KRYLA is a children’s art hub and educational centre right in Kherson. It offers children the much-needed art and positivity, in the middle of the dreadful war. Sunflower Scotland decided to deliver two powerful Ecoflow batteries for the KRYLA hub. They will keep the lights on during blackouts, and when children are hiding in the basement during air raids, which happen in Kherson all the time. In addition, Sunflower donated batteries and warm clothes to the 34rd brigade of Ukrainian Marines: they are protecting the children and everyone in Kherson from the horror of Russian occupation.
Keeping the lights on in the shelter
We met Oleksandra, the head of KRYLA (https://www.kryla.foundation/), only in November. She showed Oleg and Stevie from the Sunflower team the underground shelter, where KRYLA conducted various art workshops and drama lessons for the children.
Unfortunately, in Kherson children can only study and play underground. They are spending their childhood hiding, because Russian FPV drones are hunting and killing everyone on the ground. Life in Kherson is just unimaginable.
Around Christmas, when Russia was destroying Ukraine’s power grid terrorising people with cold and darkness, we decided to act. Our Scottish supporters donated money, and we bought two Ecoflow power stations.
These excellent and powerful batteries can maintain light for many hours. This was absolutely essential during the long winter blackouts. The batteries could charge phones: so that the children in KRYLA would keep in contact with their parents even during the air raids.
P.S. we didn’t forget to buy UK power adaptors 🙂
Valentine’s card
When visiting KRYLA, Oleg was invited to take part in a workshop together with the children. It was the beginning of February, and they were learning how to make St Valentine’s cards for their loved ones.
Oleg decided to make a Valentine’s card for his wife Elvira. She would miss him on the 14th February, because he knew that he would still be traveling across Ukraine.
Gym machines: being active during long air raids
In addition, Oleksandra asked Oleg to bring exercise machines, because they wanted to add a fitness class. Children are children, and during the long air raids, when they are sitting in the basement, they very much enjoy some physical activity.
We asked around in Edinburgh, and some people were very kind and they donated their machines absolutely for free. We are delighted to report that your donations have been delivered to Kherson, where they are already helping.
Supporting the 34 Marines
Getting to Kherson is hard. You need to obtain a special permission from the Governor’s office, in order to be able to enter the city. This is for everyone’s safety.
After passing through the checkpoints, we met with the Marines from the 34rd brigade. They are protecting the city, together with a few other regiments, from the Russian invading army. Often outnumbered and outgunned, these brave men are protecting their families, women and children, from the most horrific fate. That’s why we were glad to help them.
This winter was really cold, and we decided to bring warm jackets and Ecoflow batteries, so they could charge their phones and keep warm.
As a token of gratitude, they boys gave us a 3D-printed Kherson Roadside Monument, which you see when you enter Kherson by the main motorway. But instead of the city name they wrote their brigade’s name. This 3D printed Monument is a symbol of their relentless work protecting Kherson for the four long years of war.
We were truly grateful to receive this gift, as an award for our efforts. The boys know that getting to Kherson is very dangerous, and very few volunteers are helping them. They wanted to thank us with something special. And it’s a very unique and rare gift.
We thank our wonderful Scottish donors
We are grateful to all our Scottish donors. Those who funder the purchase of the powerful Ecoflow batteries, who donated warm clothes, and all who helped us to fund the trip. Thank you so much!
We sincerely thank Hoggs of Fife (https://www.fifecountry.co.uk/), they did a very generous and kind gesture and donated lots of men’s warm jackets, for those in Ukraine who are cold and freezing this winter. We donated some of them in Kherson, in Dnipro, in Donbas, in the Sumy region and other places.
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