Anna Derkach and Liana Derkach (her mother) are from the city of Cherkasy in Ukraine. They represent the organisation “ЕКО-МУШЛЯ“ (in English: “ECO-SHELL”). and they attended the first edition of the Riga Disability Rights Academy. In this short article, they present the work of their organisation and what they learned during the Academy.
Anna: We represent the organisation “ECO-SHELL” which focuses on proper waste management. This is our main work. The organisation primarily brings together youth with disabilities and their parents.
Liana: Initially, the work started with educational efforts, as Anna herself learned how to handle waste correctly and decided to share this knowledge with her friends. Eventually, their parents joined in, and this initiative gradually became successful. Everyone appreciated the idea of reducing waste, understanding how to do it, the types of plastic, how paper is sorted, and so on. Parents supported it because they recognised the need to reduce waste and utilize resources properly, especially after learning about the accumulating tons of waste (yearly) that harm the environment.
In addition to our primary focus on waste management, we are now expanding our scope to resource utilization. We aim to recreate resources from waste, such as paper and plastic. We observed this approach during a study visit to the Multifunctional social service centre “Laipa Riga” while we were attending the Disability Rights Academy – and realised that it is indeed possible.
Also, our next step is to launch an advocacy campaign focusing on the rights of youth and their relatives, implementing their ideas, employment, and environmental issues. Several interesting and valid directions are emerging around the topic of ecology.
Anna: We are located in Cherkasy. Most residents in our apartment building actively sort waste and understand its importance. Special containers for sorting, including those for hazardous waste, are placed near each entrance. People in our building are conscious about waste sorting, and there is a keen interest in the topic.
Liana: The organisation was officially registered last year, but the initiative began about three years ago. Initially, it was Anna’s study on this topic, an awareness campaign through her friends and their parents. We also involve other youth from other buildings in this initiative because our building (everyone who lives there) already fully understands its importance, and there’s no need to explain the topic (of waste management). And we can say that other people are also genuinely interested and willing to participate in our initiative.
Regarding the Riga Disability Rights Academy, it is focused on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Several years ago, when this Convention was ratified, our organisation – not “ECO-SHELL” but an organisation of parents – started educating about the Convention. We gathered the press and government representatives, explaining the document’s obligations for all societal categories. The Riga Academy was intriguing for us because we systematically analysed various aspects and parts of the Convention. We can see how it works in Latvia. We discussed ideas with Anna, and exchanged thoughts about what we learned each day. Employment, rights protection, and especially accessibility and universal design are highly relevant and problematic issues for us, felt on a daily basis.
Anna: There are very few places in our city where one can feel that it is truly accessible and barrier-free. In Riga, we also can compare and observe how the theme of accessibility is supported in terms of transportation, shops, and buildings. Some things are the same as in our hometown, but some are better.
Liana: For example, in the shopping mall, we observed features such as voice announcements and special guidance for people with visual impairments. It truly works, making it very useful and helpful.
We are very happy to be here: not only to attend lectures but also to gain practical experience. It is enjoyable to be part of a Ukrainian group and exchange thoughts and experiences with our Ukrainian colleagues. We are confident that we will bring back the knowledge we have gained in Latvia to Ukraine and continue our work.