Partnerships

PROBLEM STATEMENT

The war has transformed the reality of Ukrainian hospitals. Every day, doctors fight to save the lives of children injured by shelling, suffering from severe trauma, or facing chronic conditions worsened by stress and lack of resources.
The need for modern medical equipment in children’s intensive care units has become particularly urgent. Many hospitals lack it, or their equipment is outdated – yet it is in ICUs where the most important decisions are made: the decision between life and death.

For Kyivstar, which has been implementing the charitable project “Children’s Hope” together with the dobro.ua platform for more than seven years, this became a point of rethinking: assistance to children’s hospitals had to become even more targeted, systematic, and vital.
The new wartime realities posed a challenge – to maintain the stability of assistance and strengthen its effectiveness.

SOLUTION

In June 2025, Kyivstar, together with dobro.ua, launched a new phase of the “Children’s Hope” project – support for children’s intensive care units.
The goal was to provide doctors with modern medical equipment that would allow them to stabilize young patients more quickly and save more lives.

Partnership became the key to effectiveness:

• dobro.ua is responsible for the charitable component – fundraising, procurement, and transfer of equipment.

• The UNBROKEN Center serves as a medical partner and expert hub that identifies hospitals’ needs and provides rehabilitation for children.

At the St. Nicholas Children’s Hospital, part of the UNBROKEN ecosystem, there are currently three children’s ICUs – pediatric, neonatal, and cardiac surgery. In 2024, more than 1,000 children’s lives were saved there. Soon, a fourth unit – neuro-intensive care – will open.
Since the ICUs are located in separate buildings, transferring equipment between them is technically impossible, increasing the need for additional devices.

Kyivstar’s decision:
The company allocated 15 million UAH for the purchase of modern medical equipment for the children’s intensive care units of the UNBROKEN Center in Lviv.

COMMUNICATION CAMPAIGN

In the summer of 2025, Kyivstar launched an emotional video campaign titled “Helping Stories Continue.”
The video tells the story of a young girl enjoying a happy, carefree childhood until she suddenly ends up in a children’s intensive care unit. At her most difficult moment, she is saved by Starzyk, a bright star – a symbol of light and hope representing all donors whose contributions help save children’s lives.
At the end of the video, Starzyk invites everyone to join the cause by sending an SMS to the short number 450028, giving children a chance for their stories to continue.

The video was broadcast across digital channels, social media, and the company’s digital platforms, reaching over 18 million Ukrainians.
This campaign marked the first public stage of the rebranding of “Children’s Hope”, featuring a modern visual identity and the symbol of a star – representing life, care, and belief in recovery.
The rebranding helped refresh the perception of the initiative and attract a new audience of donors.

SUSTAINABLE PARTNERSHIPS AND SYSTEMIC RESULTS

The key strength of “Children’s Hope” lies in its sustainability and long-term partnerships.
Together with dobro.ua, Kyivstar created a transparent and convenient mechanism for charity donations: to subscribe, users simply send an SMS with the number 2, 5, 10, 15, or 20 to 450028.
The number corresponds to the donation amount, which is automatically deducted from each top-up of over 40 UAH.

This simple and sustainable solution allows thousands of people to support children’s hospitals every month, proving that even a small donation can make a big difference.

The partnership with the UNBROKEN Center turned the project into a medical platform for change, where philanthropy is combined with medical expertise, and every equipment purchase has a clear, measurable impact.
This collaboration is not a one-time action, but a systematic, ongoing effort that gives children a real chance to recover.

RESULTS

Over seven years of operation, “Children’s Hope” has supported hundreds of hospitals across Ukraine, raising more than 68 million UAH, of which 43 million UAH was contributed by Kyivstar.
The launch of the intensive care support direction marked a new stage in the project’s evolution.

Key outcomes as of mid-2025:

• 15 million UAH allocated by Kyivstar for equipment for the UNBROKEN Center’s children’s ICU;

• Launch of a new focus area – support for children’s intensive care units;

• Campaign reach: over 18 million Ukrainians;

• 124 media publications nationwide and regionally;

• Thousands of Kyivstar subscribers make regular SMS donations;

• Strengthened trust and positive brand perception of Kyivstar as a company that systematically helps save children’s lives.

SOCIAL IMPACT

“Children’s Hope” has transformed charitable giving from one-time actions into a national sustainable movement.
For Kyivstar, this case proved that a technology company can become a driving force of humanity, while long-term partnerships with dobro.ua and UNBROKEN ensure consistent, measurable assistance to those who need it most.