savED is launching a fundraiser to renovate and equip additional rooms in the shelter-based learning center in the basement of one of the lyceums in Sumy region. Due to security reasons, we do not name the exact location at the community’s request.
The expanded shelter — a corridor and six classrooms — will be able to serve not only this lyceum’s students but also children from a neighboring lyceum and a local kindergarten.
- Region Sumy
- Students 574+
In February–March 2022, fierce battles took place in this town in the Sumy region, just 32 kilometers from the Russian border. Despite the heavy assault from the north, the town held its ground and was awarded the title of Hero City.
Today, it remains within a potential combat zone. Air raid alerts can last 12–14 hours a day, and the town still suffers periodic massive shelling that damages civilian and social infrastructure.
Additionally, due to growing pressure on nearby communities, many people have relocated here. The town has become a refuge for displaced families: as of September 2025, the lyceum we are fundraising for has 54 students who are internally displaced persons (IDPs).
In 2022, the lyceum resumed learning in a hybrid format; however, there is no safe underground space for all students. The basement of the educational institution is part of a 19th-century architectural heritage building. The premises lacked ventilation, heating, and restroom facilities. The space was damp and cold, with condensation on the ceilings. The floors, walls, and ceilings had visible defects and significant unevenness.
As of December 2025, the savED Foundation team and partners have already implemented the first phase:
- with support from Education Cannot Wait, restrooms and a digital learning center equipped with furniture, technology, and tutors have been set up in the school’s basement;
- local ventilation and heating systems have been installed; the cost of completed renovation works amounts to approximately $30k, and outfitting costs amount to approximately $18k;
- a local NGO is procuring equipment worth approximately $6k;
- the community has allocated funds for heating installation in 2026 and has completed drainage and waterproofing works;
- the NGO “Smart Osvita” is working on an energy resilience system.
But one room is not enough to serve the entire student population. To ensure all students can return to in-person learning, additional rooms need to be renovated and equipped.
The 330 m² renovated shelter will operate as a full-scale “underground school” — a safe, warm, and modern learning space for more than 500 students.
On September 1, 2025, we launched the “Future at Home” campaign and a video manifesto in support of the fundraising effort.
The campaign featured Artem Kotenko, Ukraine’s representative at the 2024 Junior Eurovision Song Contest, whose song “Hear Me Now” became a symbol of young people who dream of staying in Ukraine and building their future here.
Artem comes from the town in the Sumy region where the project is being implemented. In the video, he shares his daily life during the war and calls for support for himself and other children who want to live and study at home, attend in-person classes, and stay connected with their peers despite everything.
In December 2025, to support the basement project, we ran a Christmas fundraising campaign to draw attention to the needs of the lyceum’s children. We brought together donors to create a Christmas miracle for children in the Sumy region.
We managed to raise approximately USD 4,000.
real impact
