Solutions to win: blind girl from Lviv region raises ₴2 mln for Ukraine’s armed forces through singing

Ten-year-old blind Anna-Maria Herman from Komarno collected more than two million hryvnias for the needs of Ukrainian defenders in 2022-23, singing on the street and in churches.

Oksana Skorodynska, the head of the NGO "Maidan" volunteer group in the village of Shchyrets, reported that, according to Ukrinform.

What is the problem?

Skorodynska says that their organization mainly helps defenders who were mobilized or went as volunteers from their territorial community, and more than half a thousand defenders are serving in various brigades.

What is the solution?

"In the spring of 2022, with the beginning of a full-scale war, Ms. Natalia Brazhnyk and her daughter Anna-Maria joined our organization. They used to live in our territorial community (Shchyrets – ed.) and offered to raise funds for the military by singing in the street. They have a family. She has four children, and one of the brothers went to war; that's why the girl was so motivated," said Skorodynska.

^{Photo: provided by Oksana Skorodynska}

^{Photo: provided by Oksana Skorodynska}

How does it work?

As the weather turned colder, Anna-Maria started performing in churches. Since the autumn of 2022, she has been delighting parishioners in the Lviv region with her songs and bandura playing. Her performances are accompanied by carefully crafted costumes, including a military uniform that the child especially adores.

^{Photo: provided by Oksana Skorodynska}

"During our cooperation, Anna-Maria collected more than two million hryvnias for the military and did not stop there; the collection continues. Today, the girl and her mother were at my place; they handed over a night vision device, took a photo with the girl for the report, and the boys at the front will send a video record for the report accordingly; they will send a video, which Anna-Maria is pleased about. Because she cannot see the photo, she can hear the words of thanks, which greatly encourages and motivates her. Now she is collecting funds for a drone for the anti-aircraft missile forces," added the head of the volunteer group.

Anna-Maria often participates in fundraising when other organizations or volunteers approach her.

^{Photo: provided by Oksana Skorodynska}

The money is mainly directed to:

• items requested by the military,
• on a UAV,
• thermal imagers,
• walkie talkies,
• cars,
• clothes,
• medicines.

In a year and a half, the girl has received hundreds of expressions of gratitude, diplomas, and awards – the most significant being from the military and charitable foundations, organizations, and local government bodies.

^{Photo: provided by Oksana Skorodynska}

For reference:

As Rubryka reported, students of the academic lyceum in Hoshcha in the Rivne region are caroling to raise funds for paraffin and wax for trench candles.

Moreover, the children of the Bucha community from the Kyiv region handed over a kamikaze drone to Ukraine's defenders.