United to win: 10-year-old boy from Switzerland fundraising for Ukraine's defense
Photo: ShoTam
10-year-old Mark, whose mother is Ukrainian and who himself was born and brought up in Switzerland, could not sit idle when the full-scale invasion began. The boy came up with culinary marathons, thanks to which he raised 117,000 hryvnias for the Ukrainian military.
Ukrainian media ShoTam told the story of 10-year-old Mark, Rubryka reports.
What is the problem?
The Ukrainian military needs an uninterrupted supply of equipment, gear, and drones. Thousands of people around the world joined in helping Ukraine's Defense Forces. People raise money for UAVs, pickup trucks, military equipment, tanks, and airplanes.
People also deliver humanitarian aid, which is no less important because hundreds of Ukrainian families have fled the war or even lost their homes to Russian shelling.
What is the solution?
With the beginning of the invasion, Mark's parents began to give charity concerts and collect funds to help Ukraine. The boy also wanted to help and decided to cook.
How does it work?
The boy began culinary experiments in the kitchen, almost from diapers. At age 5, he prepared his first dish, pizza, and later became interested in Ukrainian chef Yevhen Klopotenko's blog. The chef switched to Ukrainian a few years ago, and Mark stopped understanding him.
"I wanted to learn the Ukrainian language to understand it. I studied the Ukrainian language for a long time, for two years. Now I can speak Ukrainian," says the boy.
During charity events, Mark treated the Swiss to traditional Ukrainian borscht for a donation to Ukraine.
"I prepared my family recipe for borscht from my great-grandmother. The Swiss really liked the dish. They also often said that they don't like beet soup at all, but this is the kind of soup they like," the boy said.
Mark raised 40,000 hryvnias and sent the money to one of the charity funds. Later, he wrote a letter to his classmates offering to help Ukrainian children.
Нас завжди зворушують історії про дітей, які збирають кошти на ЗСУ. Тим більше, коли ця дитина народилася і живе за кордоном.
10-річний Марк зі Швейцарії придумав кулінарні марафони, завдяки яким разом з друзями зібрав 117 000 гривень для українських військових! pic.twitter.com/rYvndyj0ll
— ШоТам? (@Sho_Tam_) June 27, 2023
"I wrote to my classmates that you can help Ukraine by coming to our house and giving humanitarian aid. Then we collected 100 boxes of humanitarian aid. These were crackers, toys, diapers, various things for children," the boy said.
When Yevhen Klopotenko held charity dinners in Switzerland, Mark helped him cook. And then, he organized culinary marathons on social media to help Ukrainian defenders.
The boy taught culinary recipes in the first marathon on a social media page. You could join the closed page for a donation, so the boy collected 45,00 hryvnias. For the second marathon, Mark gathered friends and shared different recipes for Ukrainian dumplings or varenyky.
"We raised for a drone that flew to the 72nd mechanized brigade named after the Black Zaporozhians," said Anna Savytska, Mark's mother.
Now Mark invites everyone to join the third marathon to help the Armed Forces and learn new delicious recipes. In the future, the boy dreams of becoming a chef and opening his restaurant, but now he only wants one thing.
"I dream that the war will end, that Ukraine will win. And that there will be peace in the world," Mark said.
Rubryka reported that the Ukrainian clothing brand Aviatsia Halychyny and the Ukrainian military launched fundraising for a light attack aircraft L-39ZA/ART, which cost 32 million hryvnias.
In Slovakia, the Gift for Ukraine initiative set the goal of raising €1.2 million and buying a T-72M1 tank for the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
