On 6 December, the Children of Heroes Charitable Foundation, with the support of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration, held a meeting with local business representatives to help children who lost their parents during the war.
Children in Ukraine hope to receive not just gifts on St Nicholas’ Day but real support that they need during the war. To address this, Alyona Atamanyuk, First Deputy Head of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration, and Olga Khodoba, Director of the Social Protection Department, gathered representatives of socially active companies to find ways to help children in the region who have lost their parents to the war.
“The state is doing a lot to support the children of those who paid the highest price for our freedom – their lives. Despite all the help that families receive, there are still children without fathers or mothers. These children should not be abandoned, but should develop and feel safe in society. It is difficult to implement support programmes by the state alone, and having cooperation between the state, the Children of Heroes Charity Foundation and the business community is the most effective mechanism for helping children,” said Alyona Atamanyuk, Deputy Head of the Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration.
As part of the event, representatives from the Children of Heroes Charity Foundation spoke about the needs and challenges faced by children who have lost their parents.
“Children in times of war need more attention and support than usual. They have suffered terrible losses and need special help and commitment. 50% of them need basic humanitarian assistance. While we address these basic needs, we also want to provide children with everything they need for rehabilitation, a decent life and development. This is why we focus on supporting these children until they reach the age of majority, paying special attention to their psychological rehabilitation and education. These areas require significant investment and commitment from partners. After all, Ukrainian children are our future. And their lives tomorrow will depend on what we do today,” said Kateryna Pozinenko, Head of Fundraising and Partnerships at the Children of Heroes Charity Foundation.
By November 2023, the Children of Heroes Charitable Foundation had helped more than 7,000 children, including 372 from the Chernivtsi region. Unfortunately, given the active phase of the war, this number will continue to grow. According to preliminary forecasts, the number of Children of Heroes registered by the Foundation may reach 25,000 in the next three years.
During the event, representatives of the business community held a discussion moderated by Sergey Kulik, member of the Supervisory Board of the Children of Heroes Foundation and Managing Partner of Deloitte Ukraine: “A prosperous future for the region’s children: what business, charities and government can do today to lay the foundations for a sustainable future.”
“We are now witnessing a situation where the number of children who have lost their parents due to war is growing. At the same time, the Ukrainian economy is also suffering from exhaustion. Despite all this, we must not forget that any action we take now should help support the children of those who are fighting for the future of the country. Everyone should ask themselves every day: ‘Have I done enough to help the country today?
Just recently the Children of Heroes Foundation signed a memorandum with Chernivtsi Regional Military Administration, Vinnytsia Oblast Association of Local Authorities та Khmelnytsky Regional Military Administration.
