The authors who won the first places in each category received certificates in the amount of 3,000 hryvnias, statuettes and participant diplomas.
Material about ill children who need blood donations and how to solve this problem – «I have done the small things in my power to save the child» by author Tetiana Kyrpa won in the first category. A piece about the extremely urgent problem of ecology, with the interesting title "Eco-eaters," won in the category "Economy." It is about farms that produce only ecologically clean products, by author Inna Zavhorodnia.
The first place among topics on culture was given to a piece about Yaryna Tsvyk, a woman who has been bedridden for many years but has not lost her love of life. She embroiders professionally and makes beaded products. Recently she started to make embroidered wedding cloths. This work of Oksana Senyshyn is called "Embroideress.” The favorite in the category "Religion" was a piece that takes a different look at information technology. The hero of the scene – Volodymyr Tymoshchuk – daily sent from 5 to 100 SMS-prayers for people who are in difficult life circumstances. The authors are Iryna and Stas Matviyenko.
In total, more than 800 works from all regions of Ukraine and the Autonomous Republic of Crimea participated in the contest. More than 250 competitive materials were submitted by journalists. Other materials were selected by students of the Master's Program of the Institute of Ecumenical Studies who throughout the year did media monitoring and selected more than 600 works. The winners were assessed and awarded by an honorary jury: the chief editor of the newspaper "Vysoky Zamok," Natalia Baliuk; the chief editor of Lux TV and Radio Broadcasting, Paraskovia Dvorianyn; director of the Religious Information Service of Ukraine (RISU), Taras Antoshevskyy; head of UCU's Information and External Relations Department, Fr. Pavlo Khud; and Ukrainian journalist (the Telekrytyka project), writer and blogger Otar Dovzhenko.
"I did not expect to win, because there are a lot of good journalists here. I want to thank the heroes of my publication; because journalism is only a tool, but actually the stories themselves and inspiration itself are drawn from the people about whom you write. My goal was not to compete, but to achieve some result, and I am glad I did," explained the winner in the category “Society," Tetiana Kyrpa.
We remind that "Reporters of Hope in Ukraine" is a contest for the best article, reportage or program which is an "information-carrier of solutions," which means it not only presents important issues of modern society, but also gives them specific answers and shows ways to solve problems and encourages people to action.The contest was organized by the Institute of Ecumenical Studies of the Ukrainian Catholic University with the support of the French association Reporters of Hope (Reporters d'Espoirs).