Kuyalnyk, 3 March 2025 — The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) in Ukraine, with financial support from the Government of Japan, has provided essential equipment for the volunteer fire brigade in the village of Mardarivka – part of the Kuyalnyk Community in the Podilsk District of Odesa Oblast in the south of Ukraine. 

The equipment, which includes clothing, footwear, helmets, axes, fire extinguishers, and more, is valued at U.S. $15,555. The donated equipment will significantly improve the team's ability to respond to emergencies quickly and ensure the safety of the community’s residents.

As part of the community’s recovery and development plan, which was developed with UNDP’s support, training has begun for three volunteer fire brigades with 15 members. The launch of these volunteer fire brigades will reduce the community’s emergency response time from 40 minutes to 5-20 minutes. 

During the training, participants gained practical knowledge about firefighting, the use of special equipment, and providing first aid.

Mizuho Yokoi, Programme Manager at UNDP in Ukraine, said locally driven recovery was at the heart of UNDP’s work in Ukraine.

“With the support of the Government of Japan, Kuyalnuk village territorial community is among 10 pilot communities where comprehensive local recovery and development plans and anti-corruption programmes have been implemented – key steps toward sustainable, efficient, and transparent recovery," Yokoi noted.

Yokoi also congratulated the community on the successful launch of the local recovery plan. “Establishing the voluntary firefighting brigades is a testament to the resilience and dedication of the Ukrainian people in safeguarding their homes,” she said. “UNDP is honoured to support this inspiring initiative,”

Sofiia Khodiuk, the deputy head of Kuyalnyk Village Territorial Community, expressed gratitude to the community’s partners for their ongoing support: “Our cooperation with UNDP, supported by Japan, which began in 2023, has not been limited to just technical assistance – it has laid a strong foundation for the strategic development of our community," she said.

Khodiuk also highlighted the prioritization of residents’ safety: “The creation of volunteer fire brigades, and equipping and training them, is not just assistance, but a real step toward protecting the lives of our people.”

After presenting the equipment to the Kuyalnyk Village Territorial Community, UNDP representatives met with Deputy Head of the Odesa Regional State Administration Serhii Kropyva and representatives of the Odesa Oblast Administration to discuss UNDP's support for the region and its key recovery needs.

Background

Since 2023, UNDP, in cooperation with the Ministry for Communities and Territories Development of Ukraine, and with financial support from the Government of Japan, has been providing assistance to 10 pilot communities in the following areas:

• Development of local recovery and development plans.

• Assessment of corruption risks and development of anti-corruption programmes.

• Capacity building for local government representatives through training in project management, resource mobilization, fundraising, and the implementation of inclusive and gender-sensitive approaches.

• Strengthening the capacity of local authorities in strategic and crisis communications and countering disinformation.

Kuyalnyk Village Territorial Community is one of these pilot communities. With UNDP's support, the community has developed a recovery and development plan, as well as an anti-corruption programme.

The project “Volunteers on Duty: Formation of a Volunteer Firefighting Unit in the Village of Mardarivka,” implemented as part of the community’s recovery and development plan, aims to enhance the capacity of volunteer fire brigades in rural settlements and strengthen community safety.

For media inquiries

Yuliia Samus, Head of Communications, UNDP Ukraine yuliia.samus@undp.org