Ferrexpo allocated $150,000 for the construction of a shelter for a lyceum in the Poltava region

Swiss Iron ore company Ferrexpo allocated $150,000 as part of its Humanitarian Fund for the construction of a shelter in a lyceum in the village of Nova Galeshchyna (Kremenchutsky District, Poltava region). GMK Center was informed about this by the company.

Novogaleshchyna Lyceum is a key institution of education and provides educational services to more than 340 students from 20 settlements of two communities in Poltava region – Novogaleshchynska and Kozelshchynska.

In the conditions of war, in the current academic year, those schools that have properly equipped shelters are working in the offline mode, others are in the online format or in a mixed format. Ferrexpo believes that Ukrainian children should receive quality education even in wartime. Therefore, the Humanitarian Fund not only allocates funds for the lyceum’s shelter, but also undertakes its construction. According to the project, shelter will accommodate 400 people – 340 schoolchildren and 60 personnel of the educational institution.

«Our lyceum is the only supporting educational institution for the entire community, which includes 17 settlements and educates almost 350 children. Since the start of the full-scale invasion, students have been forcibly transferred to online studying for their safety, as the building does not have a bomb shelter. The use of emergency power outages according to schedules and blackouts after rocket attacks deprived children of the opportunity to receive a full-fledged and high-quality education.
The Ferrexpo company is our reliable social partner, together with which we managed to implement many projects for the development of the community. In the last 4 years the insulation of the premises, repairs of the dining room, gymnasium, assembly hall, etc. have been carried out in the lyceum. Total value of works exceeded UAH 10 million.
Construction of a bomb shelter in the lyceum on the territory of the lyceum is extremely important for the community, because it will provide children, teachers and school employees with reliable shelter and safety. On behalf of the entire community, we thank the Ferrexpo company for its stable support, especially in this difficult time,» said Svitlana Samsonova, head of the Novogaleshchynska Territorial Community.

Ferrexpo has been supporting the educational sector of Ukraine for many years through its Charitable Fund. In the ten years since the founding of the fund (from 2011 to 2021), the company has supported more than 90 educational projects, in particular, in 2021, 31 projects were implemented in 7 local and 7 regional schools.

In the first three months from the beginning of the full-scale invasion of the Russian Federation, the company has opened a 24-hour center for the children of employees, where they could stay in a safe environment 7 days a week, as well as study (Ukrainian and English classes, sports and art classes are provided). All care expenses, including three meals a day, were fully covered by Ferrexpo. 120 children attended it on a daily basis.

Despite the war, the company continued its two-year specialized education program. In September 2022, students were enrolled on this program seventh time – 27 students who have exceptional academic achievements, receive intensive training and support in STEM subjects (science, technology, engineering, mathematics), which helps them prepare for admission to leading universities. In this way, the next generation of experts in the Ukrainian mining industry is being trained.

In addition, Ferrexpo expanded the services of the company’s employee welfare program to local schools. Educators are taught stress management techniques so they can protect their mental health and support students in times of war.

As GMK Center reported earlier, in March 2022, the company created a Humanitarian Fund to support the communities in which the group’s enterprises operate, as well as other Ukrainian regions. In the summer of 2022, its funding was expanded to $15 million. Eight regions of the country received assistance from this initiative. As of February 1, 2023, the company has purchased and transferred humanitarian and social goods worth more than $12 million through the fund.