COLORADO UKRAINE AGRICULTURAL GROUP
Our Projects
Community Organization
Community Organization is the most important project in any village. The other projects depend on this one for success.
The citizens of the village Richka (Річка pronounced REACH-ka - roll the 'r' - and meaning 'small river') in the Carpathian Mountains of SW Ukraine, have come a long way with local initiative. They took it upon themselves to spread stone over 7 kilometers of road and to contract for trash collection. The village action came to the attention of the Colorado Ukraine Agricultural Group (CUAG) director when he was in Kiev in April 2014. His Ukrainian language tutor Irina Gorban of Borispol High School #6 alerted him to TV news about a citizens group taking action to fix their own roads. Ira was not only a good tutor but came to understand the development goals in Ukraine of our international non-profit group. She was the primary force leading our international development group to the village Richka in the Carpathian Mountains where we proceeded to work. Her referral led to the community organization work there. The citizens of Richka are no longer waiting for the government to fix the roads or haul the trash. They are taking affairs into their own hands. In October 2014, the CUAG director spent one month in this village helping them to take the next steps.
What they have done has been successful in giving them courage and pride. But the trash hauling they arranged ended when they ran out of money. As a result, piles of trash have been set on fire one by one producing black acrid smoke. The road improvement they did in April involving days of labor for many residents spreading rock, was successful in filling the potholes, but over time the round rock rolled into berms at the side of the road due to the pounding of vehicle tires and the hooves of the horses pulling wagons. The trash hauling needs augmented funds and a dump truck. The dirt roads need ditching, crowning, culverts, gravel and a road grader and back hoe for maintenance. The citizens have taken important steps in gathering funds. In fact, in their determination to do things differently, they compiled and made available a list of every donor to the road project and the amount donated. This is transparency! We can help these citizens get the right equipment and take the right steps to reliable trash collection and good dirt roads.
 This is Irina Gorban English teacher at Borispol High School #6 and two of her students Sasha and Olga. We are visiting the Mezhyhirof ('between the hills') estate of the deposed dictator Viktor Yanukovych. Ira had the idea to visit this Ukraine historic site representing the ousting of a dictator by the Ukrainian people. Ira also was instrumental in directing our USA international development non-profit organization to our successful work site in Richka in the Carpathian Mountains. |  This is Pedro P., the president of the new Richka citizens union Hospodar (means 'to nurture'). He is adding notes to documents for our initial round of local government office visits. |  Here members of citizens union Hospodar are looking over the final documents that will be submitted to the district government office for registration. |
|---|
Road Repair
 This is a typical rural road in the hills around the village. Tax revenues meant for road maintenance are somehow misplaced, so that little road repair gets done. The citizens are fed up and want to maintain CUAG is trying to help with organization, advice, and equipment. |  In Nov. 2016, the new mayor of Richka Oksana V. and director of CUAG Ray F. shared the cost for a gravel application experiment to cover about 200 yards of pot holed road in the center of the village. Two truckloads of gravel were ordered, delivered, and dumped in a berm. Volunteers recruited by Milkola G. had to spread the gravel by hand. In a year or so we will know if this gravel application is worth expanding. |  For 2018 we are preparing this road grader for shipping to Ukraine. The grader is a CAT 212 1952 all metal gears machine in good working order. It will have a rebuilt small gasoline 'pony' motor which starts the Diesel engine. |
|---|
Education
 This is the nice big Soviet era school in the village. Our interpreter Marta is one of two English teachers at the school. The whole school, including the new kindergarten rooms, is currently without running water, CUAG is sending a donated high capacity submersible well water pump to help restore the water system at the school. |  This is the submersible well water pump donated by ABC Plumbing and Heating of Pueblo, Colorado, and being displayed by John Pauletich operations manager at ABC. This pump will provide running water for the whole school including the new kindergarten rooms. |  In Oct 2016, director Ray F took 6 reconditioned Dell laptops to Ukraine purchased from Colo State University. The computers were purchased with the help of Norm I, Helena S, and Tucker A. Stefan G in Denver helped to prepare them. At the school, a large group of students and teachers chanted in unison: Thank You Very Much. On the right are Petro P and Mikola G representing the citizens of Richka. English teacher Marta M says the computers have been very useful, especially for teaching English. |
|---|
Trash Removal
 Here is the center of Richka with the Inn Bukovits in the background. This area is crowded and busy on Sunday market days. Trash is piled for removal by a hired truck, but the money ran out and the truck never came. |  Trash being burned when the trash hauling contract ended due to lack of money. The trash burning makes acrid smoke which settles over the village. The trash does not burn completely so it remains there in unsightly piles. CUAG is trying to find a dump truck that could be used by the citizens to haul trash. |
|---|