Chernihiv and Krakow are separated by a thousand kilometres, and of course, the border between Ukraine and Poland. However, kindness knows no borders, and there are no strangers to children, as they say. These two cities are united by the WINGS charity project, initiated by Kateryna Bobrovnyk, who lives in Krakow and implemented by Kateryna Lytvyn, based in Chernihiv. Thanks to this project, philanthropists from different countries now support nearly two hundred children whose parents are fallen Ukrainian defenders.
Kateryna Bobrovnyk: physically in Krakow – her heart is in Ukraine
Kateryna Bobrovnyk is originally from the Chernihiv region of Ukraine. She briefly worked in a regional centre, in purchasing and marketing. Although her sister currently lives in Chernihiv, Kateryna has not been back since the COVID period. For the past several years, she has made her home in Krakow, where a branch of the Swiss company she worked for in Ukraine is located.
Kateryna moved to Poland in search of promising job opportunities. Over the last six years, she has fallen in love with her new country, learned the language, and built a successful career. She also got married and gave birth to a son. However, since the onset of the full-scale war in her home country, Kateryna has struggled to find peace of mind. News from her native Chernihiv region weighs heavily on her heart.
Finding ways to help
“My birthday is in June,” Kateryna shares. “At first, I didn’t want to celebrate. It felt impossible to celebrate when there was a war in my country. But then I realised I would still receive gifts from my family and friends. Instead, I asked them for money and sent it to help my home country. My husband suggested sending the funds to volunteers who collect for the needs of the Armed Forces, but I didn’t want to finance the purchase of weapons.
I reflected on my role as a mother. My son is growing up in a peaceful country with a full family, but what about the Ukrainian children who have lost one of their parents during the war? That’s when I decided to raise money to organize a holiday for these children.”
Two Katerynas giving children wings.
According to Kateryna Bobrovnyk, she posted an announcement on her social media page before her birthday, providing details of her Polish and Ukrainian bank accounts. Her parents and friends from Ukraine, Portugal, the United States, and Polish colleagues and acquaintances, transferred money to her. The project initiator quickly began searching for someone in Chernihiv to manage holiday plans for the children of defenders, and to handle financial issues and reports. Kateryna Bobrovnyk couldn’t manage this herself because, at the time, her son was less than a year old, and she couldn’t leave Krakow. Several friends advised her to reach out to Kateryna Lytvyn, the deputy head of the Department of Culture and Tourism at the Chernihiv City Council, who was known to have considerable experience organising events for children. All her friends described Kateryna Lytvyn as a decent and trustworthy person.
“Hello! We haven’t met, but I have an idea, and I’m asking for your help”. This was the message Kateryna Lytvyn received from Kateryna Bobrovnyk on social media. She responded positively, and thus, their collaboration began.
“In the summer of 2022, Kateryna proposed supporting children of Chernihiv who had lost one of their parents in the war,” Kateryna Lytvyn recalls. “With the money our friends donated for our birthdays, we bought gifts and organized a party with animators for 30 children in our city. We seemed to understand each other perfectly from that first conversation, and it transpired that the summer event was just the beginning. Perhaps the universe brought us together to help children, like birds, with only one wing. At some point, in brief conversations on social media, we started saying ‘Our wings’ more frequently. This marked the beginning of a separate project called #WINGS.”
Going to Lviv for the holidays
According to Kateryna Lytvyn, for two years, the funds raised by Kateryna Bobrovnyk have been used to prepare the children of fallen Chernihiv defenders for school, providing everything from desks to backpacks and notebooks. They celebrated Christmas twice with the children, hosted Chocolate Day with chocolate-making masterclasses, organised outings with stand up paddle boards, held sports competitions, enjoyed picnics in the countryside, and more.
For instance, a few months ago, the #WINGS project gave gifts to local half-orphans at the opening of a bicycle parking lot at a Lyceum in the village of Kolychivka.
“Thanks to this project, my 10-year-old daughter Victoria now has the tablet she has long dreamed of,” says Kateryna Pelyo, the widow of a fallen soldier. “She studies English with an online tutor, which she previously did over the phone. The tablet is much more convenient for her. Her two-year-old son Andrey received a bicycle, and he has already learned to pedal, so we’ll have another cyclist in our village come spring. He also loves the musical toy that came with the bike. We are sincerely grateful to both Katerynas for their care.”
“The Wings project provided my 11-year-old daughter Anastasia with a gift for September 1st,” adds Tetiana Vereshchagina, the widow of a fallen soldier from Kolychivka. “My daughter received a scooter and a backpack. She was overjoyed with the gifts. It was a surprise for her, and I am truly grateful to all the kind people of Poland who funded gifts for Anastasia!”
A month ago, with the help of #WINGS philanthropists, the two kind Katerynas, along with Kateryna Bobrovnyk’s good friend Anna from Krakow, raised money to renovate the playground at Chernihiv Kindergarten No. 76, ‘Golden Fish.’ They are also working to take 196 children from Chernihiv to Lviv for the holidays. They initially planned to do this on Christmas Eve; however, they did not have enough money at that point and hope to raise the necessary amount by Easter.
‘When we are giving, it’s Christmas.’
“Over the past two years, Katya Lytvyn and I have never met in person, and that remains the case for the foreseeable future,” says Kateryna Bobrovnik. “However, I have never regretted our collaboration. Whenever I requested it, she consistently sent me all the documentation and reports regarding the funds spent, and she did so in a timely manner. In return, I reported this information to the people who provided the money. They often advised me not to do this, saying they already trusted me, but I needed to keep a record to sleep well at night. By the way, I added ten per cent to every amount I received. I considered it a sort of church contribution. As my late grandmother used to say, ‘Those who give to charity will not become poor.’
Kateryna Bobrovnyk believes that thanks to the project, she feels a sense of involvement in supporting Ukraine during the war. She considers this cause vital and refers to Ukrainian children as superheroes, convinced that the nation’s future is shaped in tough times like these.
“Every time we love and every time we give, it’s Christmas.” Kateryna Lytvyn shared this quote by Dale Evans Rogers on her social media page. I am certain that both Katerynas, on either side of the border, always carry Christmas in their hearts. I believe they will succeed in bringing the little children from Chernihiv to Lviv.
The author: Liudmyla Pryimachuk
Ukrainian language editor: Anastasia Zanuzdanova
English language editor: Helen Lewis
Photos: Kateryna Lytvyn and Kateryna Bobrovnyk
