B50 received a grant to equip the bomb shelter for the “Strumochok” kindergarten

Our community continues to renovate the bomb shelter in the “Strumochok” kindergarten near Borodianka. The village was occupied at the beginning of the russian invasion in 2022, during which russian troops killed civilians and destroyed infrastructure. The “Strumochok” building was not damaged, but the kindergarten’s shelter became a refuge for local residents and evacuees from the surrounding villages.

Condition of the rooms and furniture in the ‘Strumochok’ kindergarten bomb shelter before the start our work

After the de-occupation, the bomb shelter still reminds us of these terrible events, so it needs to be transformed into a safe and comfortable space to help the community recover, and especially the children. This will improve the emotional state of those who will be there and help the kindergarten return to normal work.

Our volunteers are tasked with preparing the walls and ceiling, removing significant defects, plastering and priming the walls and ceiling, painting them, insulating and decorating communications, applying murals to the walls and other tasks. Room by room, they turn them into bright and cosy spaces.

However, the resources available to us and the kindergarten administration, even after the renovation is completed, will not allow us to equip the shelter for a comfortable stay of the children. The shelter needs furniture and heat and energy-efficient solutions for play and sleeping areas. The current conditions with beds made of pallets and old mattresses are unacceptable for children and remind of the difficult times of occupation.

That is why we took part in the grant competition “Support for Ukraine’s Recovery” by Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation with the support of Switzerland and funding from Swiss Solidarity. The aim of the project is to support local collective initiatives related to recovery and repair, as well as meeting critical humanitarian needs.

Having fulfilled the necessary conditions, we received confirmation of participation in the grant project in August. We are very proud of the work done by the B50 team and volunteers that made this possible.

The funding of around UAH 420000 will be used to purchase essential furniture for the children in the facility: children’s tables and chairs, bedding and beds where the kids can rest during long air raids. In addition, we will be able to purchase lamps, doors and heat-insulating flooring to improve the heat and energy efficiency of the shelter.

We are very grateful for the support of Helvetas Swiss Intercooperation and Swiss Solidarity and their trust in our work, and soon we will be able to work together to create a comfortable space for the children of “Strumochok” kindergarten.

The content of this publication is the sole responsibility of the B50 NGO. The information presented in this publication does not necessarily reflect the views of Helvetas and Swiss Solidarity.