Books For Ukraine | Lemons For Learning

To address the pressing lack of resources in frontline regions of Ukraine, Lemons for Learning partnered with B50, a community of volunteers working in the newly-liberated regions of Ukraine. B50 works to restore affected communities in every sense of the word: from cleaning and rebuilding destroyed settlements, to helping them recover mentally.

The P.AGE Project was launched by B50 to replenish children's libraries in the de-occupied areas to replenish their shelves with a set of 50 books on self-development and self-improvement. By replenishing libraries with new books, they help the entire community, whose children will be able to read them, especially where the invasion has left such a mark that the destroyed villages often have poor internet connection.

Lemons For Learning and P.AGE helped provide books to 3 Ukrainian towns whose libraries and schools were bombed:

Melitopol

Zaporizhia Oblast

The town is 10 kilometers from the border with Russia and is under constant shelling. Bilopillia Gymnasium No. 5, where 114 children currently study, has been completely destroyed. What was left of the library was moved to a new location, where classes continue, but is too small and outdated to meet the needs of its readers. The Gymnasium has many children from underprivileged backgrounds who need special support. Thanks to the new books, these children will plunge into the world of adventures, learn something new and interesting, and at least for a while forget about the war.

Shandryholove

Donetsk

The town experienced extensive destruction under heavy shelling and Russian occupation, and the library and school were both destroyed. In fact, the town is still only 25 km from the front. Of the 100 students the school used to have, only 16 remain. Locals have organized a "library in a backpack" system with the few books that survived, but the collection needed to be replenished, especially with children’s and informational literature. 50 modern Ukranian-language books are an opportunity for the children of Shandryholove to learn despite their surroundings.

Screen Shot 2023-12-14 at 12.11.42 AM.png

Khrystoforivka

Mykolaiv

This library used to be one of the best branches of the Bashtanka Public Library. It played an important role in the community, fostering reading culture among young people. The village was temporarily under occupation, and the Russians set up their base in the library and museum. They burned and destroyed the most important literature in the Ukrainian language, made barricades out of furniture and belongings, and stole property and equipment. The library was in need of a significant upgrade of its collection, as the remaining books were physically and morally outdated and unable to meet the needs of the village's children. Now the 100 children of Khrustoforvika can continue exploring and learning.