KSE Foundation has completed the renovation of a shelter at Kazanka Gymnasium in the Mykolaiv region, creating a comfortable and functional space for students and teachers.
This is another facility upgraded within the MYRP resilience program with financial support from the UN global fund Education Cannot Wait. The town of Kazanka is located on the border of the Mykolaiv and Dnipropetrovsk regions. Due to its proximity to the combat zone, air raid alerts are frequent in the community. Under such conditions, a properly equipped shelter is critically important for children’s safety and the continuity of education.
“We do not aim to turn shelters into full-fledged classrooms. Instead, we create comfortable spaces where children can continue learning even during air raid alerts. Thanks to the support of our donors, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion KSE Foundation has equipped 114 shelters in schools and kindergartens. As a result, 45,732 children have been able to return to offline learning,” said Maryna Borysenko, Director of Programs and Implementation at KSE Foundation.
Kazanka Gymnasium educates 365 students, including five internally displaced children and five children with special educational needs. At the beginning of the full-scale invasion, the school operated remotely for six months.
The return to in-person classes became possible thanks to the arrangement of a shelter in a basement that had previously been used as a storage facility. The creation of the space was initiated by parents, teachers, and the local council, who carried out basic works and enabled students to return to their desks.
At the same time, the shelter required further upgrades: the premises lacked furniture, a modern ventilation system, backup lighting, and comfortable sanitary facilities necessary for children’s prolonged stay during air raid alerts.
The full scope of renovation works was implemented within a KSE Foundation project, transforming the shelter into a functional and comfortable space for students and teachers.
As part of the project, the following works were completed in the shelter:
- dismantling old partitions, doors, electrical wiring, and outdated ventilation systems;
- installation of new electrical networks and lighting systems;
- installation of a modern ventilation system to ensure proper air circulation;
- installation of internal metal-plastic doors;
- construction of sanitary facilities, including those accessible for people with limited mobility;
- installation of ceramic tiles in sanitary rooms.
“A modern shelter with high-quality ventilation, lighting, and sanitary facilities creates comfortable conditions for children even during prolonged air raid alerts. In addition, one of the rooms has been equipped as a school cinema hall, which we use for learning and other activities that help reduce children’s anxiety,” said Inna Onyshchenko, Principal of Kazanka Gymnasium No. 1.
When needed, the shelter is used for mental health sessions, stress resilience exercises, and activities aimed at reducing anxiety levels. For students with special educational needs, corrective and developmental classes are held regularly. Students of the gymnasium consistently win prizes in subject Olympiads and competitions at the regional and national levels. The school also continues to support the military: currently, three teachers and 20 parents of students are serving in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
The renovated shelter is available not only to students and teachers of the gymnasium. It is also used by 114 students of the children and youth sports school and 92 students of the music school that operate on the premises.
The shelter was equipped by the Charitable Foundation of Kyiv School of Economics — KSE Foundation. This project is implemented within the long-term Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP) and is funded by Education Cannot Wait (ECW), a UN global fund that supports education in emergencies and protracted crises. In Ukraine, MYRP is implemented with the support of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.