Ukraine: help vulnerable children affected by war

Dear friends, 

On February 24th, Ukrainians commemorated the sad anniversary of one year of war against a tyrannical neighbour. Unfortunately, the war continues, subjecting millions to unimaginable and unjustifiable suffering. 

Your incredible support allowed us to answer urgent calls for help to serve conflict-affected children. This time, we provided assistance with essentials total worth UAH 117710.96 (USD 3218.91): 

• purchased baby formulas worth UAH 37710.96 for babies in Kharkiv and Oblast, 
• purchased food, hygiene and cleaning products worth UAH 50000 for 51 conflict-affected families in Kharkiv, including forcibly displaced, single-parent families and families of children with disabilities, 
• provided emergency financial assistance of UAH 3000 (< USD 100) per family to ten families of children with disabilities. Such assistance allows families in dire need to choose what urgent thing they need to purchase. 

Ukraine's already severely underfunded welfare system cannot support all those needing help, leaving vulnerable families to rely on charitable donations to survive. We are immensely grateful for helping BKC meet the immediate needs of struggling families and help them survive this war!

Warm regards, 

Natalie Blinder 

Founder of Bright Kids Charity 

Links:

• Please consider helping us provide vital support in Ukraine!

Dear friends, 

In this picture, you can see Artem, a 10-year-old boy with physical disabilities and developmental delay, hiding from shelling in the corridor. His mum shared with us that they hide there during missile attacks. The family had to practically live in the small corridor space in spring as the war started.  

Thanks to your donation, Arterm’s and nine other families received emergency cash assistance of UAH 3000 each to purchase essentials. We also provided diapers worth UAH 24979 for babies from underprivileged families and necessities - food, hygiene and detergents - worth UAH 42000 to 38 families in the eastern city of Kharkiv, one of the hardest-hit cities. Shelling continues in Kharkiv, leaving people without access to electricity or water; people in Kharkiv require humanitarian help. This time, we have provided assistance worth UAH 96979 (USD 3102.63). 

Our grassroots organisation is working round-the-clock answering requests for help. This winter will bring more challenges to the already difficult life for the families we support. Please consider supporting this project again to help us answer the many requests for help we receive from families in extremely difficult circumstances. 

Thank you for standing with Ukraine! 

Warm regards, 

Natalie Blinder 

Founder of Bright Kids Charity 

Links:

• Our website
• Our projects on GlobalGiving

Dear Friends, 

As the war continues to ravage Ukraine, children with disabilities and those living in the most affected areas are unwilling participants in the violence that has fundamentally changed a nation. Your generosity is helping BKC reach children and families in Ukraine who are vulnerable. 

We are happy to report that because you supported BKC's GlobalGiving project, we have helped 100 families worth UAH170,000 (USD5,811): 

• Assisted 40 families raising children with disabilities by transferring emergency cash assistance of UAH3,000 per family (total UAH120,000) to purchase essentials. This also includes help for low-income families and those living in war-affected areas. 

• Reached 40 families with the help of our local partner in Kharkiv, the Fund for Assistance to Victims of Violence. The families received emergency packages that included baby food, hygiene products and children's washing and laundry products total worth UAH30,000. 

• With the help of our local partner in Kharkiv, Caritas, 20 families received emergency packages worth a total of UAH20,000. 

The partner organisations BKC is working with are in Kharkiv. The area is under constant shelling, and the lives of civilians are under threat. The work these charities provide is essential to the survival of families living in these communities.

When we launched these emergency package projects, we did not anticipate the war would continue for so long. But unfortunately, the longer the Russian invasion of Ukraine continues, the greater the number of families forced below the poverty line. BKC strives to answer all requests for help, as behind these requests are the fragile lives of innocent children. 

Your help is making a difference. We are reaching needy families who otherwise face impossible choices between eating and hygiene, shelter and medicine. We share these stories on our social media pages, so you can see the smiles of the children you reach through BKC. Please use the platform to donate if you want to continue supporting our GG project. 

If you know of a business seeking an NGO to support, please tell them about BKC. We are a responsible and responsive grassroots charity based in Ukraine. Our mission is to raise awareness that every life matters; your help counts. We aim to help vulnerable children affected by the war with your support.

Thank you for standing with Ukraine! 

Best wishes, 

Natalie Blinder 

Founder of Bright Kids Charity 

Links:

• Our website
• Our projects on GlobalGiving

Dear Friends! 

With this report on our GlobalGiving project, ‘Ukraine: help vulnerable children affected by war’, we would like to highlight the importance of your support. 

The United Nations Development Program (UNDP) reported that almost 30 per cent of Ukraine's population of 44 million would fall below the poverty line. At the same time, a further 62 per cent are at risk of falling into poverty within a year. Within 12 months of the beginning of the war, 92 per cent of Ukraine’s population would be vulnerable. A humanitarian crisis will reach far and wide. For those in Ukraine, international support will be essential to their survival as food and money become scarce.

BKC is focused on supporting Ukraine’s vulnerable children - internally displaced people, disabled children, those raised in single-parent families and others who rely on government support to survive. Some of the children we support live in besieged areas, such as Kherson, or heavily affected areas or areas that are under attack like Kharkiv. 

Thanks to your support, the help received: 

• 20 families of children with disabilities and low-income families received UAH 3000 UAH (<Euro 100) each to purchase essentials such as food, diapers, medicines, and cleaning products. There are food supply shortages in Ukraine. Sometimes, the mothers have to stand for hours in queues to purchase food. Total UAH 60000. 

• 500 kg of humanitarian help such as baby food and soap total worth UAH 29959.56 was delivered to Kharkiv for 170 children living in the area. 

• we helped to purchase baby food worth UAH 30000 that will benefit about 100 children living in Kherson, now besieged. There is a humanitarian crisis in the city as currency delivering aid from outside is not possible. 

• We purchased special food worth UAH 53530.74 for a girl from a low-income family in Ternopil Oblast. Anastasia has a rare inherited disorder called Phenylketonuria. If left untreated, phenylalanine builds up in the bloodstream and causes brain damage. She must follow a special diet that includes PKU Nutri-2 Concentrate and PKU Nutri-3 Concentrate, which are powdered formulas. Sadly, there is absolutely no way an average Ukrainian family would be able to afford to purchase this food on a regular basis. For comparison, the average salary in Ukraine even before the war was UAH 14577 (Euro 471). It is heartbreaking to realise that, if not for the help of charities, this girl would be at risk of not getting her vital foods, which would have a devastating effect on her health.

The total worth of the support provided is UAH 173490.30 (USD 5,930). 

We sincerely thank you for your support! Thank you for standing with Ukraine! 

Please do consider supporting this project again.100% of donations go to the needs of our children; we do not charge operational costs from it. As the humanitarian crisis deepens, vulnerable Ukrainian children are at risk of suffering. For many of the families we support, our help is vital. We are receiving a great number of requests for help. Government support has largely been redistributed to funding an unprovoked war. Our projects are aimed at supporting the children who rely on government resources that no longer exist - the families we support have reported the delays of state support payments, essentially leaving them at the mercy of charities and activists. 

Every life matters. Your help counts. 

Warm regards, 

Natalie Blinder 

Founder of Bright Kids Charity 

Links:

• Our website