Friendship and UpShift helped girls create the first design workshop in Mariupol

“Stubborn, energetic, young, cute,” four girls’ voices join to become one when they loudly decipher in Ukrainian the first letters in the name of the Mariupol design workshop "BEMS".

“We are also modest, but it did not fit into the name," says one of the girls, 17-year-old Hanna Mishchenko, and her friends respond to her joke with contagious laughter.

However, Hanna, Diana, Katia and Sophia, should not be too shy indeed. These cheerful and determined girls in a few months turned the abandoned in a state of despair class of the Mariupol Engineering College into the first design workshop in the city with their own hands. They can be proud of it. 

A small room with high ceilings and huge windows now houses a bright, cosy space where anyone can learn to sew, paint or work on a potter's wheel. And do it for free.

The girls were able to realise their dream thanks to their strong friendship and participation in the UPSHIFT Youth Innovations Programme, implemented by the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) with the support of the European Union.

Even the quarantine caused by the COVID-19 pandemic did not interfere with the girls' creative lessons and communication with the students in their workshop.

Always together

The girls study together at the Mariupol Machine-building College, and even before participating in the UPSHIFT programme, they were united behind the idea of creating free creative courses in the city.

"We always wanted to have the opportunity to learn to draw and sew in Mariupol without paying 300-500 UAH per month, which is not affordable to everyone. And when we learned about UPSHIFT in our city, we immediately decided to participate,” says 17-year-old Diana Kornytska. She learned to work on creating plaster figures during the project.

The management of the college gave the girls a closed classroom without furniture and repairs. "When we came, there was nothing here. We had to paint the walls, floor, furniture and equipment in a short time. It was tough,” recalls Hanna. She creates handmade bags in the workshop.

After winning UPSHIFT, the girls had been doing repairs every day for two months after classes and over the weekend. Today a huge bright banner with BEMS logo, colourful balloons and sketches of future works hang on the wall instead of the old soviet poster.

Girls spent UAH 50,000 that they won to buy sewing tables, sewing machines, easels, paints, a potter's wheel, a projector and comfortable furniture.

"There was a time when we sat here together in the evening and cried. We were upset, tired. Nothing came out. But then we remembered why we had started everything, that it would be our place where we would make our dreams come true. And that wish and our perseverance probably led us to the opening,” says Hanna smiling. She is very proud of the brand new white sewing machines in the workshop.

Hanna, Diana, Sophia and Katia answer the question of how they differ from other UPSHIFT projects the same way. The girls are sure that their uniqueness is in cohesion.

"We started this project and went through it, tightly holding the hands of each other," admits Diana, adding that their parents also helped them a lot. Each of the girls brought from home the things needed for the opening – from a kettle to houseplants. That is why the atmosphere in the workshop is very cosy.

Now everything is possible

During the project, the girls not only became close friends but also decided on their future careers. They all want to hone their skills in clothing and interior design without leaving their workshop.

"We will not leave this place, even after graduating from college. We will develop, gain experience and come here to conduct master classes," says Hanna.

During the quarantine, the girls' project temporarily moved to their Instagram page. They hold online drawing lessons and contests for their followers.

"We miss our workshop. But we can't go there yet, because even public transport doesn't work in the city now. We are trying to grow our Instagram page. About 20-30 girls who came to us for quarantine are now watching our lessons online,” says Hanna, who communicates with her subscribers every day during self-isolation.

Manufacture of toys and warm clothes for orphan children will be next project, implemented by the design workshop "BEMS" after the end of quarantine.

"We strongly believe that this project will take on a different scale later," says Diana. "Because this project has shown us that everything is possible. The main things are a wish, friendship and not giving up."