“Golden Talent” Award Winners

This year Golden Talent award was received by the leader of project # 27-0848-01 “Development of livestock breeding in Dmytrivka village, Donetsk oblast” Mr. Volodymyr Omelchenko.

Since 2002 Volodymyr Omelchenko has been the head of a model cooperative Tsentralnyi in Donetsk oblast that sets an example for other communities.

In late 2007 the coop became the recipient of Heifer funding, which granted them the purchase of heifers, pigs, California red worms and equipment. In 2009 the Volodymyr Omelchenko applied for participation in the State support program for cooperative development and won land cultivation equipment.

The leader managed to unite the community and bring people together. Locals enjoy participating in training activities and at every training they have a “full house”.

The leader initiated multiple POGs of piglets, which greatly speeded up the POG process and engaged more community members. The leader also organized expansion of services provided by the cooperative to neighboring communities. One of the biggest problems of the local community is that they are far from towns and cities. To help solve this problem the coop has organized a community veterinary pharmacy, which Omelchenko keeps stocked with the most necessary vet medicines and people can use what they need and repay later.