On the night of 13 December 2023, ballistic missile fragments damaged pre-school No. 655. The kindergarten, which had been operating for 42 years, was in a state of emergency. 195 children from the age of one and their families found themselves in a difficult situation.
The very next day, the Leroy Merlin Solidarity team was already on site and confirmed that they would start rebuilding the kindergarten. ‘I know very well what the foundation does in Kyiv and Kyiv region. The projects of this team inspire great respect. I am very pleased that Leroy Merlin Solidarity was able to provide a lot of help in such a short time. Despite the war, it is extremely important to do everything possible to ensure that children have a normal childhood. The city authorities, for their part, are doing their utmost to ensure that children return to their native kindergarten as soon as possible and are brought up in conditions that are comfortable for their comprehensive development,’ said Taras Krivoruchko, a member of the Kyiv City Council.
The foundation allocated UAH 6 million for construction materials and repair work, which included the complete replacement of broken windows and restoration of damaged walls. ‘We are particularly grateful to Leroy Merlin Solidarity for their quick response. Our pre-school enrols children from the age of one, and I know exactly how difficult it is for parents to travel long distances to take their children to another kindergarten (the nearest one is more than 1.5 km away). The damage was very serious. But thanks to the Foundation’s team, the children are able to go to kindergarten,’ says Larysa Turovets, director of the institution.
In mid-March 2024, kindergarten No. 655 will resume its work. Matthieu-Marie Ardin, President of Leroy Merlin Solidarity Foundation, stressed the importance of the emotional involvement of team members in this project. ‘We held a volunteer event in the kindergarten – Leroy Merlin Ukraine employees, members of our team, and parents of the children came on their day off to putty and prime the walls, glue and paint the wallpaper. It is important for all of us to make our personal contribution to helping people,’ he stressed.
The reconstruction of kindergarten No. 655 is a contribution to the resilience of the Ukrainian economy, as the parents of the children were able to resume their work rhythm with the resumption of the kindergarten’s full-fledged operation. ‘For each of us, the news of the hit to the kindergarten our children attend was shocking. We had to quickly find a temporary replacement for the kindergarten, which is a very difficult task even in peacetime, let alone in wartime. Each of us had to take time off work, look for a nanny or ask relatives. It was a lot of stress. On behalf of the entire parental committee, we thank the foundation for their help.’ Yana Hlyniana, Head of the Parental Committee of Kindergarten No. 655.
