Cornerstone laid for ESTDEV-funded bomb shelter at children's emergency centre in Ukraine
Representatives from Estonia, including First Lady Sirje Karis, and Ukrainian government officials have laid the cornerstone for a new bomb shelter at Sunny Hoyse, emergency centre for at-risk children in the city of Zhytomyr.
The children’s emergency centre offers temporary housing and assistance for up to 50 children ages 3 to 18 who lack parental care due to war-related trauma, domestic violence, domestic neglect or parental alcoholism. Children can stay in the shelter for up to nine months to receive counselling and support during their time of crisis.
Margus Gering, head of Ukrainian Reconstruction and the European Region for the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV), said that all children who end up in the centre have experienced traumatic events amplified by the war and face constant air disturbances and bombings.
"These children are the country's future. Today, our newest Estonian Ukrainian cooperation project begins the construction of a bomb shelter at the children’s emergency centre, which is a vital step to ensure that children can heal and grow in a safe environment Gering said.
ESTDEV has developed a standardised multipurpose shelter blueprint that meets modern security requirements, offers protection from various threats and can be adapted for different building types and locations. During wartime, the building can shelter up to 75 people, while in peacetime, these multifunctional spaces can be used for group therapy, educational activities, sports or games.
The first such shelter in Ukraine is being built in the city of Zhytomyr. ESTDEV chose the construction partner through a public procurement process, signing a construction contract worth nearly 500,000 euros with the Ukrainian company Alexander & I, which also partnered with ESTDEV to build family-style small group homes in Ukraine. The new bomb shelter will be completed in early 2026.
“ESDTEV's constant presence in Ukraine creates the conditions for fruitful cooperation, characterized by the fast and high-quality handling of affairs by Estonians. Today is a very good example of this,” said Vitalii Bunečko, head of the Zhytomyr's regional administration.
According to Ukrainian law, all institutions working with children must have proper bomb shelters. At the moment, the Sun House Children's Shelter must use an old vegetable cellar as a place to hide during air raids and bombings. Building a bomb shelter that meets official requirements has been one of the Zhytomyr Region's top priorities in order to continue the shelter's activities and support children in these difficult times.
See more photos from ESTDEV's Flickr.
Laying of the cornerstone for the bomb shelter of the emergency centre for at-risk children "Sunny House"
