Home Experts Service: Berloga

My name is Dmytrii Lavrinenko. I am 27 years old.

I am one among Ukrainian young changemakers, who are building a new tomorrow in our country – European-type country Ukraine, where respect for social guarantees and protection of citizens rights є the basic democratic values for the government and society. Today I`m Chief executive officer of the NGO «Youth agglomeration of Kyiv». The public sphere is a major driving force for me, here I can fully realize myself, implement ideas and initiatives that are important for society and democratic development of the country.

Over the last 6 years working in the public sphere, I am initiator and ideological creator more than 10 public projects which strengthen the civic position of people who are usually excluded from the decision-making process - the younger generation, people with disabilities, retired people, vulnerable groups in local level. 

Human is a social being, when life goes online the pursuit of emotions, communication, social contacts are needs in a full life remains. In the current situation, caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19, when the psychological illness crisis is looming over humanity and emotional virality is stronger than medical, We create a new social norms and rules of interaction, that provides psychological support by citizens in daily life.

Our solution is the web platform developed on the basis of the CRM-architecture software allow to online interact people for needs and skills sharing on «peer to peer» basis. Users engagement with the web platform provides both sides of cognitive-behavioral therapy through direct interaction and communication without delaying the solution in time no matter where you are.

Taken together, cooperation, psychological support and efficiency of solutions are increasing emotional resilience the millions suffering people and protects human against psychological stigmatization.

State reaction to the outbreak of the coronavirus epidemic has changed the lives of Ukraine's people and affected everyone we all found themselves in psychological isolation, when emotional virality is stronger than medical and anxiety is a part of everyday life. Now we all live according to a different scenario and adapt to new conditions, all socially, economically, emotionally, physiologically and mentally.

 In mid-April, according to research by Research&Branding Group, which covered about 35 thousand citizens from 24 regions of Ukraine, only 7% of Ukrainian families were psychologically ready for long-term quarantine restrictions in the future under the same conditions.

The Ministry of Health of Ukraine noted that the problems caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 and other social upheaval in total disrupt the cognitive processes of human life, when an individual loses contact with society in all its forms. Lack of professional help for a long time leads to irreversible processes of dementia for most citizens and this is a major factor of human psychological stigma. Thus, taking care of its emotionally, physiologically and mentally well-being becomes a vital necessity for every Ukrainian. 

 Digital tools are the best way to improve our response to current and future upheaval.

The online web platform operation is provided by web-integrated software CRM-architecture. The web platform interface implements the necessary functionality for an external contour users group who are registering / authorizing. The front segment of the CRM-architecture presents to such users web-forms for filling with necessary data and consists of information collection blocks.

A relational database stores information and groups it by selected categories for accurate identification. Next, the CRM-architecture algorithm identifies system filters and establishes the interaction of 2 users on principle: the one who has needs or has a problem leaves a request, and the system immediately looks for an expert (host) that offers available alternatives or people with the same type of problem in real time. People engagement on principle «peer to peer» with each other  will provide both sides of cognitive-behavioral therapy through direct interaction, communication and restoring social connections. Because, some citizens will be able to realize themselves in the professional and creative fields, the requesting side receives communication and support, while helping others also helps itself to overcome the effects of the coronavirus epidemic outbreak and other social upheaval.

The target audiences of the project are Ukrainian citizens who have become socially vulnerable due to the situation caused by the outbreak of the COVID-19 coronavirus epidemic and need psychological adaptation to new living conditions online:

1) found themselves in forced social isolation;

2) citizens who are on forced leave or have lost their jobs due to quarantine restrictions or forced to work remotely;

3) citizens who work during quarantine and due to the peculiarities of work in quarantine and isolation experience excessive psychological stress and need to reduce the symptoms of burnout, as well as psychological support;

4) don`t have access to structural (institutional) support from the authorities or local self-government or are at significant risk of losing it;

5) experience excessive administrative, financial or infrastructural restrictions on access to important services, including social and medical services in the context of COVID-19;

6) are at greater risk of poverty, social exclusion, discrimination and marginalization. 

 The nationwide survey and telephone interviewing of target audiences was conducted to determine the categories of needs and problems that citizens faced with the outbreak of a coronavirus epidemic. The data obtained used to customize the functionality of web platform to the needs of people.

The global psychological illness crisis is looming over humanity, as millions of people are surrounded by death, disease, live in poverty, anxiety and isolation in Ukraine. This Project creates a new social norms and rules of interaction through needs-based communication provides psychological support by citizens in lockdown and beyond.

 «Home Experts Service: Berloga» is support platform for help all people in psychological adaptation to new living conditions: those who disconnected and finding it difficult to gain access to services and also those who don`t have possibility of professional realization and have the symptoms of burnout in lockdown and beyond.

One day my grandparents came retired people. Their social life did not end, my grandparents continued to be active - advising local companies and helping to run a business.

This was a temporary effect because over time their support was no needed at the local level. The situation for other retired people is even worse - they gradually find themselves in social loneliness and lose all social activity necessary for a full life.

In Ukraine, the elderly are not involved in the social, economic and cultural life of society. Unfortunately, neither the regional nor the local social protection administrations aren`t provide the proper social support for adult citizens, referring to the scarce resources. State support is limited to the issuance of food kits.

In March 2019, as a challenge to the situation, I and my 4 friends decided to change this situation and began working on the implementation of the idea - creating an online platform where people regardless of age, social status, place of residence have the opportunity to interact and support each other in critical moments in real time. Such communication will make it possible to restore impaired cognitive processes and reintegrate excluded people into active society`s participation.

I tried social isolation and realized how is a strong psychological burden to those who are excluded from the process of active social life:

- the feeling of communication fear;

- there is no possibility of professional realization;

- appear constant tension and depression, which turns into apathy;

- alcohol, drugs and medications abuse becomes a way to relieve stress.

That is why we are creating  an opportunity for people who are in social loneliness in life to continue to be socially active - share knowledge, skills and help other people overcome difficulties. Thus, we create stronger social ties in the country and ensure psychological adaptation that will improve collective resilience:

- a teacher from Kharkiv will help a teacher from Lviv to learn online study platforms;

- a house of elderly people from Sumy will announce need of help and children from orphanages  in Ternopil will sew protective masks of the material received from an entrepreneur from Nikolaev;

- an old woman from Vinnytsia will ask the neighbor to register the need for food on the web platform and the local department of social protection from Vinnytsia will bring food to her free of charge.

I am initiator and ideological creator digital project «Online Simulator «House of Integrity» - online game for young people between 14-20, already used in the educational environment in schools and colleges.

As a project manager, I am responsible for sustainability of the project:

• creation the optimal functionality and optimization of content maps of the web site and  SEO-promotion;
• to present material in the form of a test-case for Front-end and Back-end developers;
• to create a full-fledged business model and ensuring financial sustainability of the project.

I also was a part of the team that developed the project «ДіЯ» -  database of personal documents of Ukrainians.

As a project coordinator, I gained new experience:

- formation of local, regional and national partnerships that ensure the scaling of the project;

- development of a communication strategy to activate citizens from small towns, ammalgamated communities, rural and remote areas;

- choosing the forms of interaction with the target audience that best suit the Ukrainian context and interest citizens to be active;

- construction of a promotional campaign that allow remote interaction with the target audience;

- ensuring the protection of user data and adhering to the principles of the GDPR in Ukrainian realities.

The lack of experience in the development of IT solutions, will allow me to take a new look at this project - identify weaknesses and eliminate possible gaps and mistakes. That`s why are all the condition for successful project implementation «Home Experts Service: Berloga».

I submitted the idea of the project "Home Experts Service: Berloga" to the hackathon De Hack 2019. We were lucky to get to the 15 selected and had the opportunity to present the idea at the national level.

The team was persistently preparing for the performance and we were sure that we have the best presentation. The first day of the hackathon has come, we face many technical problems and fail the first demo presentation of the project idea. The presentations of all other teams are much better than ours. After that first day, all team members not believed in the future prospects of participation. They was ready to lose and left the second attempt at the presentation. I didn`t agree with this position of the team, we had one chance for the presentation - another night, we must  try! We had a heated discussion, but I can inspired the team with a completely new concept of project presentation. The joint team work lasted until the morning… The second day of the hackathon came and without any worries we presented the project. Yes, we managed to surprise everyone: we won! It was a team victory!

The epidemic coronavirus turned my normal life upside down. I couldn`t stay away from the situation and began to act. I initiated a fundraiser for the repair of a ventilator among local entrepreneurs for the hospital. Many people responded to my call, so we managed to raise funds not only for repairs, but also for the purchase a new one device.

The main element of human protection is a protective mask, but many people cann`t afford to constantly spend money on its. That's why I bought the necessary materials for the production of protective masks and asked my grandmother to help me with sewing. My activity was supported, I managed to involve 13 local entrepreneurs. As a result, today more than 5,000 families of the Korostyshivska and Starosiletska Amalgamated Communities, who are socially vulnerable and have financial difficulties, have already received personal protective equipment every Sunday.

Today, the small idea has become a full-fledged social enterprise, uniting 22 residents of the community and 42 residents of the community who are in social isolation and have sewing equipment for the production of protective masks.

The project «Home Experts Service: Berloga» is a software solution that combine technology and society:

- the main resource is human needs and skills;

- the main tool is web-integrated CRM-architecture algorithm identifies system filters.

These characteristics provide an advantage: establishes the interaction of two people on principle «the one who has needs or has a problem leaves a request and the system immediately looks host - an expert that offers available alternatives or people with the same type of problem in real time». Thus, the solution of people`s problem not delaying in time no matter where you are.

After 12 months of operation, the web platform will be able to provide:

1) Activation of cognitive processes (mutual exchange) in communication among a wide range of citizens - at least 170 thousand successful interactions.

2) At least 24 thousand active registrations;

3) Horizontal cooperation of citizens from all 24 regions of Ukraine.

The project «Home Experts Service: Berloga» creats a new social norms and rules of interaction that improve our response to current upheaval:

- creation of open platforms for citizens communication at the level of communities and the countries;

- the establishment of citizens virtual social interaction allow to obtain psychological adaptation;

- the emergence of opportunities for professional and creative realization.

We are activating horizontal cooperation of citizens for mutual support. This is the tool that can increase collective resilience in the face of new threats, such as COVID-19 not only in the crisis and also post-crisis context. The nature of human interaction gives a better understanding of what is happening and what problems they face, which will help to further minimize social exclusion, discrimination and marginalization.

The main risks today are:

- The web-platform is not development in time.
- Low public interest and activity of user registration on the web platform.

- Use of GDPR principles in the development of processes responsible for the collection and storage of information.

A long-term challenge for the project team is the need to ensure the financial and institutional sustainability of the project

1) Detailed and qualitative preparation of the Terms of Reference (ToR). 

Involve expert of digital security to help in developing Term of References

2) Setting the optimal terms for developing the web platform with the developer.

3) Identify the needs of the beneficiaries through surveys, application forms and feedback forms.

4) Based on participant surveys and feedback, conduct a regular moderation the web-platform.

5) Developing a video tutorial for engaging with a web platform.

6) Conduct direct interviews with experts and encourage participation.

7) Encourage participants to participate in events through encouragement Launching an advertising campaign in social networks.

8) Placement of announcements on profile portals of civil society, news and innovation resources.

9) Involvement of local partners in dissemination of activity information.

10) Аttracting additional sources of funding.

• placement of banner advertising on the web platform;
• enabling users to use advanced profiles for paid; 
•  charitable contributions, donates and crowdfunding.