Need Has Many Faces, as Does Relief
A war like the one in Ukraine always has multiple fronts. Beyond the immediate consequences of the bloody fighting, the civilian population also has to struggle on many other fronts. Both the Hilti Foundation and company employees therefore support the relief organization Doctors Without Borders as well as projects and initiatives that aim to alleviate in other ways the many forms that suffering can take on for people on the ground.
The support provided by the Hilti Foundation has focused on children and young people. This particularly vulnerable social group is not only defenseless when confronted with the multifaceted hardships of war but will also largely shoulder the burden of reconstruction and the country’s future.
In April 2024, the Hilti Foundation therefore decided to support the “Room for Childhood” project of the charitable Olena Zelenska Foundation, of which the eponymous First Lady of the country serves as patron, and which focuses on children and young people. The Hilti Foundation covered the costs of the construction of two houses in which up to ten orphans and their foster parents could find a new home. The two simple yet functionally equipped houses are situated in the city of Poltava and in the Kyiv region respectively, and were ready to be occupied by families in the middle of 2025.
The two houses are situated in the city of Poltava and in the Kyiv region.
Olena Zelenska Foundation © Hilti Foundation
After the construction work was completed, the funds remaining from the grant awarded were allocated to another project of the Olena Zelenska Foundation: funding one of the 17 “Schools of Superheroes” set up. This initiative aims to make school teaching available in children’s hospitals, enabling young patients, with psychological support, to continue learning and developing essential skills while receiving inpatient treatment.
In addition, in 2025 committed Hilti team members supported the “recovery camps” opened in Ukraine by the charitable organization Sincere Heart. The camps, which last for between one and ten days, have been developed by a team of psychologists, psychiatrists, art and body therapists as well as health play specialists and offer in particular joint psychological and emotional rehabilitation to mothers affected by the war and their children. This involves the provision of specialist psychological support within specially designed programs tailored to individual needs.
The enormous need for these camps is readily apparent: during the course of the war, millions of families in Ukraine have not only lost their homes and their sense of security, but also close relatives. Between 2022 and 2024 alone, the number of children suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder rose from 24% to 34%.
As part of the initiative launched in 2022, more than 250 of these camps have been held, providing support to more than 19,000 mothers and children. The results have been impressive, with around 75% of camp participants reporting a significant improvement in their psychological and emotional condition. In addition, 516 families also received individual support from psychologists at a later stage.
As in previous crises, our country organizations once again displayed remarkable commitment. This meant that Hilti (country) could support local civil defense teams with urgently needed equipment.
We must naturally stress in particular the commitment of our Ukrainian team members, who are themselves directly affected by the war and are forced to witness it firsthand every day. Nonetheless, a total of six urgently needed ambulances were handed over to local emergency services via the Ukrainian national organization in 2025 with the aim of facilitating ongoing transportation of the sick and injured. In addition, locally-based colleagues regularly provide valuable insights and assessments concerning for instance the current situation in the country as well as relief projects available for support. Building on this support, a recent donation from the Hilti Foundation will enable several high‑capacity generators to be delivered to schools across Ukraine. These generators ensure essential services can continue even during extended power outages (e.g., keeping classrooms open). Their impact will be felt immediately and will provide thousands of people with reliable access to education.