New Life of Ukrainian Children of Heroes

There are no people in Ukraine who have not been affected by the war.

It continues to destroy the lives of innocent people, including children, the most vulnerable and unprotected category of the population.

The Children of Heroes Charity Fund cares about children who have lost their parents during the war and will support them until they reach adulthood.

FROM IDEA TO ITS IMPLEMENTATION: Supporting Ukrainian Children

The efforts, now formalized through the incorporation of the Children of Heroes Charity Fund, began in response to the Russian military aggression waged against Ukraine on February 24, 2022.

Initially, the Fund was financed by our co-founders. Later, partners and donors also joined the Fund, motivated by our mission. Now the team is hard at work attracting international donors with the goal of creating a platform that furthers our global presence.

The Children of Heroes Charity Fund is organized and ready to provide critical relief through first maintaining best practices for the Foundation’s governance, non-profit compliance, and administrative functions, all of which are necessary components for effectively fundraising through public contributions.

The Foundation’s independent board of directors has developed strict criteria for allocating contributed funds to the Foundation’s initiatives. It has also identified other organizations with similar goals and existing infrastructure within Ukraine, which are used to assist in crisis relief operations, and are a necessary initial step in the Foundation’s goal of providing long-term assistance to those affected by the war. This collaborative effort will only serve to help more children and families by pooling resources and knowledge together.

WE LIGHT THE SPARK OF MERCY: Supporting Children Affected by the War in Ukraine

The fund’s goal is to provide long-term assistance to children who have lost one or both parents due to the full-scale war in Ukraine. Without the support of donors, many children will be left homeless because of the Russian hostilities and rocket fire. The children also require psychological support and humanitarian assistance to maintain an adequate standard of living. It is expected that donations from donors will become a significant source of annual revenue for the organization, allowing the rebuilding of destroyed housing for a substantial number of affected children and providing them with long-term assistance.

Children are in immediate need of support, both psychological and humanitarian. Aid and care packages funded by public contributions improve the day-to-day living conditions of those displaced and otherwise negatively affected by the war in Ukraine.

The Fund assists in six key areas: psychological support, legal support, financial aid, medical care, emergency assistance and socialization. The organization supports children with immediate and long-term support that they need throughout their childhood to lead happy and successful lives.

FOUNDATION PROJECTS

Housing

A targeted project to rebuild housing for children who lost their parents and homes due to hostilities and combat. This program prioritizes buildings that need to be repaired and rapidly restored. Your support will reduce the enormous financial burden on the families and caregivers and psychologically support the children as they will be able to return to their homes, which will be restored to their pre-war state. In addition, it will help with socialization efforts as the children will return to their roots and communities.

Currently, $62,850 is needed to restore destroyed houses.

Education

Hundreds of children under the care of the Foundation have already joined our educational programs. They attend English courses, preschool training and professional and creative clubs. In addition to the courses, children receive the necessary technical means: laptops, tablets, stationery, backpacks, sportswear, etc. to receive an education. They successfully continue their primary school education in online and offline formats. Learning is integral to sustainable psychological development, a happy childhood and self-confidence. Many children have been evacuated to other countries, so their knowledge of English affects helps them adapt to their new surroundings and communicate with their new peers and communities.

The annual cost of this program is $95,500.

Health

Thousands of Ukrainian children have suffered psychological and physiological trauma due to the war. For those who have survived, they may never fully heal. Through the implementation of this project, the Foundation can provide children with immediate psychological rehabilitation to help develop coping strategies after losing their loved ones. In addition, the children in our care receive medical support, that specifically takes their medical needs into consideration, until they reach adulthood.

Basic Needs

This program provides the children under our care with the many everyday necessities they will need: baby food, warm and seasonally-appropriate clothing and shoes, diapers, strollers and more.

It is the most resource-intensive program of the Foundation and requires more than $273,250 per year.

WHAT WE HAVE ACCOMPLISHED TOGETHER: SUPPORT FOR UKRAINIAN CHILDREN & FAMILIES

One of the top priorities is to provide children with warm clothes, heaters, and firewood, given the critical problems with heating this year. 302 children under the care of the Fund received fall clothes, and 192 children received winter clothes from our “Warmth for Children” initiative.

In addition, the Children of Heroes Charity Fund provided firewood for heating the homes of 24 families until the end of the fall-winter 2022-2023, and 319 families received heaters. The initiative is still ongoing, so the Foundation continues to provide warm clothes and heating means so that as many children as possible can live through the winter in warmth and comfort.

One of our children, whose name is Vadym, is studying abroad thanks to the Foundation. Vadyn dreams of following in the footsteps of his father, who died defending Ukraine.

The Fund was able to give Vadym and his family new hope, as it opened new doors for him to attend the Marine Military Academy based in Harlingen, Texas.

In October 2022, 182 children started learning foreign languages, and 197 children received electronics for e-learning, as in most cases learning in Ukraine takes place online. In addition, the children attend camps to spend time in an environment away from the war and to relax and recharge. As of November 1st, 1,128 children were under the care of the fund. In total, the Fund plans to take care of 5,000 children, so it is actively looking for children to add to the program to help them survive the loss of their loved ones and provide them with everyday necessities. If you know such children – please provide their guardians or caregivers with the contact information for the Foundation.

In October of 2022, the Fund began operating in the United States to develop relationships with individuals and aligned organizations to help Ukrainian children affected by the war.

MEET OUR LEADERSHIP TEAM

The Children of Heroes Charity Fund is privileged to have a dedicated and highly experienced Global Leadership Team charting the way forward. Get to know our leaders:

Dan Pasko, Co-Founder, CEO. 10+ years of Private Equity (Horizon Capital, Diligent Capital); 5+ years in NGO/Non-Profit (Prof. Gov’t Association, EasyBusiness); Harvard MBA.

Antonina Golovach, Co-Founder, Non-Financial Partnerships Lead. 3+ years in Marketing & Communications (Miss Multiverse, Etalonium); social-media influencer (Instagram 50K+), Kyiv National Economic University.

Brice Espino, CEO. 10+ years of Global Startup Development, Marketing, and Advertising experience. Harvard MLA, Hult MSE, and De La Salle MMC.

Serhiy Semenyachenko, Co-Founder, Non-Executive Director. 20+ years in Entrepreneurship and Agribusiness (Edinstvo Holding) and Investments/Philanthropy (various ventures and initiatives).

Dan Yakub, Co-Founder, Non-Executive Director. 8+ years Investment Banking (UBS, Citi); 5+ years in Private Equity (Diligent Capital); Smurfit School, EMBA.

Valeria Abdal, Co-Founder / Marketing Manager / Family Helper. Valeria is experienced in wedding events (10+ years). She is a happy wife and mother, applying best practices in child development.

Serge Goncharevich, Co-Founder, Corporate Partnerships Lead. 20+ years in Investment Banking and Asset Management (Capital Times), MIM MBA.

Anna Khomenko, Co-Founder, Head of Execution Team. 6+ years in HR (Citrus, Farmak, Sellwin, Moneyveo), 2+ years in child psychology (private child development center); Degree in Law.

Iaroslav Prygara, Co-Founder. 5+ years in automobile business (Sherp, Daimler AG, Maserati, Ducati Motor Holding, Jeep); 7+ years in Charity and Non-profit; Steinbeis-Hochschule MBA.

Tetiana Novytska, COO/CFO. 18+ years in Corporate Finance, Audit, Financial Management, Operations, Private Equity (Dragon Capital, EY, Arricano, Vitmark); Fellow member of ACCA; Odessa National Economic University.

Daria Dikaya, Head of Communications. 10+ years in Communications & TV (McDonalds, Danone, 1+1 media group); 2+ years in Non-Profit (Ronald McDonald House of Charities); AC CIPR.

The Fund’s team comprises over 100 employees, 74 of whom work directly with the children to provide a comprehensive individual approach within our structured support programs. They communicate with families, process their requests, and provide guidance and direct assistance. In addition, the Foundation has a fundraising department, marketing and communications department, digital department and administrative department.

Each of our employees is an experienced specialist in their field. They use the network and connections they have built over the years to expand our work and increase our impact.