The idea of starting a children's project came about by chance. Although there is no such thing as chance in life. Coming back from holiday in the summer of 2003, while still on the train I was seized with the wish to create a children's newspaper. A newspaper that would bring children and parents together; a newspaper that would bring into the home warmth, comfort and good old traditions. I had no idea how to do it. But whoever truly wants to create something always gets their way.
And so in December a new publication called «Little Bee» was registered, and already in March 2004 the first issue of the Odesa publication of 8 pages, «Little Bee», came out and won the children's hearts.
The all-Ukrainian magazine «Little Bee»
Letters of thanks began to arrive. And I had new ideas: I wanted to add new sections and to organise children's parties. By the new year our publication had grown 3 times in size. It had to be re-registered, and we decided that since the people of Odesa had come to love «Little Bee», children from other cities would surely be glad to get to know our publication too.
So «Little Bee» grew from an Odesa newspaper into an all-Ukrainian magazine. The work was in full swing. Having gathered people as energetic as I am, we began organising city children's parties, visiting children in boarding schools and shelters, helping sick children and lonely old people. And out of all this work came the idea of founding a charitable foundation. So in February 2008 the «Little Bee» foundation appeared.
A charitable organisation
БО «Благотворительный фонд «Пчёлка» has been active since February 2008. We give individual help to children with grave conditions, buy expensive medicines and pay for operations and treatment.
We want to bring the children joy by our presence, to give them laughter and smiles, to take their minds off their troubles. For this we run a number of programmes in the oncohaematology department of the regional children's clinical hospital (Odesa, Ak. Vorobiova Street, 3), bring performers and hold various celebrations. The children and their parents look forward to our visits.
The «Little Bee» foundation takes an active part in the life of the city and the region. It builds partnerships with partners abroad. It brings people to the idea of kindness, mercy and compassion. It develops the volunteer movement.
The foundation works with many non-profit organisations. It cooperates with municipal bodies. Since June 2009 БО «Благотворительный фонд «Пчелка» has been a member of the coordinating council of heads of public and charitable organisations under the Mayor of Odesa.
Since November 2010 the all-Ukrainian project «Get well, child!» has been running. Young people of Odesa prepare presents for their peers, and the foundation's volunteers give them to the children.
Since January 2011 the foundation's volunteers have been running three long-term projects: «A toy for courage», «The Merry Doctor» and «Cooking on Fridays». Since the first of August 2011 a teacher has been working in the oncohaematology department.
Since October 2011 the «Little Bee» foundation has been helping to buy test systems for diagnosing various viral infections for the regional blood transfusion station (Odesa, Biskvitnyi Lane, 2).
Since April 2012 the «Little Bee» foundation has been helping to buy medicines and equipment for the burns department of the Odesa Regional Medical Centre (Odesa, Sudnobudivna Street, 1) and for the cardiovascular surgery department of the regional children's clinical hospital (Odesa, Ak. Vorobiova Street, 3).
