I am the author of the Goodacity blog, a journalist, and a translator. For 16 years, I have worked in professional journalism, contributing to regional and national publications, both in print and online media. I have written reports, conducted interviews, reviews, articles on cultural, social, and charitable topics, as well as materials in the style of "solution journalism" and communication materials.
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I am a manager of cultural affairs and a project manager with over 14 years of experience at United Thinkers. I have participated in the organization of numerous successful social and charitable projects and have implemented informational campaigns and communication cases.
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A Sweet Endeavor - Supporting the Ukrainian Armed Forces!
Ihor from Dnipro, Ukraine, has just turned 10. For almost a year and a half, this young volunteer has been selling handmade lollipops – and the proceeds are his way of helping the Ukrainian military!
He started his “sweet endeavor” with a big heart at just eight years old – and in this time, he has received countless “thank yous” from Ukrainian soldiers and raised nearly 90,000 hryvnias for our defenders!
“Buy lollipops to benefit the Armed Forces!”, he calls out in a clear voice, having set up his “workplace” with treats right on the street, humming and dancing along.
In the summer heat and autumn bad weather, and even despite the winter cold, his enthusiasm does not cool – weather challenges might slow down the “sweet endeavor”, but they can’t stop it!
“He does this on his own, consciously, and with immense desire,” says Ihor’s father, Denys.
It’s with him and Ihor that we talk about the “sweet endeavor” in support of the Armed Forces!
"Dad, how can we do more to help our military?"
“Ihor, sweetheart, there’s an air raid warning…” our conversation starts amid the wail of sirens. 10-year-old Ihor quickly gathers his simple childhood treasures and rushes to a relatively safe place.
“We don’t ignore the warnings – the enemy frequently targets Dnipro,” says the boy’s father.
“During the last massive missile attack, it was very loud and scary – Ihor was frightened… But once he had recovered from the shock, he said: ‘We need to make more lollipops and help even more – so our military have everything they need to protect us!'”
Where did the “sweet endeavor” begin? Probably from the same place it does for everyone – the desire to help! When the full-scale Russian invasion began, Ihor and his father Denys were alone, and the father would take him to work and everywhere else, afraid to leave him home alone. Together, they went to volunteer centers: they brought items from home to cut into strips for Molotov cocktails – preparing to defend with whatever they could. Ihor seemed to grow up overnight, seeing the immense support from all corners for Ukraine’s military. There was a singular drive – to do something!
“I remember when Serhiy Prytula announced a mega-fundraiser for Bayraktar drones, and we wanted to contribute. I had only 37 hryvnias on my card – and I sent it all. Then my son came up, asking: ‘Dad, how can we do more to help our military? What if I sold all my toys, could we buy them a ‘bayraktar’?” Ihor had many creative ideas about how we could assist the military, and after considering them all, we decided on making lollipops – with Ihor insisting on being involved in the process of making and selling them.”
In the small kitchen of the dormitory where they have lived for the past three years, work is underway: caramel boils for lollipops.
“The process looks like this: the hottest part of making lollipops – melting the sugar caramel – is done by me, because handling 140-degree caramel on the stove, which needs stirring and adding new ingredients, can be dangerous for a child…”
“I’ve got a few burns to remember it by,” explains Mr. Denys. “Ihor’s responsibility is to set up the molds (special silicone forms for lollipops), insert the sticks. And – of course, distribution – that’s entirely his domain!”
In a week, they can make up to two hundred lollipops! They started with ordinary classic lollipops, but now the flavor range has expanded significantly, offering something even for the most discerning gourmets: mojito, lavender, barberry, green apple, nut, peach, cherry, orange, watermelon gum. They experimented with various flavors, perfected recipes for each type of lollipop, tasted (Ihor’s favorite part!) and many flavors were discarded – now there are 14 flavors that have passed rigorous selection.
Supporting the Military - Already 90,000 Hryvnias!
The lollipops that Ihor sells for the benefit of the Ukrainian Armed Forces, priced at 10 hryvnias each, have a distribution where 8 hryvnias go directly to the military, and 2 hryvnias are retained for materials.
“Have you calculated how much you’ve already helped our military?” I ask Mr. Denys.
“According to our records, almost 90,000 hryvnias!” he says. “It often happens that upon seeing the sign ‘To help the Armed Forces,’ people leave much more than the cost of a few lollipops they buy, or even ‘suspend’ sweets for others: they pay for a dozen lollipops and ask to treat, say, the local kids. Ihor takes these requests very seriously, running after the kids, offering them treats, for him, it’s an incredibly pleasant mission!”
To demonstrate their intentions’ purity and their operation’s transparency, Ihor and his dad have an option where a person can donate a certain amount to a trusted volunteer fund in their presence and receive lollipops from them in exchange. They themselves send the money earned from selling lollipops to large volunteer funds like “Come Back Alive”, the Serhiy Prytula Foundation, or United 24, as well as to specific requests from various units that need to cover immediate needs – whether it be a sniper needing a scope or Ukrainian defenders near Avdiivka needing parts for drones. Supporting Ukraine’s military is crucial in every way!
“The thanks from the military or ‘souvenirs’ from them – patches, signed shell casings – Ihor is incredibly happy about! A thank-you letter from a unit hangs on the wall in our room: for my son, this is very powerful and meaningful, as he can clearly see and understand that his work is not in vain! There’s even a piece from a downed Russian aircraft!”
“Not just any aircraft, but an SU-34! – Ihor joins the conversation. – Our military shot it down and gave it to me! They’re really cool, the best in the world!”
Ihor even sells lollipops in winter, but spends less time outside with them when it’s cold, and in summer, he’s free to do as he pleases! There were days when he couldn’t sell a single lollipop, feeling very down, but the next day he would gather all his strength and go out with them again!
“I explain to him – even if it’s a small act, the main thing is not to give up and to do it consistently! After all, even the ocean is made up of tiny drops, and all great help consists of small daily steps! And my son understands this. I don’t remind him every day that he has to go sell lollipops: he approaches this very consciously, does his homework, eats, and gets to work!”
Ihor has two places where he sells lollipops, and even has regular customers. He calls out to buyers so actively, so sincerely, so energetically – it’s clear that he does this from the heart! Despite being born in Russia and spending the first years of his life there, he has grown up a true Ukrainian patriot!
“I met my wife, who lived in Tyumen, twelve years ago online, fell in love, and went there to her. We immediately planned to live in Ukraine – however, we decided to work there for a few years to save up for our own home. When Ihor was born, I taught my son at home using Ukrainian books. From an early age, he spoke and read Ukrainian – it was very important to me.”
“We came here, to Dnipro, a year and a half before the full-scale invasion – we only had enough money for a room in a dormitory, but we are happy even with that. The main thing is – we are Home! And we will continue to help our military, who protect our common home, our Ukraine, in any way we can! We really want those who defend our land from enemy invasion to feel our support. Thanks to everyone who helps and donates, thank you to the Armed Forces for every new day!”.
