We Natolinians for Ukrainians

We Natolinians for Ukrainians,

As students of Eliane Vogel-Polsky promotion of College of Europe in Natolin, this academic year will stay in our hearts forever for many reasons. These included a number of fantastic elements: the community, the education, the campus life, the overall experience, but one will always be remembered as the dark moment for us all: the war in Ukraine.

This year, our students’ community has undertaken various initiatives to support Ukraine and its citizens, such as:

• Crowdfunding organized by students in the first days of the war which resulted in the collection of over 10,000 euros.
• A bake-sale organized on campus, collecting over 600 euros.
• Volunteering by students at the EXPO refugee centre over multiple weekends.
• Offering a safe shelter on campus for former students and families of former students from Ukraine. 

But as there is still so many things to do, we would like to use every last available resource to continue this programme of assistance. Therefore, we ask you to support one final initiative ! 

We ask you to please contribute towards this collection in aid of 39 Ukrainian orphans currently sheltered in Orphanage Number 7 in Łódź.

The Children's Home (Orphanage nr. 7 in Łódż) hosts 39 children from the Regional Center for Social and Psychological Rehabilitation, Rivne Oblast, Ukraine. Their teacher, psychologist and nurse came and is staying with them.

The children are aged between 3-17 years. They are divided into 3 groups: 13 (3-7 y.o), 14 (7-12 y.o), 12 (12-17 y.o). Most of these children come from dysfunctional families (parental rights having been either suspended or fully deprived).

The children were evacuated to Poland on 1 March 2022. They were assisted in finding a bus to Poland by volunteers (who had previously supported them also in Rivne, before the war started).

In Rivne they did not have a bomb shelter in the building where they lived. On every occasion that the air raid sirens blared, they had to run to shelter in a school nearby (older children would take younger ones to get there).

Their needs are everyday needs, requiring clothes, toys, the replacement of an old washer and dryer, and regular rehabilitation for some of the children - all of which requires extra resources.

Any support that would help to make the daily lives of these 39 children easier and assist them in their rehabilitation would be most gratefully received.

Students of the College of Europe in Natolin.