Dear friends! The Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24th this year has led to a massive humanitarian crisis. This event has redefined how Bright Kids operates as a response. Over the past few months, we have received outstanding support from donors in many different countries, which enabled us to provide substantial help to Ukrainians. Between February 24th and April 29th, we provided charitable assistance worth UAH 4 561 971.66 (GBP 124 400). The following is our consolidated report on our activities in that period.
First, we want to thank our corporate donors for their support: United Group (The Netherlands), Carwow (UK), Street Child (UK), Poki (The Netherlands), and Unga Örnars Riksförbund and Olof Palme International Center (Sweden).
We also want to thank the many kind-hearted individuals who made donations to Bright Kids. We have been blessed to receive support through many creative endeavours, namely a storytelling night, a pizza night, selling sunflowers, running and cycling campaigns, selling handicrafts, paintings and stationery, a birthday fundraising campaign, donating hair, charity raffles, preparing Ukrainian dishes, and a music and poetry video. We have been amazed by people’s creativity in finding ways to raise support for our children. We are especially grateful for the initiatives launched by children raising funds for Ukrainian children. Your empathy is a reminder to us all.
To learn more about any of our corporate donors or any of the amazing projects launched by individuals, or to see how your kindness has made a difference, please see our Instagram account @brightkidscharity, where the people whose lives you’ve touched have the opportunity to thank you themselves through photos and smiles.
In April, we have:
Donated funds of UAH3,000 (per family) to 78 families of children with disabilities so they could purchase essentials such as food, medicines and diapers. That is UAH 234 000, or about GBP 6400.
Purchased medicines worth UAH 30000 (GBP 780) for The Children’s Department of Infectious Diseases of the Izmail Central District Hospital.
Purchased medicines, baby food and diapers for low-income families and contributed to a hot food distribution project in Kherson, now an occupied territory. The total worth of the help provided for Kherson in April equals UAH 106699.48 (GBP 2780). Unfortunately, there is active fighting in the area, so the delivery of essential items has been delayed. However, we are assured the deliveries will make it into the territory. The delivery of humanitarian aid to Kherson is associated with certain dangers and risks, and we recognise the courage of bravery of those delivering this aid.
Purchased three Confort C300 NPWT therapy units and special wound dressing sets worth a total of UAH 214, 500 (approx GBP 5600) for Kyiv City Children’s Clinical Hospital # 1.
Purchased two air sterilisers worth UAH 30000 (GBP 780) for an orphanage in Izmail.
Purchased medicines and tools worth UAH 55739 (GBP 1450) and three electrocardiographs used to diagnose heart action abnormalities total worth UAH 76038 (GBP 1980) for the pediatric department of the Rzhyshchiv medical centre of primary health care, Kyiv Oblast.
Purchased two electrocardiographs used to diagnose heart action abnormalities and other medical equipment worth UAH 59930.70 (GBP 1560) for a hospital in Ternopil Oblast.
Purchased life-saving equipment for Okhmatdyt, the biggest children’s hospital in Ukraine: a lung ventilator, a surgical table and surgical lights worth UAH 2, 656 000. 18 (GBP 69150).
Purchased a treadmill for Yana worth UAH 27275 (GBP 710) and a vibration plate worth UAH 33400 (GBP 870) for Elizaveta. These children have cerebral palsy (CP), and these items are part of their physical therapy.
Purchased 20 orthopaedic beds and mattresses worth UAH 176443 (GBP 4600) for children with disabilities living in an orphanage in Kirovograd Oblast.
Purchased Contour plus test strips that are used to measure glucose (sugar) worth UAH 38386.25 (GBP 1007) for a children’s hospital in Oleksandria.
We are also thankful to Lextralearning (UK) for hosting weekly online English lessons for children in Ukraine. These lessons help our children learn the English language and cope with the present circumstances.
If you want to help Ukrainian children affected by war, please consider Bright Kids. We are proud to position ourselves as an independent, approachable and transparent grassroots organisation. We learn what assistance is required directly from families, our contacts and other sources in Ukraine. Our independent status means that we are in the privileged position to decide which projects need our immediate assistance.
We don’t have staff shuffling papers in an office, so we have minimal operational costs. We are a team of five people, and each of us has a unique role in the organisation. We also have a dedicated team of volunteers from different countries contributing their time and effort to Bright Kids and to helping in Ukraine. Please send us an email at n.blinder@brightkidscharity.com to find more information.
