On 21 July Oblast Coordination council held a meeting in Sumy with the participation of the CBA management. The meeting was headed by the head of Oblast State Administration Mykola Lavryk and head of Oblast Council Volodymyr Tokar. Agenda of the meeting included the question of the progress in realization of community micro-projects in Sumska oblast. As of today, 14 grant agreement have been signed in Sumska oblast that make provisions for financing initiatives of local communities to improve living conditions in their settlements. Several communities have already managed to hold tenders and are ready to perform scheduled repair works. Head of rayon state administrations that were present at the meeting emphasized the problem of the projects financing from local budgets that should allocate 45% share of MPP total cost. Emphasizing the necessity to support community’s initiative and energy, head of Oblast State Administration Mykola Lavryk assured the present that funds to realize community projects can be allocated from oblast budget. All financial questions were arranged to concur with pilot rayons till the end of the year. In his turn, the CBA Project Manager Jaysingh Sah informed the participants about EU/UNDP plans to extend the Project activities in some regions in 2010. The meeting followed by signing a grant agreement with CO Promin (Znob-Novhorodske urban village, Seredyno-Budsky rayon) and a press-conference for local media. Taking the opportunity of being in Sumska oblast the Project managers visited one of pilot communities in Chernechyna village, Krasnopilsky rayon and communicated with representatives from community organization Chysta Voda there. Villagers told the guests about their organization, the state of the project realization and exchanged opinions about salvation of local problems. As of today 8 grant agreements are signed to finance projects of rural communities; 6 communities in Krasnopilsky, Lypovodolynsky and Okhtyrsky rayons have already received first trance to realize their initiatives. 14 micro-project proposals have been analysed and approved in the CBA central office. These communities include in, for instance, Krasnopilsky rayon: - CO (community organization) Neptun (Mezenivka village) – construction of a water supply system – UAH 163,150. - CO Chysta Voda (Chernechyna village) – reconstruction of a water supply system – UAH 132,581. - CO Retsept Vidrodzhennya SPVP (Slavhorod village) – reconstruction of local outpatients’ clinic and making aspecial ward for patients – UAH 122,150. - CO Ryasnyanska – reconstruction of local outpatients’ clinic and procurement of necessary equipment – UAH 159,912. Specific objects are also defined in other pilot rayons, that include repair of LHPs, energy saving projects, reconstruction of water supply systems, street lighting, procurement of school buses, replacement of windows and boilers in schools etc.