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Soft blurred lighting, light jazz music, gigantic flower compositions of incredible beauty, ladies in evening gowns… On the fifteenth day of March Restaurant Mozart took in guests of one of the most distinguished events of our city - Spring Reporting Conference of Kherson Women Union.

It is for the second time that Spring Reporting Conference of Kherson Women Union gathers business-ladies of our region – the ladies-sponsors, women who are not staying apart from what is going on in our country, in our city, women that are always ready to the rescue, to grant aid; who with their life credos prove every day that they are able to bring the most unbelievable ideas to life, good deeds and projects – together with KWU.

Smiling, excited, incredibly beautiful and sparkling – the invited ladies took commemorative pictures with delight in special photo zones. Young and talented craftswoman Iryna Kayumova, the founder of Décor Studio of Gigantic Flowers “Klumba”, has created the unique atmosphere of real phantasmagory for the guests, as every lady could feel as if she was the small Thumbalina on the petals of huge roses and fairy buds…

Camera flashes and the only and only moments were forever saved by the camera lens of Nataliia Nozhevnyk…

A special hi-tony and truly spring atmosphere was added to the event by the floristic decoration from business florist Strelitzia-flowers – every bouquet was diligently shaped by a florist Nataliia Sarycheva and her Mother Olga Repina. It was felt that every composition and every rose that were presented to those special women in life of Union, were chosen and put together by them with love and care.

Inspiring jazz music of duet “Double Two” by Dariia Arkhypkina and Mykola Solomennyi was performing that evening for the guests.

The first part of the Conference was dedicated to the operating results of Kherson Women Union for 2017, showing everything that was succeeded to be done and these were more than 80 campaigns, events, projects, two huge festivals and social project “I – Saint Nicholas” that united hundreds of Kherson folks and active users of Facebook at the end of 2017. Head of Union, Iryna Nikolaieva, sincerely confessed to the present, “I can’t believe that we were able to do so much! But this is all due to your help.”, she addressed to the present. “Due to the fact that we do everything together. When outstanding ladies take off their heels, put on trainers, jeans and T-shirts and turn to volunteers at the children celebration, when children from performance teams do not only appear before the footlights, but teach children from orphanages everything that they are able to do, when all of us – Princesses and Queens - take off our crowns and become closer to those who need care, kindness and love – only then the real synergism – magic of KWU- appears! Only then we can proudly say: we are the Team that presents happiness!”

But work of KWU does not include only festive events, entertaining actions and festivals. The special part of the evening was dedicated to the new and fundamental project of Union – a program of social coaching “Step by Step”, that is being implemented on the ground of two regional orphan institutions – orphanage “Radost” (“Joy”) and Novokyivska Special Boarding School. Maryna Kalyna, the mastermind of the project, addressed the guests and introduced the whole team of psychologists that go to visit the children from boarding schools every week and work with them within the measures of the program; and also the directors of the boarding institutions – Iuliia Iegorivna Blyshchyk, Headmaster of the Orphanage “Radist” and Liliia Semenivna Orzhakhovska – Head of Novokyivska Special Boarding School.

Sincere narrations, real stories and confessions drew tears to the eyes of lots who were present… Even our inimitable and reserved anchorman Andrii Iaremenko confessed that it was important for him to keep his emotions down.

But, going ahead, I would confess that it was almost the biggest joy for me when Iuliia Iegorivna wrote to me the next day a message, “ You know, many ladies came to me after the conference asking when they could come and visit our children.. Thank you for that!”

Program, methods of its implementation and that enthusiasm and eagerness with which the civil activists and psychologies tackled the set goals – help, coaching, psychosocial rehabilitation and support of children from the orphanages - also aroused profound interest at the office of Commissioner of the President of Ukraine for Children’s Rights – the Conference of KWU was attended by the Assistant of Mr. Mykola Kuleba, Nadiia Kondratiuk, and Vice-President, Chief Executive of the organization Kidsave International in the Eastern Europe Tetiana Stafford.

This visit became not only a visit of courtesy, but after the presentation of civil organization’s activity developed into important agreements on cooperation and development of such a strategic line of activity of Kherson activists. To be continued…

The organizers prepared lots of intrigues and surprises for the guests that evening. Thus, the fashionable women society had a unique possibility to see the presentation of the reconstruction project of Swan’s Lake in Kherson and listen to the information as for already performed and planned stages of its fulfillment first hand – the initiator of project’s contest for the best conceptual idea of reconstruction of civil locations of Kherson Valerii Borzhkov and the author of winning project – young designer, architecture Artur Aymetov spoke to ladies. Everyone interested could evaluate the beauty of the future by visiting Lebedinka renewed due to VR glasses and 3D-visualization. During the Conference more than 100 members signed the petition to support the reconstruction of one of the most recognizable symbols of Kherson…

And what was more, every Conference participant had a possibility not only to receive a book of fairy-teller Lana Iasynska with her autograph, but to communicate with her and take a photo with her, and also to bring something to the table into the fulfillment of social project of coaching for children from the orphanages. 2,900 uah were gathered this way – the sum seems to be not big one, but it gives the possibility to order transportation twice to visit our paternalized in the orphanage and board school.

The second part of the event was opened by PRIDE-show. Friendship between Kherson Women Union and dance studio PRIDE started with the participation on Children’s Day Celebration in 2017, and today these two big “families” are proud of their partnership, and then some! A big joint Charity Talent Fest has been planned!

The second part of the event was dedicated mainly to the projects that were planned for 2018 by active and industrious Kherson Women Union. Environmental campaign “I love Kherson! I present trees to the city!”, educational campaign for children, fellowship in the reconstruction project of Lebedinka, video contests, projects along the lines of “I am proud of being Ukrainian” and, of course, Children’s Day together with KWU, project “I – Saint Nicholas!” and beloved family holiday “Ivana Kupala Night” – Kherson Women Union is not going to slow down it’s activity, digging into the extension and improvement of the coaching program “Step by Step”, having the goal to represent this program at a nation-wide level.

“We are the women that have a small flashlight enlightening a path in a dark forest… Dear friends, take the flashlights and get together – we will light up everything around!”, with this soulful and deep metaphor Head of KWU closed the Conference.

Standing with the team onstage, we did our best not to burst out crying and all the participants were wiping tears from their faces and giving a standing ovation…

And know what? We will succeed!!!

We would like to give special thanks to partners of our Spring Conference:

- Restaurant Mozart:

- Business Florist Studio “Strelitzia-Flowers”:

- Educational Center of Iryna Petrenko “Ideal Beauty”:

- Olena Ostapiuk’s Beauty Studio:

- writer Lana Iasynska:

- stylish partner of the event – OMG, the first and the only concept in Kherson where dreams come true:

- Iryna Kayumova, the founder of, Décor Studio of Gigantic Flowers “Klumba”:

- photographer Nataliia Nozhevnyk;

- exquisite partner of the event – Company “Alcoresurs”:

- talented creative duet “Double Two” – Dariia Arkhypkina and Mykola Solomennyi;

- event-agency ANIMATOR and personally to Andrii Iaremenko;

- Creative Workshop “SLON”

And also to our incredible and unique team of assistants: Anastasiia Sotnyk, Tetiana Bondarenko, Anastasiia Sotsenko, Veronika Subota, Irya Iasynska!

Photo by: Nataliia Nozhevnyk

Translated by Anastasia Kiselyova