Restoring warmth and light for Ukrainian kindergarteners affected by power outages
February 24, 2025 marked the three year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. The invasion and resulting conflict have displaced nearly 11 million people from their homes, forcing them to seek shelter in other parts of Ukraine or in neighboring countries. Although it sometimes feels as if the world has “moved on,” daily reminders of the war remain all too real for children at Kindergarten No. 72 in Chernihiv in northern Ukraine.
The Russian military continues to carry out devastating attacks in this area, and because Ukraine has lost about two-thirds of its generation capacity, planned power outages are a common but lesser-known challenge throughout the country. Some areas experience outages between eight and 20 hours in a day.
To mitigate this challenge for the kindergarteners, Peace Winds recently installed a generator at Kindergarten No. 72. When emergency alerts are issued and the children evacuate to the school’s underground shelter, power outages have often left them sitting anxiously in the dark for hours at a time. This has also affected electricity in other parts of the school–outages in the kitchen prevent children from receiving hot meals, and interruptions to the heating system leave classrooms cold amid Ukraine’s freezing winter temperatures. Teachers say that the new generator will provide peace of mind, ensuring that the rooms where students spend most of their day remain warm and bright.
About 150 children between the ages of two and six attend Kindergarten No. 72. Many of them are part of families with single mothers whose husbands are either serving in the military or have died in the war.
“To support these mothers, all the staff put their heads together to create an environment where the children feel safe,” the school’s principal said. “When we know that the kitchen will not be available due to a planned power outage, we start preparing meals from 4 a.m. to avoid it. When there is absolutely no electricity, we make sandwiches and other meals that don’t need to be heated.”
Kindergarten No. 72 principal (left) and kitchen staff (right)
Although Russia’s attacks often leave students in scary situations, parents feel better knowing that their children are kept safe at school in the underground bunker. “It is safer for them to be at kindergarten than at home,” one mother said, “where there is no underground shelter.”
Kindergarten No. 72 was closed for two years beginning in 2022 after a Russian missile strike destroyed the roof and some of its walls. However, Peace Winds stepped in to repair the damage, install double-glazed windows, and install new heating equipment, and the school reopened in 2024. Now there is a waitlist of 27 additional children whose parents hope to enroll them at Kindergarten No. 72.
Despite the feeling of relative safety the school provides, another mother who spoke to Peace Winds said she just wants her children to know peace. She lamented the fact that they have been living in a state of war since they were born. “I believe the adults need to do the right thing,” she said, “respect each other, find compromises, refuse to tolerate violence so the children don’t have to suffer the consequences.”
All of us at Peace Winds extend our hearts to the individuals traumatized by this war, and we will continue to carry out relief efforts in Ukraine and Moldova. Funds for the generator and installation at Kindergarten No. 72 were contributed by Peace Winds supporters in Japan and elsewhere. Contribute to our work for those affected by the war in Ukraine by visiting our donation page here and selecting “Ukraine” in the dropdown menu. We are so grateful for your support.
Watch a special feature on Kindergarten No. 72 which aired on Nippon TV on 2/22/25 (Japanese only)