Fundraiser Lends a Hand to Ukrainian Children Near the Frontline
Vytautas Magnus University (VMU) invites the public to support Alex21, an NGO which delivers supplies to hard-to-reach areas to Ukrainians in need. The initiative’s latest fundraiser is dedicated to gifts and essential items for children who live near the frontline.
“Information about the initiative reached VMU through Svetlana Olegov, a university student and the sister of NGO Alex21’s co-founder. Svetlana, a Lithuanian whose mother is from Ukraine, shared the story of her older sister Liz, who travelled to Lviv shortly after the fullscale invasion to evacuate their grandmother, who ultimately refused to leave. Liz remained in Ukraine, and three months into the war, co-founded Alex21, which has since been actively providing humanitarian assistance” explains Kateryna Horiunova, Coordinator of the Mariupol University Centre at Vytautas Magnus University and Transform4Europe project coordinator at VMU.
Kateryna Horiunova, Coordinator of the Mariupol University Centre at VMU and Transform4Europe project coordinator at VMU
Since 2022, Alex21 has launched an annual Christmas fundraiser called “Become a Santa” to provide gifts for children living in frontline villages and towns. Unlike mass-distributed aid, each gift is individually selected based on the child’s age and gender, ensuring every present is personal, meaningful, and delivered to a specific child. Although small in scale, the NGO specialises in reaching areas close to the frontline that many organisations avoid due to high risk.
With the team permanently based in Ukraine, Alex21 operates with full transparency and a zero-intermediary approach, sourcing supplies and delivering them directly to those in need in hard-to-reach areas near the frontline. Aid ranges from tactical medical kits and tourniquets to food, power banks and thermal clothing, supporting civilians, children, and refugees.
Alex21 operates in mainly high-risk environments, often within 3–50 km of active frontline zones, reaching communities under shelling, recently liberated towns, isolated settlements, as well as local police units, fire brigades, and medical points with no other support. They work through trusted local partners, volunteers, and civilians, prioritising: small, controlled supply chains, direct handover to recipients, verified documentation, safety and efficiency. Donations enable the purchase, distribution, and safe delivery of essential food, medical, relief, and other needed supplies.
Vytautas Magnus University has been providing aid and support through its Ukrainian Centre, which was founded in 2022 at the initiative of the First Ladies of Lithuania and Ukraine Diana Nausėdienė and Olena Zelenska. The centre has united the Ukrainian community in Lithuania and offered them an open space for cultural, educational, and community services and events such as international conferences. The Centre has become a second home for Ukrainians, attracting thousands of visitors each month and hosting hundreds of activities.
Lending a hand to Mariupol State University (MSU), which had to re-locate to Kyiv after its buildings had been demolished in the war, VMU opened the Centre of MSU, allowing the university to conduct activities remotely. In solidarity with Ukraine’s ongoing blackouts, the Centre of MSU has set up a Christmas tree which has no lights – yet it remains bright and beautiful.
