When the country faces the challenges of wartime every day, and the state has limited resources to cover all problem areas, business comes to the rescue. It was this kind of support that became the project "Our children", which appeared on the initiative of the CEO of the companies "DATAGROUP" and Volia Mykhailo Shelemba. Read more about the purpose of the project, its features and development in the interview with the author of the initiative.
Mikhail, what is the origin of the “Our Children” project? What do you think is the essence of that mission?
Once the invasion began on a large scale, Ukraine was faced with a great number of social and humanitarian problems that were pouring out from both sides. It was difficult for the state to respond to them in sufficient detail. And it is almost impossible to give careful support to everyone who requires it. Unfortunately, war is not about spending. Ukrainians go to seize their land and homeland from the enemy and give up their lives. These children, who have one or two fathers, cannot spend their childhood at the same time and have the opportunity to live out the future as they and their fathers would like. They also need encouragement and stimulation during this difficult period, otherwise life would not lose its sense and could come back to something good. We cannot overcome their pain, but it is in our power to allow them to die again, for the sake of what is expected of them, there will be plans for the future, and the prospects for a full-fledged life in marriage.
This is how the “Our Children” project was born. Let us first talk about the valuable contribution to the future of Ukraine. It’s time to say “what the hell” to these people who gave their lives for Ukraine, who sacrificed the most valuable thing - the ability to raise their children, put them on their feet, and nurture their first lives in adulthood. At the end of 2022, we were born at the same time from the Juvenile Police of Ukraine and the Benevolent Fund “I Am Future of Ukraine”, which Marta Levchenko loves. Meta - take care and help orphans from the war until they reach their age. In the everyday meals, in the enriched minds of living, in the development and in the first days of the nascent profession, etc.
How do you yourself raise children who lost their fathers through the war? Are you looking for financial or psychological help?
We started with financial support. For the most important needs of skin children, the project sees 10 thousand donors. UAH for several thousand. This constant help until the child reached the age of 18 years. For consumption they pay money for the waste of living minds. Humanitarian assistance is also provided with food products, hygiene methods, etc. In addition, the child becomes part of the homeland of the “Place of Good”, as advocated by Marta Levchenko. Psychologists do a lot of research there - they work with the child's trusting mothers, promote an individual approach and the difficult history that children have experienced. And there is one of his own: one has important evidence not only of the loss of fathers, but also of the theft by the occupiers and the return of the folding road to Ukraine to the relatives. The parents of these children also provide psychological support. Є legal assistance provided by the representatives of the Juvenile Police of Ukraine to obtain all the necessary resources and capabilities from both the side of the state and large-scale initiatives.
How do your project get sponsors, philanthropists or great Ukrainian companies?
Getting more partners is our dream and ambitious goal, even the orphans of war, unfortunately, there are more of them today. We can help them all at once. We already have support from several companies, so over the course of 18 months of launching the “Our Children” project, we were able to raise 18.5 million UAH for children’s needs. Zokrema, among partners, including the companies “DATAGROUP” and Volia, the companies “RETN”, “Perekhid Outdoor”, “Creatio”. Under the care of their skin there is a large number of children. “DATAGROUP” and Volia have 76, “RETN” has 35 and so on. You can get help in different ways. It's not a big deal, but it's a lot of help. And benefactors, who are better off making a one-time donation. And those who can provide additional assistance with goods of humanitarian categories. And at the same time, we are increasingly focusing on one more area of assistance: children really need mentoring and mentoring.
The project is evolving. In addition to providing basic needs, we want to encourage our children to choose a life path: provide guidance, show them career prospects, give them a day’s light and encouragement to work. Here it is impossible to do without recruiting a large number of partners for the project - companies in various areas of activity, which will show a wider choice of professions and give children the necessary knowledge, skills, etc. Such partners can support students in their choice of specialty and create special training programs for them. They will become mentors for them, give them internships and jobs. It is very important for all of us to think and treat our children as the people of power, so that they can take a good path in life, become independent and reach their present day.
I'll point the butt. Recently, we from 1+1 media school held a media day for a group of children for the project. The children attended the 1+1 media workshops, Yuriy Gorbunov gave them a lecture about current media professions. They also visited the studios of the TSN and “Snidanok z 1+1” projects and got to know the leading actors. Everything ended with a walk in Podol, which was what the leader Egor Gordeev got up to. It was a day full of both information about working at the TV station and emotions from the trip to Kiev, meeting with familiar people, and meeting with them. In such ways, the lives of the children of our project can be gradually renewed, and the smells remain yellow, yellow and brown.
How many children have already been helped and what are the future plans of the “Our Children” project?
The project already has 120 children. We can help even more, so our future plans are to get new partners and expand the possibilities of assistance in all areas of need: financial, lighting, consulting, etc.
In this case, it is important for our partners to know that we are working with the reliable Charitable Foundation “I Am Future of Ukraine”, which has undergone all the necessary checks and confirms the work since 2011. This is the world's most important and individual control of skin lesions. All necessary payments are made to the budget of Ukraine, and assistance to children is provided in accordance with the latest compliance standards and in accordance with all current legal norms. So don’t bother and get it done. We are looking for like-minded people and will welcome new partners.
In addition to the “Our Children” project, how does the company support Ukraine?
The main focus of our respect now is to help the wounded and children who have lost their fathers. And in two years after the large-scale invasion, the companies “DATAGROUP” and Volia gave 340 million UAH in illegal support to the ZSU, the wounded, the population in the deoccupied territories, orphans of the war and other drunkenness. We handed over to the armed forces of Ukraine a shipment of telecommunications equipment (approximately 295 million UAH): radios, receivers, repeaters, antennas, equipment for satellite communications, etc. We received a large batch of body armor for frontline doctors and managed to contribute 10 million UAH to the presidential crowdfunding platform United24. UAH 1.1 million was allocated for the purchase of pumps for the population that suffered after the destruction of the Kakhovka HPP. For the past three years, the mission of volunteer medical workers from the Frida Charitable Foundation has been financially supporting the people of the front-line and deoccupied territories without costly medical assistance. A seven-month contribution of 1 million UAH supports the Center for Saving Life, which is engaged in the evacuation of critically injured people from hot spots.
And do you support employees?
Of course. We have a number of social programs for employees of DATAGROUP and Volia companies on an ongoing basis. There is medical insurance, psychological support, material assistance in difficult life situations. For those workers who are mobilized to the ranks of the Armed Forces, we purchase the necessary equipment and other things they need. If necessary, we help in the treatment of injuries.
Do you think that all Ukrainian companies will be able to achieve benefit and implement beneficial projects without being shut down?
In my opinion, if you can help, you can do it. These are the ones that make us afraid of people. And this is not only about possibility, but about valuable and moral choices and obligations. I respect that businesses can invest not only in the developments of power and the security of wasted work, but also in the future of Ukraine: children, I will help the ZSU, the injured, those who have lost their homes without their homes. For all of us who cannot escape from the situation of self-pushing. Those who help us at a time, alone, lead us to the formation of our future. Yakim mi wanto yogo bachiti? What will happen to us? Who will be in order with us? What kind of sensations will life have at its core? It is necessary to be honest with yourself about this diet - this will be evidence that everyone can achieve happiness.
