Nearly 6,000 devices for Ukrainian education from Amazon

Amazon is one of Olena Zelenska Foundation's reliable partners in the field of education.

At the end of last year, the company donated nearly 5,000 digital devices to Ukraine as part of the Digital Europe project.

All devices, including Fire Tablets and Kindle, will be distributed around ten regions with blended and distance learning, with the support of the Foundation, the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine. Most of the devices will soon be sent to students in the Kharkiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kherson and Donetsk regions, where children currently study exclusively online.

"Because of the war, nearly 1 million Ukrainian children are forced to study online. The safety of our children is our priority. But beyond safety, we want to ensure their future. For this, we need educational gadgets. With the support of foreign partners, my Foundation has already collected and provided about 50,000 laptops and tablets to schoolchildren and teachers. However, there is an urgent need for another 100,000 devices by the end of this year. That's why we've partnered with the Ministry of Digital Transformation and the Ministry of Education and Science to create the Device Coalition, which aims to engage everyone who can help. And we already have the first results," – Olena Zelenska, first lady of Ukraine, founder of Olena Zelenska Foundation.

We are pleased that our partners continue to increase their support for Ukrainian education. During our recent working trip to London we reached an agreement with Amazon to donate nearly 700 more devices to Ukraine. These will be distributed through the Device Coalition.

"I would like to thank Olena Zelenska Foundation, the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine, and the Ministry of Education of Ukraine for their support in ensuring that our donation of Amazon devices reaches children across Ukraine. We hope that our devices will help with their school work and their digital upskilling”, – Eric Saarnio, vice president of Amazon Devices International.

"The development of human capital is one of our main priorities. The world is evolving rapidly, and our children must continue their education despite the challenges of full-scale war. Our mission is to ensure they have access to the necessary technology. This is particularly important as many schoolchildren are in frontline or occupied territories and rely on online education. Thanks to educational initiatives and the support of our partners, Ukraine has received a new shipment of devices that will enable children to attend classes, keep up with the news and stay in touch with their friends," – Mykhailo Fedorov, Deputy Prime Minister for innovation, education, science and technology development – Minister of Digital Transformation of Ukraine.

Today, the need for students is almost 350 thousand devices. The total need and the number of donated devices in 2022-2024 are displayed in real time on the official dashboard of the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine.

"Thanks to our partners at Amazon Devices International as part of the Devices Coalition, we continue to address the critical need for devices for children and teachers in 10 regions that are currently facing the greatest challenges. Each device is an opportunity to go to university, take online classes, and enjoy their favorite hobbies and leisure activities. Behind these seemingly simple needs is every child's right to education and full development. I'm grateful to our partners at Amazon for their important contribution and support of our initiative!" said Dmytro Zavhorodnii, Deputy Minister of Education and Science of Ukraine for digital development, digital transformations and digitalization.

We thank everyone who helps our children have a better future.

Information for reference:
The donation is part of an overall total of 25,000 devices provided by Amazon to support Ukraine; almost 6000 devices were delivered to children in Ukraine for their online education, whilst over 19,000 were distributed to Ukrainians who have been displaced around Europe. For example, Amazon has donated to schools, hospitals, and community institutions in Poland.