Latvian students collect 8.5 tons of donations for the Ukrainian army in the “Schools for Victory” initiative

In April, the annual charity campaign “Schools for Victory” concluded, in which students were invited to collect donations for soldiers of the Ukrainian army. This year, 116 schools across Latvia participated, jointly collecting about 8,500 kg of donations for the Ukrainian army. The campaign was implemented in cooperation with partners, the charity organization “Tavi draugi,” which is already delivering the donations to soldiers on the front line. Following Latvia’s initiative, this year “Schools for Victory” already unites school pupils and students in nine European countries.

The “Schools for Victory” initiative began in 2023, when 10th-grade student Emīlija Kļaviņa from Āgenskalns State Gymnasium organized a donation drive for Ukrainian soldiers at her school. In 2024, more than 100 schools across Latvia joined the campaign, along with the partner organization “Tavi draugi,” and last year, 201 schools from all Baltic states collected more than 14 tons of donations for the Ukrainian army. This year, the campaign is being implemented on a European scale, and donation collection is still actively ongoing.

To ensure the successful implementation of the campaign, a non-governmental organization has been engaged in each participating country to organize the delivery of donations to Ukraine. In Lithuania, where the campaign is currently in full swing, more than 20 schools are already participating and the number continues to grow; in Poland, four schools have joined; in Estonia, ten; and in the Czech Republic, 24 schools. The campaign is also taking place in the Netherlands, Germany, France, and Denmark.

Emīlija Kļaviņa, author and organizer of “Schools for Victory”: “Cooperation between schools and NGOs across Europe this year transformed ‘Schools for Victory’ from a Baltic-scale campaign into an international initiative. In Latvia, Estonia, and Poland, donations were collected to support Ukrainian soldiers, while in Lithuania schools are focusing on raising funds for electricity generators. In the Czech Republic, with 24 schools participating, donations are directed to Ukraine’s healthcare sector. In France and Belgium, schools are still collecting funds for Ukrainian children’s hospitals. In Germany and the Netherlands, humanitarian aid donations are being collected.” More detailed information about results in European countries will be available on the website Schoolsforvictory.com at the end of May.

In Latvia, students this year were invited to donate instant food, canned goods, biscuits, dried fruits and nuts, tea, coffee, hygiene products, chemical hand and foot warmers, cold medicines, and other items essential for soldiers.

Ulvis Noviks, head of the organization “Tavi draugi”: “We are pleased to be the logistics and cooperation partner of this campaign in Latvia for the third year in a row. Over these years, we have delivered more than 32 tons of items donated by students to the front line. ‘Schools for Victory’ is undoubtedly our largest support campaign for the Ukrainian army, proving that every donation matters and that only together can we help Ukraine achieve victory.”

Continuing the tradition started last year, on February 19, 2026, a large-scale “Schools for Victory” charity concert took place in Riga at the Angārs concert hall as a token of gratitude to students for their support of Ukraine and participation in the campaign. Students were entertained by performances from Fiņķis, Patrisha, Carnival Youth, Kautkaili, Bel Tempo, and Magnuss Eriņš. A photo gallery from the concert is available here.

More information about the campaign and updates can also be found on Instagram at Schoolsforvictory and on the website https://www.schoolsforvictory.com.