Philanthropists funded the construction of four underground kindergartens in Mykolaiv

In Mykolaiv, the construction of four modern shelters in kindergartens is nearing completion, one of which has already received its first pupils. The total cost of the project exceeds UAH 45 million.

This was reported by the press service of the Mykolaiv Regional Military Administration.

On Thursday, June 5, a renovated shelter was officially opened in one of Mykolaiv's kindergartens. This is part of the initiative of the savED charitable foundation, which is being implemented with the support of The LEGO Foundation. The goal is to create safe and comfortable educational spaces in four preschools in the city.

It was in this kindergarten, which was twice shelled, that the children had their first classes in the renovated underground building the day before.

Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine Oksen Lisovyi emphasized that the safety of children during education remains a priority, especially under martial law.

"The more such kindergartens are ready for security challenges, the more children will be able to return to regular education," the minister said.

The underground premises have been turned into full-fledged educational centers where children can study, play and relax even during air raid alerts. The shelters are equipped with study areas, playrooms, and places to sleep with beds. The work started in December 2024. Two locations have already been completed and two more are in the final stages.

The total area of the four renovated shelters exceeds 2,000 square meters. One of them will become the largest underground training space in Mykolaiv. Minister Lisovyi, representatives of the savED Foundation and the Danish diplomatic office visited this facility after the opening of the first shelter.

Anna Puttsova, co-founder of savED, noted that the team already has experience implementing similar projects in other communities. In addition, two of the shelters will work not only for kindergartens but also for schoolchildren.

According to the Ministry of Education and Science, more than 150,000 Ukrainian preschoolers are currently unable to study offline. In Mykolaiv region, more than 130 kindergartens operate remotely due to the lack of shelters. The total project budget is over UAH 45 million. All works are funded by the LEGO Foundation.

In addition, nine schools in Mykolaiv and Zhytomyr regions were equipped with new shelters, allowing 1,979 students and 300 teachers to safely return to full-time education. This initiative is part of the EU4UASchools: Build Back Better" project implemented by the European Union and the United Nations Development Program in Ukraine.

Анна Бальчінос