Replaced damaged windows in over 64 houses and continue

During the period of active hostilities in the Chernihiv region, Russian soldiers damaged or destroyed about 3.5 thousand buildings, among them 80% or 2,800 buildings - residential houses. This resulted in a situation where a large number of families remained unprotected from the changing weather conditions of the region. The Chernihiv region is located in the north of Ukraine, and all four seasons are very different there - from hot summer, wet autumn and spring months, to very cold winters (sometimes -20 Celsius and even lower).

We first learned about this problem in April 2022. A woman with two babies, whom we regularly helped with food and basic necessities, asked us for a heater. We were surprised, because it was April outside and summer was already coming. Later it turned out that all the windows in her apartment were broken from a bomb that exploded nearby in March.

The story of this family touched us and we wanted to help. We started collecting money through Instagram and soon the necessary amount was collected. In August, they became the first family to whom we replaced windows in their home.

Later we learned about a large number of families who had the same problem. We shared these stories with our international partners and other donors. Everyone was realizing that it would be very difficult for families without warm windows in winter, so we quickly found donors who also wanted to help.

Thus, we attracted the first official grant from our international partners and the project went on. As of the end of February 2024, we installed 213 windows for 64 families. The project continues, because still a large number of families need support.

We focused on helping the private sector, where people usually cannot count on adequate help from the government and organizations, due to the fact that they are not legally registered (large residential buildings, in Ukraine, are often united in owners' associations, which have a certain legal status, and thus can receive help from organizations and government).