During April – November, 28 volunteers from 12 different countries worked at the base. There were volunteers from Finland, France, England, Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, Canada, Estonia, America, New Zealand, Australia and Poland.
In total, almost 400 applications were received in 2025, almost double the number of last year.
Many of last year's volunteers returned to the base this year as team leaders, and a few volunteers who were at the base in the spring came back in the autumn. We worked mainly from Monday to Friday.
Volunteers visited schools three days a week. They taught children English through play, games and physical activity. We also organized a football tournament between four schools in co-operation with local authorities, in which a representative of the Football Federation of Ukraine also participated.
As part of organizing the tournament, we signed an official co-operation agreement with the Pryvilne municipality.
We renovated the school volleyball court together with the students and went on a few trips with the children. During the school summer holidays, the language clubs moved to libraries, where the volunteers continued teaching English along with activities they had planned together.
For the first three months, the volunteers also taught English remotely to veterans of the war of aggression, but as the veterans were placed in rehabilitation facilities around the country and even abroad, the teaching fell through due to scheduling challenges.
Like last year, we purchased supplies locally, packaged and sent over 1,000 personal hygiene bags directly to the recipients.
In addition to personal bags, we sent thousands of kilograms of care and first aid supplies, infant formula, adult diapers, new clothes, ready-made food, homemade energy bars, animal food and generators to hospitals, nursing homes and children's homes, animal shelters, civilian frontline towns and directly to the front.
Army units also came to the base to collect humanitarian aid for the troops.
We wove dozens of camouflage nets at the base, all of which were sent directly to the front.
This year, we had a new activity at the local animal shelter. From April to November, we drove an hour to the shelter every Friday to help with anything that was needed. We walked dogs, helped build and paint new shelters, and transported animals to clinic visits.
5 cars went to the front through us this year. One of them went to a rehabilitation facility and four to the military. In addition, from the vehicles donated to us we directed a truck to UkrainApu ry and a large van to Your Finnish Friends ry.
We continue to act as a link for several other Finnish organisations supporting Ukraine. We accommodated, fed and warmed up the sauna for their the drivers. We ordered, packed and shipped the aid they purchased. We also received aid from other organisations from Finland and France to send forward.
A WEEK AS A VOLUNTEER IN UKRAINE:
The week started with the mailing of hygiene bags, one terrain network was completed and a new one was started immediately.
This week we also started the children's language clubs during the summer holidays.
The volunteers plan activities and tasks based on a survey given to the children.
The program includes sports, games, quizzes and art
All in English of course, so that each time you learn something new and your language skills are strengthened.
One visit was interrupted by an air raid warning, a game was played in the shelter that had been thought out in advance in case of an alarm. Unfortunately, this is everyday life for children in Ukraine
Friday was Animal Day again, there was 100 kg of cat food to take away. At the shelter, we spent time with the cats, walked the dogs, and helped build a new shelter.
