Andriy Dichtyaruk received the „Heart on the Palm“ award in the category „Volunteer of the Year 2020“.
Andrij was sent by ADRA Slovakia as a volunteer to Moldova - the poorest country in Europe - for 12 months as part of a programme supported by SlovakAid. He worked for two sister organizations, EcoVisio and Katalyst, which specialize in sustainable development, social entrepreneurship and rural development.
Andrij was particularly dedicated to a start-up project called Katalyst Kitchens, an agri-food incubator that can be imagined as a shared kitchen for local small entrepreneurs. This project promotes innovative methods in the Moldovan food industry and is the first of its kind in the country.
We are very pleased to have had the honour to support Andrij's work in Moldova as his sending organisation.
This award has already been given to 3 of our SlovakAid volunteers in the past. Before Andrij, it was Veronika Zimova, who was involved in projects in Albania to support the education of children from excluded communities and improve their chances for a better life, and Samuel Čellár, who helped poor farming families in Kenya on the way to fair sale of sesame, thus building their self-sufficiency and enabling their children to get an education. The awards they have received are a great tribute to our work as well.
Andrij, congratulations on winning the award. Thank you for the time and energy you have invested in helping the people of Moldova, as well as in the great representation of Slovakia. May the award be a caress on your heart and a gateway to other interesting opportunities.
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