A chance to learn for children of war

Every year, thousands of children eagerly await September 1. They pick out new notebooks, pack pencils and pens into their backpacks, and dream of seeing their friends and teachers again. For them, the start of the school year is a celebration filled with anticipation, hope, and new opportunities.

But for many Ukrainian children, the war has changed everything.

Among the children supported by the Khmelnytskyi Charitable Foundation "Caritas" are 40 whose childhoods have been shattered by the war. Some have lost the person dearest to them – a father who died defending Ukraine. There are children whose relatives are considered missing in action, and for them, every day begins and ends with the hope of receiving news. There are those who are waiting for their mom or dad to return from captivity. There are families who were forced to leave their homes and start their lives anew after evacuation.

Despite the pain, anxiety, and loss, these children continue to learn, dream, and build their future. They, too, want to come to school with new notebooks, nice pens, and colored pencils. But for many families, purchasing even the most essential school supplies has become a serious challenge today.

Ten-year-old Sofiika lost her father in the war. Her mother is raising two children on her own and has to count every hryvnia.

Twelve-year-old Maksym and his family left their home because of the fighting. He dreams of becoming an engineer and loves to learn, but right now his parents are focused first and foremost on finding a place to live and securing the bare necessities.

For these children, a standard school kit is much more than just school supplies. It’s a sense of support. It’s the assurance that they are not alone in facing their losses and hardships. It’s an opportunity to come to school without feeling ashamed, to feel like equals among their peers, and to focus on their studies rather than on the problems of adult life that have intruded so early on their childhood.

The goal of this project is to raise 40,000 hryvnias to provide 40 children with the necessary school supplies for the new school year. On average, 1,000 hryvnias will help prepare one child for school. The funds raised will be used to purchase notebooks, pens, pencils, sketchbooks, paints, folders, covers, and other school supplies.

For most children, these will be ordinary school supplies. But for the children we support, they will mean so much more. They will serve as a reminder that there are people nearby who are ready to offer support, show care, and help them believe in the goodness of the world.

Every donation is more than just a notebook or a set of pencils. It’s a chance for a child who has experienced loss, separation, or forced displacement to start the school year with a smile, dignity, and faith in their own future.

Help 40 children whose childhoods have been changed by war start the new school year with hope. Together, we can give them not only school supplies but also a sense of support that every child so desperately needs.