Service is at the very heart of Freemasonry, and in Essex, Orsett Lodge and local charity ‘Get Started Art’ combined recently to capture the very essence of service by delivering aid to thousands of children in Ukraine.
A momentous fundraising effort led by Steve Bruyel, Deputy Provincial Grand Charity Steward of the Orsett Lodge and Get Started Art, resulted in the delivery of 10,000 Art Therapy Books and over 1000 Colouring Sets to schools and children's groups in Irpin and Bucha.
The books, designed by Essex Freemason Dave Barton (Get Started Art) to feature the colours of the Ukrainian flag and translated, have been delivered to schools throughout the region by directors of Ensign Bus. This is part of their logistical support initiative to provide aid and relief to the war-torn country.
At least 487 children have been killed and 954 injured since the war began, according to the U.N. Human Rights Office's monitoring mission in Ukraine.
More than 5,000 children in Bucha and Irpin are now studying in rebuilt schools, including the Irpin school, which was 70 per cent destroyed and whose restoration was funded by the European Union. This school is fully operational and provides 1,700 students, including children of internally displaced people, with full-time education.
Kindergarten Rūta will be another of the beneficiaries of the Freemason's incentive after the heavily damaged kindergarten emerged anew from the aftermath of Russian aggression. Supported by over 4.9 million Euros from the Fund for the Development Cooperation and Humanitarian Aid, the rebuilding was implemented by the Lithuanian Central Project Management Agency (CPVA), which has been running infrastructure initiatives on the ground since 2014.
Rasa Suraučienė, Deputy Director of the CPVA, emphasized,
“Even in times of war, schools and kindergartens must be rebuilt to ensure the continuity of Ukrainian children’s education, as well as an opportunity for parents to work and contribute to the countries’ recovery. Reopening on Ukraine’s Independence Day is a symbolic sign of our dedication and unwavering support. This project is a concrete and tangible example of Lithuania’s assistance and an act of hope.”
The battle of Irpin was part of the Kyiv offensive in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine for control of the city of Irpin. The combatants were elements of the Russian Armed Forces and Ukrainian Ground Forces. The battle lasted from 27 February to 28 March 2022 and ended with Ukrainian forces recapturing the city.
The battle was part of a larger operation to encircle Kyiv, the capital city of Ukraine. The Ukrainian forces resisted the Russian advance in the capital's western suburbs of Irpin, Bucha, and Hostomel. The battle was marked by fierce urban fighting, and nearly 70% of the city was heavily damaged or destroyed as a result.
