Main - Our organization

Our organization

The association was born in December 2013 with the main objectives of promoting youth development, the mobility of young people and fostering active participation of Ukrainian citizens in civil society. The founders of the organization are former EVS volunteers, who have been involved in international volunteering activities since 2008. As an organization, we create different opportunities for young people who would like to take active part in civil society, and through our cross-cultural activities, we aim to increase and enrich the social and cultural lives of youth. Through various activities, young people gain new knowledge and international experience, they enrich their personal lives, and they develop their key competencies such as communication in foreign languages, teamwork, cultural awareness. We believe that today’s youth is the future of the country, and therefore, we invest our efforts in giving them tools for education, in raising their awareness of the dangers of xenophobia and discrimination, and in showing the diversity of the world and the positive effects of intercultural interactions.

The main objectives of our organization are:

  • To support development of international exchange programmes aimed at international understanding
  • To promote active participation and youth action in Ukraine
  • To spread the ideas of tolerance, cultural diversity, gender equality and sustainable development
  • To promote non-formal education as a tool for intercultural learning and self-development
  • To inform Ukrainian youth about different volunteering and exchange programmes abroad  

We strongly agree that European awareness and intercultural dialogue are of great importance for Ukrainian youth. Consequently, it is an important task to promote life-long learning, human rights, a sense of justice and dignity for other people, multiculturalism in society, and tolerance and understanding of those who are different. We believe that differences should be seen as enrichment and not a barrier between people coming from different backgrounds.  

 

Our team

 

Iryna Tomenko, President
"If your actions create a legacy that inspires others to dream more, learn more, do more, and become more, then you are an excellent leader"
Dolly Parton

Iryna TomenkoIryna is one of the founders of ''Stella" and a former EVS volunteer. She started her career as a youth worker in American-Ukrainian leadership camps for children by being a counselor. In 2012 she obtained a Master’s degree in Economics at The Pedagogical University of Kharkiv. After graduation, she did her European Voluntary Service in France, during which she was responsible for guiding and coaching French youngsters in the Regional Centre of Youth Information. Afterwards, she worked as an EVS Coordinator in Ukraine. During 2014 - 2016 she studied "Intercultural Mediation" in France, Belgium and Mexico, pursuing an Erasmus Mundus Master’s Degree in the department of Sociology. Iryna has participated in numerous youth actions and volunteer projects in Ukraine and abroad: she has a lot of experience working with young people. She has good communication, presentation and leadership skills. She likes working with young people and she has considerable experience in non-formal education. Besides her native languages, Iryna is fluent in English, French, and Spanish.  

 

Kateryna Nefidova, Vice-President
"Travel is the only thing you buy that makes you richer"
Unknown

Kateryna NefidovaKateryna Nefidova has always been fascinated by exploring new cultures, countries and places. Since her early student years, she has always searched for different volunteering opportunities abroad. Accordingly, she has been a volunteer in several NGOs. After her first camp in Germany in 2008, her life changed. Since that first international experience, she has taken part in several voluntary projects and trainings abroad. In 2011 she obtained a Master’s Degree in Computer and Informatics Technologies and worked for an IT company. From September 2012 to September 2013, she did her European Voluntary Service in Cagliari, Italy. The year spent abroad was really perspective-changing and it enriched her life in different ways. During this EVS experience, she got inspiration and knowledge in project management and enthusiasm for establishing an NGO in Ukraine in order to share different opportunities with Ukrainian youth. Since the summer of 2016, Kateryna has been travelling around the world, volunteering and exploring in Asian countries. She is fluent in Russian, Ukrainian, English, and Italian.  

 

Nika Bunziak, Coordinator of volunteering projects
“All our dreams can come true, if we have enough courage to pursue them
Walt Disney

Nika BunziakNika is a manager of innovation. That is why, upon graduating, she spent time working at a university, in the private sphere, and even in The Verkhovna Rada. However, she has found herself in the field of youth development after participating in one of the projects of NGO "Stella". This fateful event opened Nika the world of youth development: active, diverse, full of interesting communication, new acquaintances and constant expansion of knowledge. Most importantly, this work brings a unique benefit. For Nika, it is really very motivating to know that she is doing good and helping young people to find themselves. Nika finished her PhD in "Economics and management of national economy". She is interested in psychology and time management. In addition to doing her favorite job, she believes that the best investment of time is reading good literature and travelling, since these activities make you change yourself for the better.