Dear friends, with this update, we want to thank you for supporting our project - your support has been vital to our families.
Natalia G. is a single mum of two children, one of whom has a disability.
As her child requires ongoing support, Natalia had to make a hard decision to sacrifice her career to become a stay-at-home mum. Not having a full-time income means the family is in a very vulnerable position financially. The war had made it even harder for Natalia. But no matter how unbelievably difficult it has been for the mother of two, Natalia keeps going forward. She knits and sells toys to provide for her children.
Natalia says that whatever little she earns goes towards paying medical bills for her child. Her dream is for her son Tymofii to be able to live a regular life - to go to school, to find a job, and to have a family.
Earlier, we supported the family with some basic essentials and helped pay for Tymofii’s physical rehabilitation treatment. This time, thanks to your donation, we purchased some materials - knitting yarn and threads - worth UAH 7947.5 (USD 217.33) for Natalia’s venture.
Thank you for your kind support - for helping mums of children with disabilities survive during the worst of times!
Warm regards,
Natalie Blinder
Founder of BKC
Links:
Dear friends, we are happy to report that this time, thanks to your help, we supported the venture of Valentina, a mother of a child with disabilities. Valentina runs a small business producing wooden exercise balance boards for children. With constant safety concerns, miserable state support and soaring prices, it is challenging for families with disabled children to provide for their families in war circumstances. The mothers we support are going through a lot. We purchased materials and a woodworking router worth UAH 11380.17 (USD 311.20) needed for Valentina’s work. This help was of great importance to the mother! “I cannot find the words to express my emotions. I am sincerely grateful!”, Valentina said.
We are very grateful for your choice to help Ukrainians above many other worthy causes - and for choosing to help through our grassroots organisation!
Warm regards,
Natalie Blinder
Founder of Bright Kids Charity
Links:
Dear friends! We are excited to provide a report on your donation’s impact!
We are happy to report that this time, thanks to your support, we purchased a food processor and a blender worth UAH 8480 (USD 232) for Olena, a mother of a child with disabilities.
Olena bakes cakes and sweets to provide for her family. In 2018, she had to quit her full-time job to provide around-the-clock care for her daughter. What Olena makes from running this small venture, which allows the flexibility to set her own schedule, is the woman’s only source of income. As Olena’s old mixer broke down some time ago and she did not have the money to buy a new one, her work practically stopped.
We are very thankful to you for enabling us to provide equipment and supplies essential to the trades of the mothers of disabled children we support. Essentially, your donation helps release vulnerable families from the grip of devastating poverty.
We are grateful for your incredible support during these difficult times! Thank you for standing with Ukraine and helping us prove that every life matters!
Best wishes,
Natalie Blinder
Founder of Bright Kids Charity
Links:
Dear friends,
We'd like to introduce you to Olga, a mum of two boys, one of whom has a disability. Olga finds it hard to provide for her family. Having a child with disabilities means she can only accept jobs that offer flexible hours.
However, Olga has a plan. The mother-of-two wants to launch a hairdressing business. This would allow her to choose her own hours and be available to her children. She has completed a hairdressing qualification but cannot afford a hairdressing kit. The family’s situation has worsened as the war has continued and their home has been damaged during the fighting.
"I want to become independent and earn my own income. I can only work at home, as my life is completely connected with my children," Olga said.
Bright Kids Charity is committed to helping the mum-of-two to get back on her feet and, as part of this project, has provided Olga with hairdressing tools worth USD 470.91 so she can start working from home, establishing a successful hairdressing service. Olga was very grateful for this much-needed support. She made a point of thanking those who recognise the struggles of mums of children with disabilities and those who commit to helping them in proactive ways.
The mums that approach Bright Kids Charity for help often have the skills, qualifications or experience to work independently, they simply need help purchasing the tools and equipment essential to their trade. As the war continues to ravage the country - leaving vulnerable families in dire circumstances - mums of children with disabilities cannot afford these trade essentials. While some organisations in Ukraine offer women consultations and moral support, practical assistance is lacking.
However, without practical help, without the necessary equipment, materials or tools, it is not possible to run a venture, and the cycle of poverty and dependence continues. This challenge has always limited Ukrainian mothers of disabled children because state support barely covers the costs of living. Now, as the war drags on, pensions are delayed and cost-of-living prices have dramatically increased. Ambitions such as Olga's - to be self-sufficient running a small business with flexible working hours - don’t come to fruition. Many of these families struggle to survive. Equipment purchases are put aside, and business plans stall. It’s a vicious cycle. Women want to work to benefit their children, but they cannot get a start without the things they need to practise their trade. They simply need a hand up the ladder.
Bright Kids Charity helps to improve the quality of life for mums and their families by helping women purchase trade equipment to earn an income and work independently. Such assistance will become more urgent as the war enters the winter months. Food will become scarce, energy costs will increase, and the potential for starvation for the most vulnerable is very real.
Although this project has received support from our wonderful donors, it hasn’t attracted as much attention as some of our other projects. By helping the mum of a child with disabilities to stand on her two feet, you are helping to feed a hungry family and potentially saving multiple lives - all with a simple contribution to help one woman step on the ladder to become self-sufficient - which she will continue to be long after the war is over.
Please support our project by spreading the word about us! https://www.globalgiving.org/projects/creating-opportunities-for-disadvantaged-moms/
Thank you for standing with Ukraine and Ukrainian mothers!
Best wishes,
Natalie Blinder
Founder of Bright Kids Charity
Links:
Dear friends, we are happy to share an update on how your donation helped a Ukrainian family in need.
The woman in the picture is Snizhana, a mom of three boys with autism. Snizhana and her family live in a rural area in Chernihivska Oblast. The family lived in a city, but after the children were born, they chose to move to the countryside for their health; spending a lot of time outdoors benefitted their development significantly.
For Snizhana, moving to the country meant sacrificing her professional life as there were no job opportunities; hence becoming self-reliant was crucial for the mother of three. So, Snizhana turned her passion - painting - into a career. She sells her artwork to provide for her family.
The war devastated the family's well-being, putting them in dire need, and jeopardized Snizhna's ability to earn an income as she could not afford to purchase painting tools. With this project's help, we supported Snizhana and her family by buying the necessary painting tools worth USD 273.
The war and deepening poverty put the lives of thousands of vulnerable families at risk. BKC is a Ukrainian charity working in Ukraine to help families affected by the war.
By helping to provide necessary tools and equipment to mothers of children with disabilities so they can run their ventures, you are helping these families to get through the war. Please consider supporting this project with a donation to help vulnerable families to survive! Every life matters; your help counts.
Thank you for standing with Ukraine!
Best wishes,
Natalie Blinder
Founder of Bright Kids Charity
Links:
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