LocationsTime Banking: Entrepreneurs from the Chernobyl-Affected Regions Grow Business Together
April 28, 2025
Almost four decades after the Chernobyl nuclear disaster, support for communities recovering from its consequences remains a key priority for UN agencies in Belarus. Since 1986, international organizations, donors, the private sector and civil society have worked steadily to restore affected regions.
In the past five years alone, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Belarus, together with national and international partners, implemented 68 initiatives across recovering districts, investing around $5.85 million.
Among the latest efforts is the Time Banking initiative, launched by the UNDP Belarus Accelerator Lab in spring 2024. Building on a previous project aimed at closing the digital divide for rural businesses, the project connects 18 entrepreneurs from the Bragin and Khoiniki districts, which were among the most affected by the nuclear disaster.
At its core, time banking is a network of mutual support: participants volunteer their time to provide peer-to-peer mentoring, sharing hard-earned business expertise in one-on-one and group sessions. It’s a grassroots approach to rebuilding, where the most valuable investment isn’t money - it’s experience.
As a model of collaboration, the entrepreneurs turned to the concept of time banking - a system of skill- and knowledge-sharing based on equality and mutual exchange. Each participant offers help in areas where they have experience or expertise. For every hour of support they provide, they earn one credit (1 hour = 1 point), which can then be exchanged for assistance from others in the network.
Since its launch, the Time Banking initiative has logged more than 60 hours of consultations covering a wide range of topics - from business registration and administration to more specialized advice, such as trees pruning or AI-powered content creation.
The initiative has not only helped entrepreneurs cut costs and boost profits, but also strengthened connections within the local business community, contributing to long-term, sustainable economic growth.
"Time Banking is a great example of how entrepreneurs benefit by helping one another," says Igor Balenok, a Khoiniki-based carpenter and participant in the project. "My background in law allowed me to support others with their challenges, and in return, I gained a real boost for my own business. In regions like ours, still facing the legacy of Chernobyl, building strong business communities is vital for their growth."
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