (Interfax-Ukraine) – The U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) project "Economic Support to Eastern Ukraine" has presented a new communication campaign "East: Reboot". The goal of the campaign is to show the successful stories of people in eastern Ukraine, the USAID press office reported.

"The USAID project has been working in eastern Ukraine since 2018 and seeks to change stereotypes and help Ukrainians transform their communities, create new businesses in promising sectors of the economy, enter new markets in Ukraine and abroad, and promote success stories about people, businesses and communities, which open up new opportunities in the east of Ukraine," the message says.

According to a study conducted by USAID in the summer of 2021, most Ukrainians continue to associate eastern Ukraine with war and heavy industry. The East: Reboot event aims to change this stereotype. People from different regions of Ukraine, representatives of youth and business were invited to participate in the event.

"We are proud that our support for eastern Ukraine has begun to pay big dividends in such sectors as: IT and innovative manufacturing, even biofuels. It’s great to see the dynamic of new businesses growing and starting to thrive, as well as the resilience of communities that are really starting to rally around shared goals and smart investments for the future. Of course, there is still work to be done, but we see some really positive trends and will continue to support them," USAID Mission Director in Ukraine James Hope said.

The event on October 29, 2021 brought together well-known politicians, athletes, cultural figures, as well as partners and beneficiaries of the USAID project. Key speakers were USAID Mission Director in Ukraine James Hope, Vice Prime Minister of Ukraine, Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov, Olympic gold medalist, MP of Ukraine Zhan Beleniuk, Paralympic champion Maksym Kripak, founder and editor of Business Ukraine and editor of Atlantic Council Ukraine Peter Dickinson, international orchestra conductor Oksana Lyniv, bestselling author, Apple, Canva, Mercedes-Benz brand evangelist Guy Kawasaki, as well as partners and beneficiaries of the USAID Project.

"Technology is about how we think. Without this, it is impossible to turn the state into a convenient service. Digitalization makes processes faster, more efficient, more modern and cheaper. Innovations completely change the state and people’s attitude to it. They create a new level of service and development. And this is, in turn, gives the best, equal conditions for everyone. Because no matter where you live, Ukrainians should be able to use digital services anywhere, " Minister of Digital Transformation Mykhailo Fedorov said.

The USAID project "Economic Support to Eastern Ukraine" is designed for six years. After the conflict in eastern Ukraine, the USAID project provides an opportunity for local residents to improve their living standards and develop business in promising sectors of the economy, as well as enter new markets in Ukraine, the European Union and beyond. The project places particular emphasis on working with internally displaced persons, women, youth, Roma and other underrepresented groups to ensure their participation in the economic success of the region.