Give children in Ukraine the
gift of light this winter
Across Ukraine, blackouts and power cuts have become part of everyday life. This Christmas, Svitlo School pupils will experience their fourth consecutive winter of blackouts caused by the war.
For millions of children across Ukraine, this means trying to learn in the dark. But even when the lights go out, the resilience of our pupils is astonishing. They keep showing up, keen to learn and connect with their teachers and classmates. Svitlo, after all, means ‘light’ in Ukrainian.
This Christmas, send a Gift of Light to our pupils in Ukraine. Your donation provides high-quality rechargеаble products which literally bring light to their world.
A rechargеаble study lamp to illuminate a desk or table during blackouts
A string of rechargеаble fairy lights for comfort and glow during winter months
A rechargеаble portable reading light to read safely in darkness
A power bank to stay connected to lessons and classmates during power cuts
Provides a string of rechargеable fairy lights for a child’s bedroom, bringing comfort and glow
Full Gift of Light package - a power bank capable of charging multiple devices simultaneously, rechargеable study lamp, reading light and fairy lights
Provides a rechargеable reading light to clip onto books in darkness, and a rechargеable study lamp for a desk or table
100% of every donation we receive is used to purchase and deliver Gift of Light packages; no amount is too small to make an impact
Your Gift of Light powers learning, optimism and resilience. It keeps children in Ukraine connected to lessons and classmates, no matter the circumstances.
It reminds young Ukrainians that they’re not alone - that they have support and solidarity all over the world.
This Christmas, we’re asking you to give our pupils what they’ve given us all year - light, energy and hope.
"Power outages in my city make life difficult because communication is something we cannot live without today.
It becomes harder to study and stay in touch with friends and even family. Life feels slower and less productive, and it is difficult to keep up with schoolwork and daily responsibilities.”
Margo, 15 - Svitlo Student
"Studying without electricity has become a part of my reality, but it has also shown me how strong our community is.
Sometimes we sit by candlelight yet lessons at Svitlo School still feel like a place of light. These moments remind me that even in difficult circumstances, we can keep growing together.”
Ulya, 15 - Svitlo Student
"The lack of electricity makes it difficult to use gadgets for studying because they run out of battery, so I use backup power sources like power banks.
I also have to adjust my schedule to the blackout times to make the most of hours with electricity. At least it helps develop my time management skills.”
Polina, 15 - Svitlo Student
Svitlo School will use 100% of donations received to purchase and deliver Gift of Light packates.
We use the platform Just Giving to collect donations securely. Just Giving charges 0% to charities to use their platform, however payment providers take a small fee for card transactions. This is 1.9% + 30p in the UK. Just Giving will pay the transaction fee, then give the remainder to Svitlo School.
You have the option to boost your donation if you would like to cover processing fees, but it is not a requirement.
We are a UK registered charity and we run a free, extracurricular online school in English for Ukrainian children affected by the war. Our pupils are 10-18 years old and we have supported more than 3,000 children since 2022. Svitlo pupils can choose from more than 50 lessons each week, taught in English by native English speakers who are volunteers from all over the world. We also provide scholarships, fully-funded summer camps in the UK and USA, and books and equipment to Ukrainian children and school bomb shelters.
Our pupils are Ukrainian children aged 10–18 years old. The vast majority - 80% - are still living in Ukraine, with the rest living as refugees in host nations including Turkey, Germany and Poland. Many of our students in Ukraine have been displaced from the communities where they grew up, to safer parts of the country. Some of our students are in frontline regions.
All products are sourced within Ukraine. We have sourced a number of Ukrainian businesses with good availability and excellent reviews. This not only supports local economies in Ukraine but ensures speedy, cost-effective delivery and limited carbon footprint.
Our Ukraine-based staff purchase and arrange tracked delivery of each package. All receipts and records are securely stored for transparency.
Yes! Each product meets regulatory standards and has been chosen for safety and quality. The power bank can recharge multiple devices simultaneously on one charge, and the lamp, reading light and fairy lights are low-voltage.
Purchasing and delivery will begin during the campaign in December, and continue throughout January. This helps ensure children receive their gifts early in the winter months when blackouts are felt most severely.
As an online charity and school, we do not have storage capacity to hold products and we would not provide address details for our students or staff, so sending products directly will not be possible. Our staff in Ukraine will purchase local products from Ukrainian businesses and arrange delivery directly to students and their families.
Yes. The Gift of Light makes a meaningful present. Dedicate your donation to someone special on our Just Giving page.
If you run a business, social group or school and would like to be involved, you can sponsor multiple Gift of Light packages or promote the campaign within your networks. We would be delighted to work with you and support you with any materials you might need. We can highlight support from businesses and groups in campaign updates and on our website. Please contact marketing@svitloschool.com to start a conversation.
Svitlo pupils are doing a digital advent calendar this December! Follow us on Instagram @SvitloEducation where you can show your support for Svitlo and hear Christmas messages from a different pupil each day.
