Anatoliy Zabolotny: "A sincere charity means liquidation of causes rather than fight against consequences!"
 
The strategy of the Foundation for Development of Ukraine includes three principle areas: culture, education, and health care. "It's not enough to simply provide help. It's essential that such help bring material results. Our country needs highly skilled specialists who have no problems either with health or money," states Mr. Anatoliy Zabolotny. Director of SCM's Foundation for Development of Ukraine.
 
SCM conducts its business to the benefit of Ukraine as a whole 
- System Capital Management [SCM] is one of the pacemakers of Ukrainian business. Where did the idea of creating SCM's charity foundation come from?
-  SCM has always been engaged in the charities, with such charities being traditional, so to say, based on emotional approach. People who were in need of some help asked for money and we gave it to them. The list of those we provided help to varies from people who were victims of the Pakistan earthquake to different public organizations.
In 2005, SCM management made a decision to transform an approach applied by the businesses in charities. It became clear that the most ideal form of charities would be a charity foundation which would be engaged in this or that project in accordance with a clearly developed strategy.
- What does charity mean for you personally?
- First of all, for me the charity is an attempt to help people. But it's not merely to provide help. It's important to apply professional approach to this matter. Many businessmen simply make a "facelift" of any existing problem rather than solve it. Both for me and SCM management the actual solution of any problem is of utmost importance. It means we have to deal with a cause rather than a consequence.
As an example, let's take the project for drug-resistant tuberculosis. We want to build an integral system: to train staff, to supply drugs, to equip laboratories, to make necessary repair. Afterwards, the Government has to assume responsibility for the effective operation of this system.
- Mr. Zabolotny, let's talk about Foundation's principle areas of activities. What are the criteria according to which you decide who will be the first you provide help to?
- From the very beginning a decision was made to work to the benefit of the country as a whole. Try to imagine a successful and competitive country. First of all, it is one possessing powerful economy. SCM, being one of the largest businesses of Ukraine, is building such economy. People are also the essential capital of the country. They have to be healthy and educated. In addition, they need some money to call own. That's why we have chosen such sufficiently complicated areas as education, health care and culture. We want to create conditions in which people can simply realize their potential. The President of the Foundation
Mr. Akhmetov says: "Give a chance to people, and they will achieve a lot".
As for criteria relating to entire charitable projects, for us it is essential to see whether or not the help is deserved and whether or not the results of such help are evident. Our charitable programs are aimed at the utmost result.
 
Interesting projects of SCM's Foundation for Development of Ukraine
- What are the persons or organizations the Foundation for Development of Ukraine has provided help to? And why?
- We have been looking for interesting project all the time. In the health care it's a four-year program for drug-resistant tuberculosis. We have chosen this project because there is almost no one in our country who is trying to solve this problem. It means if a person gets sick with such form of tuberculosis and goes to a hospital, he or she will be treated, of course, but in today's system there is almost no chance for the recovery. The Foundation set a goal: to create an effective treatment system and pass it to the Government. First, this system has to operate effectively in Donetsk Oblast, and then the positive experience will be shared with other oblasts.
In culture area we supported the project for reconstruction of the Metropolitan's Residence of the National Reserve "Sofia Kyivska". It's a national sacred place and a significant monument for Ukraine. It has never been comprehensively repaired. We do not merely repair the walls - we want to bring the National Reserve from today's strategy of survival to the strategy of development. For this purpose, an advisory board was established and many leading experts were engaged. Presently, many museums in Ukraine are surviving rather than existing. It conflicts with the world trend according to which the museums form around themselves the communities of partial people and abound in vitality! For example, Ukraine's first Architecture Museum is supposed to be created in the Metropolitan's Residence. This action is a look into the future!
In the area of education we provide support for the Master's Program in Economics of the Economics Education and Research Consortium at the Kyiv-Mohyla Academy. The Program is aimed at providing the country with the world-class economists.
- Who may turn to the Foundation for a help? What documents have to be provided?
- In regard to the three areas we are dealing with, any organization may turn to our Foundation. Yet, it has to be remembered that since we are focused on solving specific problems, our operating potential is not so high as to quickly take up another task. But if a proposed project is in line with our core project, we are ready to consider it.
Let me give you an example. Along with reconstruction of the Metropolitan's Residence of the National Reserve "Sofia Kyivska" we paid attention to the fact that there are few people in Ukraine who concern themselves with the history of architecture. So, we realized a project "Archeological Encyclopedia "Ukraine. A country of live architecture". We organized an expedition which included a photographer and a historian. They traveled through Ukraine and almost spent about 15 days in a car. They prepared a very beautiful album which demonstrates the country's architectural monuments. We are quite able to support such small accompanying projects! As for great requests, we keep them in mind and may return too them in future.
- Do the governmental structures show interest in your projects?
- Since we are addressing the problems which are important for the country, it's obvious that we can't but cooperate with the Government. We see a good response to our addresses and attempts to cooperate. In such cooperation it is essential that the principles we are governed by (transparency, accountability, openness) be complied with. We have a good agreement with the oblast administration in respect of the drug-resistant tuberculosis projects. We have recently triggered a project "Ukraina Professionalnaya" [Professional Ukraine]. It will help eliminate misbalance between what the children are taught and what will be really in demand.
For example, a school leaver chooses the profession of a manager, but almost nobody knows that only one out of twenty two persons having such specialty will have a chance to find a job! The ratio for lawyers makes 7:1. Families spend a vast amounts of money on children's education. Afterwards this money will be spent on retraining or the children will have to search a job in other areas.
- Does it mean you are trying to give the young people a proper direction?
- Yes, it does. Presently, many graduates have no idea what area they will be engaged in. We found out that even the honors students are afraid of what to expect in the future. It is essential for the Government to properly form a governmental order for the specialists.
 
Ukrainian businesses do not advertise their charities
- In your opinion, why does Ukraine receive the charitable money mostly from abroad?
- Ukrainian businesses are actively engaged in the charities but do not often advertise them. As for foreign organizations, they usually come with project activities. That's why they are spoken about more often. I wouldn't say the foreign money dominates in this case. The point is that the major part of domestic money remains in the area of a so called traditional charity.
- Mr. Zabolotny, please tell us about the plans of the Foundation for the near future.
- We still will be addressing the tuberculosis problem. This project is of local nature. At the same time, it is important to realize that the project is significant for the whole Ukraine. A precedent of systemic approach is being created, and we want the whole Ukraine to adopt this experience. We will also have "Ukraina Professionalnaya" I have told you about. There are also several projects which will be considered in January, and we will announce them shortly.

Donetskiye Novosti newspaper
27.12.06