Rebuilding Ukraine: SavED raises over $30,000 for student sports ground at Borodianka Lyceum affected by Russian aggression

In 2023, high schoolers from the Borodianka Academic Lyceum in the Kyiv region took part in UActive, a program by the SavED charitable foundation for teens from rural communities. Divided into two teams, the students worked on individual projects to build basketball and multipurpose sports courts on their lyceum's premises. In the end, they secured a joint grant of $5,000 and successfully raised the additional funds needed for both projects with the help of the foundation's various initiatives.

Rubryka informs about this.

What is the problem?

The consequences of the full-scale invasion in the Kyiv region have significantly impacted the Borodianka Academic Lyceum. In February and March of 2022, Russian forces occupied the school premises.

During this period, the lyceum sustained damage from the blast wave, resulting in broken windows and doors, as well as partial disruption of the heating system.

Following the end of the occupation that same year, studies at the school resumed, and both adults and students actively worked to improve the conditions of the educational institution.

What is the solution?

The savED charity fund raised 1.2 million hryvnias [over $30,000 – ed.] for the project at Borodianka Lyceum, providing the students with a sports field reminiscent of those seen in American movies about teenagers.

How does it work?

During the spring of 2023, the students participated in the UActive program, where they acquired project management skills to develop their ideas for the betterment of the school and the community. Eventually, during the project pitching phase, the teams "Freedom" and "Unbreakable" presented their projects to the savED charity fund's jury and were awarded a shared grant of $5,000 for the lyceum. They also teamed up to secure additional funding.

• The team of the savED Foundation took up additional fundraising for the universal sports ground.
• The first additional amount raised to implement the project was 2,000 euros from foreign partners.
• In July 2023, at the "Teachers of the Future" educational festival, schoolchildren received another 45,000 hryvnias thanks to !FESTrepublic and the Free and Indifferent Foundation.
• In the summer, representatives of the Reimagine Ukraine fund in the USA joined the annual marathon in San Francisco — there, as part of their Ukraine: Run to Rebuild team, they raised another $3,400.
• Afterwards, the running charity event also reached Kyiv, which was organized by Maria Holota, a running coach and participant in world marathons. This event gathered nearly 100 athletes from the capital and raised 100,000 hryvnias.
• Even businesses got involved: Ukrainian jewelry brand TSVITE TEREN designed a one-of-a-kind piece and held a charity raffle, raising 35,000 hryvnias. In addition, Techno Yizhak collected 119,800 hryvnias through its charitable campaign.
• The fund partners from the online education studio EdEra, along with the American Council and US-Ukraine Foundation, made generous donations that helped to close the collection successfully.

The creators of the second project, a basketball court, proactively sought funding independently. The students wrote over 60 letters to various organizations and charitable foundations requesting support for their project. One of those organizations, the Illia Hrabar Foundation, named after a Ukrainian defender who passed away, responded by assisting the students. With the help of the foundation's partners, they could raise all the necessary funds.

The opening of both sports grounds took place in April 2024, with celebrations and invitations from friends and partners. Now, the lyceum students will be able to spend sports and leisure time here.

^{Photo: savED}

For reference:

UActive's youth education program kicked off in March 2023, led by the savED charitable foundation with assistance from the GoGlobal foundation and Spirit of America international organization. Approximately 100 students from five schools in Chernihiv and Kyiv regions participated in the inaugural wave. In May 2024, the selection process for the next wave of the program will begin – be sure to stay updated by following the Instagram page for announcements.