Reference :
V-P-UA-E-01207
Date :
06/10/2023
Caption :
Sumy region, Ivanivka village, school. The ICRC is supplying a generator and projector to a school facing many problems: air alarms, remote and mixed learning, and frequent power outages.
Confidentiality level :
public
Publication restrictions :
publication without restrictions
Description :
"On the night of 23–24 February 2022, there were 32 students in our school, some from Sumy and some from Krasnopillia. The bridges were blown up immediately. Some parents managed to pick up their children while they still could, but 15 children remained at the school. For 18 long days we teachers lived with them in the basement. Airplanes flew overhead, shelling the nearby town of Okhtyrka. At one point, I thought we'd never get out of that basement."
The Pravdynska Special School is for children with intellectual and developmental disabilities. They need an individualized approach and lots of attention. Last winter, there was hardly any heating for the large, spacious buildings of the school, kindergarten and dormitory. But it's the only special school in the district, so it can't shut down.
"Last year, we sawed wood ourselves; the whole team gathered firewood to heat the shelter. I'm in charge of all these children, and it's a huge responsibility, so we do everything we can to continue the education process and give students everything they need," says Natalia.
This year, the buildings will be heated thanks to a generator donated by the ICRC. The school staff have repaired the air raid shelter, decorated the walls with flowers and stocked it with textbooks and toys. In the future it will also have a cinema with a projector donated by the ICRC.
"We'll show the children films and cartoons and play music so they're not afraid and don't hear the explosions outside. Here we fight every day for our children and their future.""
Article 08/12/2023
Original material :
digital
Resolution :
6240x4160
Orientation :
landscape
Colour/B&W :
colour
