"Leleka" is a charity project (leleka is the Ukrainian word for stork. — RS).

On a special platform, you can buy drawings of children from Ukraine, support them and their families.

The founder and official director

, says that they started to create the platform back in March, but due to problems with paid services, they were able to launch it only in June.

"We have seen all the horrors that are happening, children who are suffering and cannot influence the situation.

Unlike adults who can volunteer and help the Armed Forces, they are only observers of all the horror.

And it was very important for us to build a platform specifically for children," says Alexandra.

Alexander Lomachenko, founder of the "Leleka" project

During this time, about 16,000 images were sent for the project, of which 12,000 have already been published.

"We have temporarily closed the form for accepting new paintings in order to sort out what has accumulated.

The pictures that are sent to us are photographs of a picture on a table, carpet, wall or a picture of a child holding a picture, - explains Alexandra.

"We have more than 20 volunteer designers who process the paintings, it's very meticulous work."

In total, Belarusians were able to collect 18,000 euros for children from Ukraine from the sale of their drawings.

"For children, it is not so important how much money - 20 or 200 euros, the very fact that they have done something is important to them.

And this "something" interested people in the world, the children were supported by buying their paintings.

The children can use this money for themselves, for their families, many children donate to the Military Academy or the Kharkiv Zoo, for example."

"Kids take things very seriously"

Alexandra says that the "Leleka" project is also important for parents.

"We joke that with all the guardian angels we have wished for, we can already fly without airplanes," Alexandra smiles.

- Parents support their children very much.

They tell us how important it is that someone besides them supports their child during this time.

Because you, as a father or a mother, try to protect your child, but you fail to do so, you run out of breath, you don't know how to explain to your child all the horror that is happening around.

And such additional help appears, where parents can say: "Not only we support you, but also the world supports you."

To some extent, this is help not only for children, but also for parents."

Now about 5,000 children's drawings are displayed on the platform.

"About 75-85 percent of families are now in Ukraine.

Our youngest artist is 8 months old, - smiles Alexandra.

- There is a picture with several stripes, but it is very endearing that the parents took the opportunity and sent us a picture.

There are older, adults who are 17 years old.

It is often clear from the pictures that the children studied at an art school and take their work very seriously."

Pictures from the "Leleka" project

"People who are closest to the war buy"

Buyers from all over the world buy paintings, says the organizer of the project.

"We are now in Great Britain, we are actually a British company.

And they buy from France, Germany, Italy, Spain, USA.

But we see that the majority of buyers are in Lithuania and Poland.

Many buyers from Ukraine support their own.

So, people who are closest to the war, who understand the pain of children and why it is important to support them during this period, are the ones who buy," says Alexandra.

Children's drawings are also purchased by entire companies that buy many paintings at once.

“They use them to print postcards, gifts for their partners and customers.

They do this to show that their company is involved and supports social projects.

We really appreciate it, because with one transaction, the company can help two hundred children, and that's great."

Image from the "Leleka" project

"Parents are happy, thank you for the opportunity to show their children's work to many people"

A couple of weeks ago, the "Leleka" project made a set of postcards for the New Year and Christmas.

"We are going to make postcards for Valentine's Day, Easter, and birthdays.

It would seem that many pictures that children send us should be about suffering, about war.

But it is interesting that the vast majority of them are about life: joy, memories of the New Year, about beloved pets, falling in love, about a birthday cake, nature, grandmother's house.

These are such fresh, bright, cheerful pictures."

Alexandra admits that the team was still very worried that they would use the works of children who draw during such a tragedy for the holidays.

"But we received feedback from the families that they were happy.

Parents agree, thank them for the opportunity to show their children's work to many people and, of course, help children earn money and feel important.

This is a signal for us that we are moving in the right direction."

The "Leleka" project is completely charitable, it is staffed by volunteers.

Now the team is trying to find ways to maintain the platform so that sales are constantly going on with minimal involvement of volunteers.

"We are talking about a platform for children, for the future.

We print the cards in a very cool print center in the UK, on ​​paper that is fully recyclable.

It is important to us that when we help children, we invest in the future not only with money, but also with some sustainable practices - we do not pollute the future that we leave to children."

The team plans to develop products with children's paintings that people would use.

"We have quite interesting ideas that we are still investigating.

In cooperation with artists, fashion brands.

We are figuring out how to produce product lines so that children's drawings are on already existing and very high-quality products, rather than creating new and unstable ones."

Now it is important for the project team to encourage companies to buy paintings, because this way we can support more children in Ukraine, says Alexandra.

"With every purchase, one child is made happy.

Goosebumps when you imagine four and a half thousand children standing in front of you.

Therefore, the greatest help now is for companies that learn about "Leleka" to contact us and consider the possibility of buying many children's paintings at the same time.

So that with one transaction, which is insignificant for the company, several hundreds, and perhaps even thousands of children could earn a little money and feel their importance."

Secure communication

with our editors.

HERE