The Shelter Program

Eurasia Foundation, in partnership with the Kyiv-based East Europe Foundation, is equipping schools in Ukraine with shelters and mental health resources to safeguard children, teachers, and families under attack, and facilitate continued learning during war. The Shelter Program originally launched as an effort to provide emergency assistance to internally displaced people in Ukraine; it has since shifted to focus specifically on schools. 

Since the Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, thousands of schools, pre-schools, and other education facilities throughout Ukraine have been damaged, destroyed, or forced to close. Many families are also reluctant to send children to school, fearing for their safety. Though some students have continued to pursue their studies online, recent attacks on energy infrastructure have made virtual learning increasingly difficult. On September 2, 2022, the Day of Knowledge, the Government of Ukraine announced that the coming school year should resume offline in schools with access to safe shelters.

The Shelter Program is outfitting school shelters with critical infrastructure, including furniture, heating and cooling, clean water, sanitary equipment, first aid kits, radios, protected electrical networks and emergency lighting, fire protection, floor coverings, ventilation, safe entrances and exits, and games and learning materials for children. The program also offers essential psychological resources to both children and adults.

For a deeper understanding of the Shelter Program’s expansive humanitarian efforts, check out the annual report in English or Ukrainian.

The program covers:

• 28 educational institutions
• 23,169 students, of whom 747 are students with disabilities and 948 are internally displaced persons
• 2,580 teachers and administrative and technical staff
• 8,640 square meters of shelters

To support the Shelter Program, donate here. You will be taken to our secure donation page. 

We deeply appreciate your generosity.  

Eurasia Foundation is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization registered in Washington, D.C.