New Ukrainian school helps the displaced build new lives through hospitality
In a luxurious resort complex north of Kyiv, 12 women are retraining to enter the hospitality sector in a new school that will kickstart a fresh life for Ukraine's internally displaced people (IDPs).
The women, mostly from Ukraine's occupied territories, are learning to be housekeepers in the first program organized by German-born non-profit school Grains. Unlike other hospitality schools in Ukraine, Grains also focuses on the personal development of students, and they are guaranteed a job with the Shelest hotel after they complete nine days of training.
Grains is the brainchild of Berlin-based venture developer Maddina Katter and Elena Muradyan, CEO of Shelest, a luxury hotel that opened in 2020. They hope to address two challenges: integrating some of the approximately 5 million internally displaced persons (IDPs) and addressing a workforce deficit in the hospitality sector, which has boomed since the full-scale invasion due to rising domestic tourism.
Integrating IDPs is a top priority for Ukraine's Social Protection Ministry, and the ministry found 30% of Grains' applicants. The ministry said it would help Grains secure more funding if at least two IDP students entered employment afterwards.
"The government needs us," Katter told the Kyiv Independent.
"Until today, there is no project in Ukraine that directly connects education and employment, and also works with the personal (development) of students.
"Students will never pay for the school, made possible thanks to partners who will provide the 180,000 euros ($205,000) needed annually. The main donor is German defense company ARX Robotics, which initially invested 25,000 euros ($28,000) into the non-profit company.
"It's a blueprint that we want to develop in the future."
Shelest, owned by one of Ukraine's top investment bankers, Ihor Mazepa, covers operational costs, including bussing students to school from Kyiv, food and drinks, plus bookkeeping and HR. The school, a trendy Scandinavian-style building constructed with wood and glass, is nestled into the Shelest resort and connects to the restaurant where students train.
It's a win-win, Katter said. Shelest gets qualified staff, IDPs get jobs, and the state receives taxes and spends less on support programs.
In the future, Grains will include other programs like bar and restaurant work, and partner with other high-end hotels offering good salaries and benefits. The courses are open to all Ukrainians, but Katter wanted the first one to be geared toward women.
Read also: In wartime Ukraine, a university grows — and reclaims a space once reserved for the corrupt
The idea for Grains came to Katter over two years ago in Berlin when she met Muradyan, who had fled Ukraine with her daughter. Katter had already set up the company Bulletproof Ukraine, making affordable bulletproof vests for civilians, and wanted to create an educational project. When she heard Muradyan's struggles to find employees in the hotel industry, she realized hospitality would be the right path.
Salaries have increased in the sector, and housekeepers can earn Hr 1,400 ($35) daily in a hotel like Shelest, above the average salary in the country. Katter saw the opportunity for Grains to help reduce unemployment among IDPs in Ukraine, which is higher than among other citizens, and plug the workforce deficit.
"We want to show to the students that they can be creators of the reality they want to live in."
Alongside theoretical and practical classes, taught by senior staff at Shelest, Katter starts every eight-hour day with a personal wellness session at 10 a.m. This is not about mental health, she says, but helping students set and achieve personal goals and breaking free from something she believes plagues post-Communist countries – the Soviet mindset.
Katter wants students to gain confidence and aim high in their careers. Grains sets out a path to progress in the hospitality industry, but the skills they learn are transferable to other jobs if students want to try something else.
"In the Soviet mindset, everyone is just confined to whatever life path is outlined for them. We want to show to the students that they can be creators of the reality they want to live in,' Katter said, adding that she also sees this issue in her homeland, Kazakhstan.
For now, Grains has space for maximum 20 people per course, and soon students will be able to stay in on-site dormitories. For the first program, the school interviewed 60 applicants and accepted 12 who the company felt were keen to remain in hospitality.
The first students graduated on May 23, and 95% went on to work at Shelest. The next program will launch at the end of July for housekeepers, while the team currently develops a culinary arts course with esteemed Kyiv chef Mirali Dilbazi.
One student, Tetiana Izorkina, originally from now-occupied Luhansk, saw the program advertised on Telegram, a messaging app. Stable and safe work is hard to find in her current town, Dobropillia, Donetsk Oblast, which is near the front line.
Her mother and grandmother initially thought Grains was a scam because it was free, an issue that Katter says will be solved once the company has a bigger presence and reputation. Fortunately for Izorkina, it wasn't, and she found herself in awe of the manicured lawns, flowerbeds, and contemporary art that decorates the resort.
"In Donetsk Oblast, you only see gray colors. There are only soldiers around me, and you cannot see beautiful art. You only see dark," she said, adding how happy and emotional she felt to be on the course.
For Izorkina, hospitality will be one of the key industries when the war ends, as tourist numbers are expected to climb back to over 14 million per year. She wants to join those working in hotels, restaurants, and bars to welcome tourists with high hospitality standards.
In the long term, Ukraine is just the beginning, and Katter wants to take it worldwide. She sees Germany as the next country due to the high number of displaced people living there.
"What we are building right now in Ukraine is a start. It's a blueprint that we want to develop in the future. Grains needs to become a tool that works for people everywhere in the world," she said.
Hi, it's Dominic, thank you for reading this story. It's not all doom and gloom in Ukraine, and I want to shine a light on some of the positive things happening during the war. The women I met on the course were incredible and inspiring. It takes a lot to completely start fresh in life, especially when you've had everything turned upside down. To help us keep bringing you good news from Ukraine, please consider becoming a member.
We've been working hard to bring you independent, locally-sourced news from Ukraine. Consider supporting the Kyiv Independent.
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