Charity fund aimed at helping Ukrainian kids affected by war

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mayabackpack@gmail.com

boy with backpack
Quick donation

363

Destroyed Education Institutions

3395

Damaged Education Institutions

300

Kindergartens
Damaged

children's swings against the backdrop of a war-torn house

Despite the ongoing war, children keep attending schools, combining offline and online education. Sadly, millions of people have lost their jobs, homes, and all their possessions.

There are numerous families whose children are starting first grade. Unfortunately, these families lack the financial resources to purchase school supplies and tablets for educational purposes. That's why our aim is to support these children and ensure they are prepared for their first school year.

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who we are

how we work

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1

Raise money

We gather money from businesses, grant programs and private donors. The more money we raise, the more children we can help.

2

Qualify beneficiaries

We receive requests from parents or guardians via the form, then filter out the requests to comply with our qualifications and check all related documents. Then we contact families to clarify details for delivery of the school kit.

3

Procurement

We thank our regular partners, Samsung Ukraine and Bagland, for the best price offering while purchasing tablets and school backpacks. In addition, we provide kids with the necessary school stationery.

4

Delivery

We thank Nova Poshta - main logistics provider of Ukraine — for supporting us and shipping backpacks to kids on their cost and always on time.

5

Feedback

The most valuable treasure we receive after delivering is photos/videos of kids with backpacks, warm thank-you texts, and calls from parents.

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₴5.194.400,00

money raised

526

children we helped

maya stories

Olesya's photo

Olesya

Olesya is from Mariupol. In the first days of the war, Olesya, her 13-year-old sister Anya and their mother found shelter in the cramped cellar of their grandparents. There, Victoria - Olesya's mother, read books to the kids to distract them from the explosions. And the girls drew a house to build when the war ended. After all, they no longer have their own.

In mid-March, when Olesia's family was about to get into the car and leave the city, a shell flew nearby. Fortunately, everyone remained unharmed, but since then, the girl has been very disturbed by aeroplanes.

Now, Olesya is Kyiv. maya gave the first-grader a tablet that helps to study in school remotely. And when the siren sounds, the little girl takes it to the shelter. In a personal convo, Olesya said that she dreams about the end of the war and about the toy dog Patron🐶

Zoryana

On the night of February 24, 2022, Zoryana's parents were requested to immediately join the army as they are military service workers. But Daria, Zoryana’s mother stayed at home with her daughter because she was pregnant.

It was dangerous to stay in their house in Kharkiv, so girls immediately set up a place for themselves in the cellar of their own yard. Underground life lasted until May. All those days they had many conversations and drawings. On one of them, Zoryana drew herself, her mother, her stepfather, and her unborn little sister, with a large flag of Ukraine on the top.

In May, Alisa, the younger sister, was born, and stepfather Vladyslav died at the frontline. In September, Zoryana went to school, and before that, her mother asked the "Maya" fund for help, because it was very hard to buy everything she needed for a kid to study. The first-grader received her backpack: the tablet became irreplaceable for online learning, and she was no less happy with  pencils and felt-tip pens — she still loves to draw very much.

Oleg

On the morning of February 24, 2022, Oleg was planning to go to kindergarten as usual. But when it became clear that the war started, he, together with his parents, 86-year-old granny and 2 dogs, moved to a private house with a basement. They stayed there for a month and a half after Kherson was occupied.

When an opportunity to evacuate appeared, the family went to Lviv through mined locations and passing numerous roadblocks.

Oleg with his father, mother and dog Olivia managed to reach Lviv. There the little kid went to the first grade of the school. Learning takes place in a hybrid format, and a tablet is required for this. Oleg dreamed of it for a long time, but his parents could not buy it because they lost their jobs due to the war. So they asked "Maya" foundation for help. It happened that the school backpack with the long-awaited tablet was delivered to Oleg precisely on his birthday. "It was very touching." — his mother Darina recalls.

Polina

Polina is 6 years old. From the first days of the war, together with her parents, she moved to the school building to live, which became a shelter for them and for other 250 of Mariupol residents. It was exactly the school that our hero planned to go to for her 1st grade.

They spent more than three weeks there without light, with a minimum amount of food and water, without leaving the shelter under the constant sounds of explosions. To leave Mariupol, Polina’s  family had to pass 25 military checkpoints. Fortunately, they were able to leave for a safer city. Girl miss her home: Polina remembers going to the ballet and also the cat Donut and her grandparents, who are still in Mariupol.

After this terrible experience, some health problems appeared. Nevertheless, Polina continued her dance classes, and went to the first grade. This is where maya appeared in her life  — provided tablet is necessary for online studying.

Oleksandra

On the night of March 6, 2022, Alyona, the mother of 6-year-old Sasha and 15-year-old Tolik, had only a few minutes to gather them: a convoy of enemy vehicles entered their village and they must run.

She recalls: “That night we walked 20 km until we were picked up by other evacuees. We are glad we survived, but unfortunately our house is completely destroyed."

Little Sasha often recalls her home and cannot understand where toys are, her pillow and why she cannot eat apples from their  garden. In the new house, the girl helps her mother in the garden, bake something and takes care of her ducklings Dusya, Marusya and Kesha.

When the time for Sasha to go to school came, mom was happy with the help from the "Maya" fund. The tablet became especially necessary, because after a constant stay in a cold shelter, the girl gets ill and then needs to study online. Also, the tablet helps to keep in touch with her friend who left to Berlin because of the war. They even sculpt something together via video calls.

our partners

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team

Masha's photo

Mariia

Our founder and all-around fund manager. She handles donor communications, recruits talents to join the team, builds strategic partnerships, and sometimes creates TikToks too!

Eli's photo

Elya

She is the fund's marketing director. Elia creates campaigns from scratch that bring in tens of thousands. And when she's not doing that, she posts captivating stories.

Jenny's picture

Jane

She is the mastermind of brilliant ideas, transforming them into reality and lending a hand wherever it's needed.

Oli's photo

Oli

She is the closest person to our beneficiaries and an invaluable pillar in solving millions of big and small challenges for the fund.

Vicky's photo

Vika

Our advisor who brings a wealth of expertise in strategic planning and capacity building to our fund, driving innovative initiatives that enhance our impact and ensure sustainable growth

Ina's photo

Inna

She is the compassionate communicator, reaching out to families and collecting all the touching and heartfelt stories to share with our readers.

Natalia's photo

Nata

She is the genius behind the project's extraordinary visual style. As the fund's design director, if you need something beautiful, she's the one to go to.

Tania

Our fundraising director, who combines extensive experience with innovative fundraising techniques, secures critical resources and builds strong donor relationships to support our mission and ensure financial sustainability.

Margaryta

Our graphic designer, who brings exceptional creativity and artistic flair to our projects, creates visually stunning designs that captivate our audience and enhance our brand identity.

Yuliia

Our business development manager, who possesses a deep understanding of market trends and growth strategies, forges strategic partnerships and uncovers new opportunities to drive our organization's expansion.

Sofiia

Our SMM specialist, who excels in social media strategies and engagement tactics, enhances our online presence, fosters community interaction, and drives our digital campaigns to new heights.

Help Ukrainian kids get their first school backpacks. Save their childhood and give them an opportunity to study. Bring a smile to a war-torn kid by donating.