Little Mykola Soroka and Roksolana Ostapenko took turns hawking their goods with shouts of “Any item for a hryvnia!” and “Buy Ukrainian!” sincerely inviting the fair’s visitors to taste their delicacies. The five-year-old salespeople, both attending kindergarten No. 39 (The Fairy-Tale Mansion) of the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Ukraine’s Vinnytsia Regional Department, do not understand yet what the anti-terrorist operation (ATO) is, but know well that Ukrainian soldiers need their support and assistance.
“I am selling dried dill, lime flowers, rose hips, and apples – all that my grandmother is growing in her kitchen garden. Buy it, please, while it is cheap,” Soroka appealed to prospective purchasers. The kindergarten’s teacher instructor Lidia Burlaka hurried to help the young salesman. The woman said that the idea to hold a charity fair did not occur out of the blue. The kindergarten’s management regularly organizes events in support of Ukrainian soldiers in collaboration with the parent committee, because almost all fathers of its preschoolers served or are now serving in the ATO area.
“We started this charity marathon back in May,” the teacher recalled. “We wrote letters, drew pictures, baked dough doves, symbols of peace, and carved amulets. We decided to hold a delicacy fair now, and recruited parents and teachers for it. They baked cakes, cookies, and pies, as well as brought preserved foods from home, such as pumpkin seeds, dried fruits, and nuts. We hope that even though our goods are cheap, we will raise the required amount of money.”
The proceeds are to be transferred to the family of a Vinnytsia police officer who was wounded while on duty in the ATO area.
“We met our heroic dads on their return in early October. Out of almost 200 men, just one has not returned yet,” Burlaka continued. “The mere thought that he might have been killed was chilling. Fortunately, he is alive but wounded and needs complex treatment. The patient is now being treated in a Baltic nation. To cure his wounds, we need a considerable amount of money, so we decided to help the hero’s family to the best of our ability.”
While Burlaka was sharing the news with us, her young charges managed to sell almost all of their delicious goods. The young salespeople were very glad to see their business prospering, but regretted their inability to count money on their own.
