***UPDATE - Posted 19/01/2023***

In the original post below, we provided some information about the school we initially planned on sourcing a generator for. After numerous lengthy talks with the school, as well as inspections by local electricians, it was determined that a generator wouldn’t be able to be connected to the school safely (the reason is something to do with the fact the school shares its electrical supply with a nearby apartment building and therefore couldn’t be safely disconnected/reconnected.) Furthermore, while extremely grateful and humbled, the school directors thought that some places, in particular hospitals, would benefit from the generator more.

However, the good news is we have found an alternative place for our first generator!

Drohobych city hospital oncology department is one of the primary cancer diagnostic and treatment centres in the Lviv region. Drohobych county is home to over two hundred thousand people, including thousands of internally displaced Ukrainians from the frontline regions. The Drohobych cancer hospital is a go-to place for people of all ages who either suffer from cancer or are at risk of developing it.

Since the war began, the number of third and fourth stage cancer cases has drastically increased in Western Ukraine. Due to the challenges posed by the wartime, early cancer stages for thousands of people have mostly gone undetected. Blackouts and freezing temperatures have made it even more difficult for cancer doctors to do their job and guarantee the well-being, treatment, and longevity of their patients.

The further good news is that thanks to your incredibly generous donations, we have been able to source a generator. With the help of my Dad, it was recently delivered to the Drohobych city hospital oncology department. The hospital staff are blown away about this and for many patients it has meant treatment can start once again. The hospital staff even sent a thank you letter to our generous donors (please see below).

IMPORTANT NOTE: We do apologise that we couldn't get the generator to the initial school as we had first planned to do. If any of our donors are unhappy with this change, feel like we didn't put their funds to good use, or would like a refund, please do reach out to us.

FINALLY: If we are successful in raising more donations for this fundraiser, we would love to be able to provide generators to other hospitals and schools in Western Ukraine.

Thank you so much! <3

***Initial Text - Posted 25/11/2022***

Much of Ukraine is in darkness due to widespread blackouts. Millions of students are not in school, and millions more are cold at home. We are raising money to buy generators for Ukrainian schools. Doing so means not only can children continue their education, but in times of severe need and cold, the schools can be a haven for locals to keep warm, have food, charge their devices, and stay safe.

I am from Boryslav, a city in Western Ukraine. A few days ago, my 14-year-old sister sent me a text. It read, “I’m cold, the apartment is freezing, and my English teacher has cancelled our classes since she doesn’t have internet connection.” My sister’s experience is undoubtedly a common one for children across Ukraine.

Earlier this year, continuous shelling made in-person teaching dangerous. Now, it is not only dangerous but almost impossible as rolling blackouts mean schools have become staggeringly cold and often dark places (it usually gets dark around 4 pm in Ukraine). The lack of electricity also means online classes are no longer an option.

The situation becomes more dire when we consider that in 2020 in-person teaching was stopped for nearly a year due to covid. My sister and her classmates will graduate in a little over two years. Despite the impact of covid, the stress of frequent air raid sirens, and her school only being partially open because of blackouts, she is currently preparing for her final middle school exams.

Like millions of other children and students, the barbaric Russian invasion is taking her most important school years away from her. The role of in-person education in wartime can hardly be overestimated. Schools not only provide education, but they provide kids the opportunity to share their worries, find support, and engage in positive distractions. In the long run, my sister’s generation will play a key part in rebuilding Ukraine. As such, it’s vital that these kids return to school as soon as possible.

We are launching this new fundraiser to buy a diesel-powered generator for my sister’s school and, if successful, other schools in the Lviv region too. My sister goes to Boryslav Lyceum, which is also my alma mater. The overwhelming majority of teachers there have decided to stay in Ukraine and have demonstrated commendable flexibility in dealing with blackouts. The teachers, like the students, are desperate for appropriate in-person teaching to return.

(Picture of Boryslav Lyceum, my alma matter and my sister’s current school. Usually they have 300-400 students).

(These pictures have been taken from the school’s Instagram page @boryslavskadg. Despite the war, kids and teachers have been doing their best to carry on as usual.)

Your donations will help us ensure that the education of potentially thousands of Ukrainian students can continue on this winter and beyond. It should also be noted that many of my sister’s classmates live in Soviet-style apartments, which are excruciatingly difficult to keep warm during electricity blackouts. With a generator, the school can also become a go-to community hub for many parents and children to keep warm in times of severe cold. It’s not an exaggeration to say these generators could save lives.

My boyfriend and I have experience in coordinating aid and resources to Ukraine. In our previous two fundraisers, we helped accommodate hundreds of Ukrainian women and kids who fled to Poland and neighbouring countries in the early stages of the war. With your support, we were then able to provide several tonnes of aid for both ordinary citizens and soldiers fighting on the front line.

Please consider donating, and thank you in advance.

Maria and Alex x