We exchange horses at the post office | Pašte keičiame arklius

Project details

The project aims to reduce the social exclusion of the Polish minority in the village of Rykantai and, overall, in the Trakai district and strengthen the minority’s national self-esteem and identity. The project will implement two main activities. The first one is a series of social leader breakfasts to encourage collaboration, EU values, and sustainability projects in the community, while the second activity is a placemaking initiative through a creative communication campaign.

During the social leader breakfast, NGOs, local government representatives, and community members from the Trakai district will be invited to discuss and start collaborating on important issues and processes for the community. The breakfast meetings will bring together the community, civil society and local government and encourage the creation of ideas on how the community can engage in sustainable projects and create a ‘smart village’. Ideas born during the breakfast will receive additional support. For example, if community members would like to set up a short food chain, participate in smart village activities or coordinate a youth centre, Rykantai Post will advise them and provide them with premises if needed. The best initiatives born during the social leader breakfast will be supported by providing advice and assistance depending on the need, legal (e.g. setting up an organization) or marketing advice.

The second activity ─ a creative communication campaign ─ will be dedicated to raising awareness about the history and characteristics of the place of origin ─ Rykantai ─ and pride in it through online communication campaigns and community workshops. A forming and getting stronger Rykantai community will be directly involved and co-create its visual identity through creative workshops together with artists and designers.

About the organization

The organization was founded in 2021, during the Covid-19 lockdown, when the project team realized that work and quality of life are possible everywhere. They thought that was the perfect opportunity for rural communities to flourish. They also discovered that people lacked public spaces to act, raise important issues and problems, and solve them. Especially in the places where more ethnic minorities live, where they are located, they found that there was a lack of hope and belief that by doing small things, bigger changes can happen. They are still young and experimenting but have already achieved small changes.

Grant amount: €15,000