From Idea to Solar Plant: How a Kaniv Medical Centre Found Partners and Prepared for Winter

The project Energy-Efficient Lighting at the Kaniv Primary Health Care Centre was implemented as part of the Community Leaders School 2.0 competition, run jointly by MHP and the MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation in partnership with Mariupol State University.

The Kaniv Primary Health Care Centre was among the competition’s grant winners in 2026. The centre had long been working towards improving its energy efficiency, moving step by step towards making the idea a reality.

At the end of September, a rooftop solar power plant was installed at the centre, featuring a 60 kW hybrid inverter, 63 solar panels and 10 battery storage units. The facility’s outdated lighting was also replaced with modern, high-efficiency LED panels.

As a result, the centre can now operate independently of the grid and keep meeting its own electricity needs for up to eight hours during blackouts.

The total project budget exceeded UAH 1.7 million. Of this, more than UAH 861,000 was invested by the MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation, UAH 849,000 came from the Kaniv community budget, and UAH 50,000 was contributed by the centre itself.

The project shows how partnership between local authorities, the community and business can deliver practical solutions that strengthen the energy independence and resilience of facilities that matter to the community.

“Our Foundation has always valued active people and local hubs that can spot an opportunity and turn it into positive change in their community. The Kaniv Primary Health Care Centre is exactly that kind of place. Around 20 projects have been delivered here, from a salt therapy room and a physiotherapy room to our initiatives such as Health Piggy Bank with Okhmatdyt Children’s Hospital, Take Care of Your Health with the National Cancer Institute, and A Doctor for the Village with Cherkasy Regional Hospital,” said Tetiana Volochai, Head of the Community Development Council at the MHP-Hromadi Charitable Foundation. “Today we are once again presenting a project here, this time one supported through the Community Leaders School 2.0 competition. Taking part is valuable not only for the grant but also for the learning: participants are trained in project management, pitching and more. Teaching communities how to build partnerships to bring their projects to life is an important part of the Foundation’s mission.”

For a medical facility, energy independence is especially important: without electricity, essential equipment and electronic systems cannot function properly.

“Solar power is a necessity in today’s reality, and for a medical facility it is particularly vital. Without electricity, we cannot provide patients with proper care, whether that means running tests, doing an ECG or carrying out other diagnostics. On top of that, all of our family doctors’ work is now recorded electronically,” said Nataliia Horova, Director of the Kaniv Primary Health Care Centre. “This was a long-held goal of ours, and it has become a reality thanks to our joint efforts. We are confident that it will help us get through the winter and continue to provide our patients with high-quality care.”

Community Leaders School 2.0 is an educational and grant programme designed to develop local leaders who can drive change in their communities and create sustainable solutions for the

ir development. Participants are trained in project management, fundraising, social entrepreneurship and leadership, and can receive grants of UAH 500,000 to UAH 1 million to implement their own initiatives in energy efficiency, youth development and veterans’ policy.