SUCCESS STORY: Pavlo Akimkin, 43, Person with Disability
Case Study of the BLOOM Program
Pavlo is 43. After a complex surgery, he acquired a visual disability, but this did not become a limitation for him — rather a challenge that he overcomes every day thanks to persistence and inner discipline.
Before training, Pavlo had no experience in construction. The idea of changing profession seemed daunting: construction was associated with precision, drawings, and visual details. “Will I be able to do it?” — this question held him back for a long time. Yet the desire to change his life and find a stable profession overcame his doubts.
During training, Pavlo gradually mastered basic and applied skills that became the foundation for his further development: he learned to work with measuring tools and navigate a construction site; acquired knowledge of fundamental building processes and the logic of work execution; studied modern materials and energy-efficient solutions; developed teamwork skills in a construction environment; and adapted work processes to his visual condition.
Thanks to the support of instructors and the practical format of training, Pavlo not only absorbed the material but also learned to apply it in practice.
“I realized that the main thing is not how you see the world, but how you act in it,” he says.
After completing the program, Pavlo formed a set of professional skills that allow him to work in construction and defined a new direction for himself — accessible and inclusive building.
His attentiveness, logical thinking, and unconventional approach to tasks became an advantage at work. Classmates and instructors note his responsibility and ability to find effective solutions even in difficult situations.
Today Pavlo is shaping his own professional goal.
“I want to build not just walls, but opportunities. I want spaces to be accessible for everyone,” he says.
His plans include developing in the field of inclusive environments: taking into account the needs of people with disabilities during renovation and housing arrangements.
The training is organized and implemented by Swisscontact with financial support from the UK government through UK aid under the BLOOM Program. The program is carried out by a consortium including Mercy Corps, International Rescue Committee (IRC), Swisscontact, and the Right to Protection Charitable Foundation. Implementation in Mykolaiv is conducted through GERZ Construction Association LLC together with EAUA.
Pavlo (on the left) demonstrates his skills with construction tools.
Pavlo adapts work processes to his visual condition.