“From Big Hearts to Small Ones”: Masha Efrosinina’s Foundation and Visa launch a charity project to help children from war-affected families

Kyiv, July 21, 2022 – Masha Efrosinina’s Charitable Foundation “Masha Foundation” and Visa announce the launch of a charitable initiative, the main goal of which is to help young children from war-affected families.

The first stage of the project is to raise funds for the purchase of 1000 boxes of essential goods for a month for children aged 0 to 3 years, the most vulnerable category requiring special care. The total amount of funds allocated for the implementation of the project will be about UAH 7 million. The organizers plan to collect 4 million hryvnia in charitable contributions. At the same time, Visa will double each contribution by Visa cardholders who join the charitable project.

The second stage will be the purchase of the necessary goods by the Foundation and their delivery to the regions of Ukraine, where there are many families affected by active hostilities: Chernihiv, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Sumy, Poltava, and Zhytomyr regions. With the help of proven contacts of volunteer centers, hospitals, perinatal centers, social centers for mothers and children, resettlement centers with which the Foundation works, we will receive information on the number of local families in need of assistance.

“I have been nurturing the idea of this project since the first days of the war, when I came across videos with mothers who fled the war with a child in one arm, when I read how women gave birth in bomb shelters and basements. I remember giving birth to my children. How I came to the hospital with one heavy bag, and returned with three, because a little baby needs much more than an adult”, says the founder of the Foundation Masha Efrosinina. – I hope that this initiative will get a response in the hearts of Ukrainians. Especially moms. Especially women who, like me, when they hear about more destruction, about the victims of this war, remember their parenthood and understand what kind of help today's mothers with small children need. It is impossible to imagine what is happening in their hearts now. But we can help them."

All children's boxes are distributed according to the set of goods and quantity into three age categories, so that each child receives food, clothing, household goods and toys they need the most:

• children from 0 to 1 year old: 350 boxes;
• children from 1 to 2 years old: 350 boxes;
• children from 2 to 3 years old: 300 boxes.

“As a global company, Visa puts a lot of effort into helping disadvantaged social groups. Caring for children, who are particularly vulnerable segments of society in a time of global change, is our responsibility. That is why we are happy to respond to the proposal of the “Masha Foundation” and implement a project that can help thousands of children get what they need,” comments Svitlana Chyrva, Visa Regional Manager in Ukraine. “A key feature of all our partnership charitable initiatives is the ease of participation for Visa cardholders. We want the users to feel that they are not alone in their desire to help others, so we double every contribution made with a Visa card. Together we can make the lives of children better.”

You can provide children with essential goods by making a donation on the Foundation's website: https://mashafund.org.ua/.   

Goods for the month contained in the boxes:

About the “Masha Foundation”

The Masha Foundation is a public organization founded in 2020 by Masha Efrosinina, a philanthropist, Honorary UN Ambassador to Ukraine and TV presenter. The “Masha Foundation” was created to promote public opposition to any type of violence, to help women and children in need and to educate Ukrainian society in zero tolerance for domestic violence. During the war, the “Masha Foundation” has provided humanitarian and psychological assistance to women, children, the elderly and people with disabilities of all ages. In June 2022, the Foundation launched the “Nezlamna Mama” project, a unique rehabilitation program for women and children affected by the war, specially developed by professionals in the field of psychotherapy and post-traumatic syndromes. This is the beginning of a large flagship project "Nezlamna" from the "Masha Foundation", the main goal of which is the revival and support of Ukrainian women.

About Visa

Visa (NYSE:V) is a world leader in digital payments, facilitating transactions between consumers, merchants, financial institutions and government entities across more than 200 countries and territories each year. Our mission is to connect the world through the most innovative, convenient, reliable and secure payments network, enabling individuals, businesses and economies to thrive. We believe that economies that include everyone everywhere, uplift everyone everywhere and see access as foundational to the future of money movement. Learn more at visa.com.ua.