When Emma Zakharevych talks about her project, it is easy to assume she has been working in youth development for years. In reality, she is only 17. Having just graduated from Kryvyi Rih Lyceum No. 35 “Impulse,” Emma is passionate about design and has been actively involved in youth initiatives for several years. It was the UActive programme, implemented by savED in Kryvyi Rih raion within the framework of the KRYTSIA: Support for Recovery of Kryvyi Rih Raion project, that helped her transform a personal challenge into an initiative creating opportunities for other teenagers.
Last year, Emma’s team, Impulse, became one of five UActive teams selected for seed funding out of ten teams from Kryvyi Rih and Kryvyi Rih Raion. Following the final pitch, the team received a USD 5,000 seed grant to implement its social initiative.
The idea emerged unexpectedly on the way home after one of the programme’s events.
“I was showing my mentor my design work and talking about how difficult it was to find my first freelance clients. At some point, we realised this was a much bigger problem—not just mine,” Emma recalls.
To test their assumption, the team surveyed their peers. The results confirmed what they had suspected: teenagers want to work, gain experience and become more financially independent, yet many simply do not know where to start. Employers are looking for candidates with experience, while young people are just trying to get their very first opportunity.
“At a time when both our city and our country are going through such difficult times, financial pressure on families has become much greater. Many businesses have closed or downsized, prices have increased, and teenagers want to support their families rather than become an additional burden,” Emma says.
That is how the project was born.
The team developed a practical guide, “Your First Job: Employment Rights and Opportunities for Minors,” created CV and motivation letter templates, prepared practical job-search advice, shared their own internship experiences, and organised open events with employers and professionals to help teenagers better understand their opportunities and feel more confident when taking their first steps into the labour market.
“Our community needs this project because it gives young people in Kryvyi Rih something to rely on. Instead of uncertainty and frustration, we want to give them practical tools: where to look for a job, how to present their skills, and how to avoid scams. We are building a bridge between motivated young people who want to work and opportunities they simply cannot see yet,” Emma explains.
For Emma herself, UActive became much more than another youth project.
“After the programme, I realised that if you see a problem, you do not have to wait for someone else to solve it—you can bring a team together and solve it yourself. I became more determined, learned not to give up when facing challenges, and discovered how rewarding it is to create change with your own hands. I now want to continue developing my skills in communications, creativity, and working with people.”
Emma is now preparing to study Advertising and Public Relations at university while continuing to grow the project together with her team, engage more local businesses, and help even more teenagers take their first steps towards professional life.
The second UActive season launched in Kryvyi Rih Raion in summer 2026. The programme is implemented by savED within the framework of the KRYTSIA: Support for Recovery of Kryvyi Rih Raion project, funded by the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg and implemented by LuxDev, the Luxembourg Development Cooperation Agency, in partnership with Proman and NDI. UActive empowers young people to identify community needs, design social initiatives, and turn their ideas into action. Beyond Kryvyi Rih Raion, the programme also brings together young changemakers from the Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Chernihiv regions, proving that meaningful change often begins with a single idea — and the courage to take the first step.
