All over the world, particularly in Ukraine, charity has become a trend. Business cannot stand aside from social problems, especially if it concerns young Ukrainians. More than 1,758 children were injured in Ukraine as a result of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine.
According to the data, 528 children were killed and more than 1,230 were injured of varying degrees of severity (as of February 23, 2024). For two years, the children have experienced separation from family members, the loss of loved ones, continue to get sick and need help. In addition, they have experienced a mental health crisis due to deteriorating social services, such as the loss of education and disruption of the health care system.
According to the World Giving Index ranking, Ukraine took second place in 2023. The rating demonstrates how sincere the citizens of a country are and involved in social activities. Ukraine received 62 points out of 100 possible.
Business and charity are becoming connected areas and actively contributing to social projects that can improve the lives of Ukrainians and develop society. This trend creates a positive image for companies and opens up new opportunities for cooperation between business and the public sector. Next, we will look at companies that support projects to help children in Ukraine.
How do private companies help children study during war?
During the two years of war in Ukraine, sirens sounded 40,422 times. A terrorist country hits military targets, Russian bombs and missiles hit civilian infrastructure, killing and injuring Ukrainians. Children very often have to hide in a bomb shelter during air raid raids. Constant exposure to such conditions can harm the health of children and teachers. At the start of the 2023 school year, millions of children started school and daycare, but more than 2,500 shelters still need repairs and another 2,700 need to be built. Private businesses continue to help and provide shelters to provide children with the opportunity to receive an education.
With the support of Oschadbank and Visa, they built a shelter space in the Snigirevsky Lyceum in the Nikolaev region. UAH 1,500,000 was raised as part of the “Give Shelter to Children” charity event. From each transaction with a Visa card from Oschadbank, 1 hryvnia was transferred to repair the shelter of the only surviving school in the deoccupied Snigirevskaya community. Partners from the Lithuanian Embassy and the Rehau company also joined the project.
The first smart shelter, CLUST Space, was opened in Ukraine for $400 thousand. The shelter was sold exclusively with funds from private investors without attracting government funding. The main donor of the project was the international investment company Freedom Holding Corp. Space Smart Shelter is a smart multifunctional space in which it is comfortable to study under any circumstances. Its goal is to provide a continuous educational process during the war, as well as to become a platform for talented creative youth to meet with business, since this space will continue to function after the victory. The shelter was opened in the Central Library of the I. Sikorsky Kyiv Polytechnic Institute, where one of the library’s book depositories used to be. To create a modern shelter with coworking space, the ventilation system was completely updated, armored glass, acoustic panels, and autonomous power supply were installed. The basement was equipped with rooms for online meetings, reading rooms, a cafeteria, a play area, showers and inclusive toilets. The space can accommodate about 500 people.
In addition, an international investment holding company became a donor of Freedom Space. The “Let's Help Together” charitable foundation named after Andrei Bogdanets implemented a project to equip bomb shelters in schools. Freedom Holding Corp. transferred 3 million euros for the implementation of the project. With financial support from an international company, 30 shelters were updated. The project covered different cities of Ukraine from Ternopil and Khmelnitsky to Kharkov and Zaporozhye. Now the repair work has been completed and the shelter is equipped with everything necessary for a long stay or training in times of danger. In Kyiv, by the beginning of the school year, 4 shelters had already been repaired. Freedom Space is a new philosophy of learning safety. The storage room has heat, light, ventilation, and a separate bathroom with cold and hot water. The space was equipped with modern furniture, children's rugs, comfortable armchairs, soft toys, and film projectors. Board games will help keep students occupied for several hours, distract them from their phones and calm them down, and stands with children's literature on money topics will help develop their financial literacy.
In Lviv, the Shelter Link project was implemented, which is aimed at providing shelters in schools and kindergartens with stable access to the Internet during air raids. The Cluster community purchased 1,200 routers worth UAH 1,718,417. The project's benefactor is EPAM.
Luxoptika, in partnership with UNITED24, joined the fundraiser for the restoration of a school in Maryanovka, Kyiv region, damaged during the fighting and occupation. After the renovation, 300 children will return to school.
Medical care for children in times of emergency
Russian attacks on medical facilities complicate the provision of necessary medical care to thousands of adults and children in Ukraine. Medical equipment is extremely necessary because it is an invariable assistant to doctors. UNICEF estimates that at least 1,000 children have been injured due to the war. The real numbers are much higher. Thanks to the combined efforts of donors, doctors can save little lives and provide better diagnostics and necessary medical care.
METRO Ukraine donated medical equipment to the Okhmatdyt children's hospital. The funds were raised as part of the charity event “METRO with Ukrainians for Children,” where participants bought toys, chocolate, and breakfast cereals. UAH 13,505 was collected for the implementation of the project.
One of SoftServe's employees took part in an amateur boxing match and won. He donated all the funds to the Open Eyes Charitable Foundation, which purchased important medical equipment, in particular Otoread Interacoustics, to help in the treatment of perinatal children with disabilities in the Dnieper hospital.
As part of the charitable initiative “Road of Good” with the support of the “Masha Fund” and the WOG filling station network, we raised funds for new modern diagnostic equipment in hospitals in Zaporozhye, Kharkov and Odessa, where they save children affected by the war. As part of the project, gas station guests bought hot drinks in purple cups, which cost 5 UAH.
The investment company Freedom Finance Europe, the European division of Freedom Holding Corp, transferred 300 thousand euros to the “Your Support” charitable foundation. This money was spent on the purchase of medical equipment in children's hospitals in the Kyiv, Nikolaev and Dnepropetrovsk regions.
In addition, the international investment holding transferred 2 million euros for the purchase of emergency medical vehicles through the UNITED24 fundraising platform, created on the initiative of the President of Ukraine Vladimir Zelensky. The First Lady of Ukraine Elena Zelenskaya announced the collection of money for intensive care vehicles during the second Summit of First Ladies and Gentlemen on July 23.
Recently, the international group “Credit Agricole” donated modern medical equipment worth UAH 2.5 million to a children’s hospital in Lviv. The initiative was implemented with the support of the “Your Support” charitable foundation.
The Respublika Park shopping center donated modern medical equipment to the Okhmatdyt children's hospital. According to doctors, about 20 thousand children are treated at Okhmatdyt every year, and the institution is constantly in need of updating medical equipment.
“MHP-Gromade” and “Okhmatdyt” are implementing the “Health Piggy Bank” project for medical care and timely examination of the health status of children. Doctors have already examined 2,942 children in the Kyiv, Vinnitsa and Cherkasy regions. Children from Mariupol, Kharkov, Izyum, Kramatorsk and Nikolaev underwent diagnostic examinations.
How does business save the lives of little Ukrainians?
Childhood is a wonderful and unforgettable period of our lives, but, unfortunately, fate decreed that in Ukraine there are thousands of orphans, children with disabilities and seriously ill children. According to the National Social Service of Ukraine, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 1,005 children have been left without parental care as a result of the war. Every child deserves a happy childhood and the efforts of private business are aimed at helping young Ukrainians during the war.
International investment company Freedom Holding Corp. sent 270 thousand euros to the Children of Heroes charity foundation, whose goal is long-term assistance to children who lost their parents as a result of the war in Ukraine.
The international company Growe transferred more than 450 thousand UAH to the funds’ account. By the end of the year, the company will provide assistance to the above-mentioned funds in the amount of up to UAH 2 million.
Japanese telecommunications company NTT Group1 has allocated $1 million to support the digital educational environment for children who do not have the opportunity to study in a traditional format.
The international company Getec, a leader in energy in the European market, donated a quarter of a million euros to the Rodnye charity foundation, which helps orphans and children affected by war.
PrivatBank and Save Ukraine held a large-scale charity event in support of children who have lost one or both parents due to the war, as well as children whose parents are considered missing as a result of Russian aggression in the period 2014-2022. The Save Ukraine company donated “safety and development” backpacks to orphans as part of the “Give Light to Children” charity project, and also purchased another 2,000 tablets.
Vodafone donated UAH 3 million to children who lost one or both parents as a result of hostilities. 300 children received financial assistance, and 90 received age-appropriate tablets and laptops for distance learning. The project was implemented jointly with the Children of Heroes Charitable Foundation.
The Rocketmen branding agency implemented the “Excited” design marathon, during which young Ukrainian brands received logos and visuals for social networks for donations. The agency sent all the collected funds, 100 thousand UAH, to the account of the Children of Heroes charity foundation to help children.
In 2023, the Ukrainian Public Health Foundation, as part of the SupportMe project, launched the Digital Dreams charity initiative, the goal of which is to help Ukrainian children who find themselves in difficult life circumstances. Last October, Secure Trust Bank joined the initiative. She donated 5 new HP EliteBook laptops to children from IDP families.
The multi-brand online store Answear raised more than 93 thousand euros to support children affected by the war in Ukraine. The company donated 5% of the proceeds monthly to the Voices of Children Foundation. All funds were used to rehabilitate children with disabilities and support families who have lost a loved one.
Conscious international and Ukrainian businesses are making every effort to bring Victory closer, and in addition, they are trying to protect Ukrainian children and take care of the environment so that new generations live happily in the Ukraine of the future. We stand together to protect not only ourselves, but also our children's dreams of a peaceful sky above their heads. It is therefore extremely important to ensure that we do everything in our power to ensure that children grow up in safety and freedom.
