We desire peace in Ukraine
We support the rehabilitation of a school building in Kharkiv, in cooperation with the Department for Culture and Education
In the regions of Kharkiv, Sumy and Poltava, the war in Ukraine has caused more than 2.5 million people to be in need of humanitarian aid. Since the beginning of the conflict, AVSI has been working to ensure stable access to education for children in Ukraine.
In Kharkiv, we want to renovate a school that was damaged during an air raid, so that it can open its doors again and offer to the children a safe place to study and play.
Education in Ukraine
School in Ukraine has been deeply affected by this tragic war, especially in the eastern part of the country. This conflict had a devastating impact on the Ukrainian education system: over 360 schools have been destroyed, while 3,600 have been seriously damaged (Corriere della sera, September 23). Moreover, for the 2023-2024 school year, the only educational facilities that were allowed to fully resume their activity were those equipped with bomb shelters big enough to accommodate all students and staff during air raids. Between the COVID-19 lock-down and the war, many students (an estimated 40%) can attend lessons only remotely.
Since Russia attacked Ukraine, these children can no longer go to school. They are forced to follow their lessons online, as they did during the pandemic. This caused a national pedagogical emergency, explains Francesco Fornari, AVSI representative in Ukraine. AVSI is one of the most active non-profit organizations in the field of education, carrying out remedial and support activities for students who have no access to education. He is my guide on this journey through "educational darkness" in Ukraine, where rubble is a metaphor for the deep sadness caused to the little ones.
Eraldo Affinati, Ukrainian Diary, 24 August 2023.
We desire peace in Ukraine: project goals
School No. 41 is a historical school in Kharkiv, a city in eastern Ukraine that has been heavily damaged.
The school historical building was bombed on February 17, 2023. Before the war, School No. 41 accommodated 450 students, while as of today only 272 students could return to class, as only 10 classrooms are safe.
What we will do with your donation
Together we can renovate the school by replacing the damaged parts of the roof, repairing the damaged windows and doors, doing plumbing work and restoring floors and ceilings. A tangible action to restore a place where hundreds of children can meet, play together and enjoy peace.