School Bus and 1,500 Backpacks Head to Frontline Sumy Region
A school bus that once transported passengers on the Dutch island of Schiermonnikoog is about to begin a crucial second mission — this time in Ukraine’s frontline Sumy region.
The project is a joint initiative between LifeLine Ukraine and People for People, responding to an urgent request from the municipality of Krolevets. Due to destroyed infrastructure, heavy snowfall and the loss of previous school buses during the war, hundreds of children have been unable to safely reach school for months.
Identified on the Ground
Through its local team in Ukraine, LifeLine Ukraine identified the lack of safe transport as one of the most critical barriers to education in the region. In Krolevets — located just 50 kilometres from the Russian border — public transport has largely come to a halt. Although three schools continue to provide in-person education in underground shelters, more than 1,800 students depend on safe transport from surrounding rural villages.
Without a bus, many children rely on parents to drive them over dangerous roads — an impossible task for numerous families.
Based on direct consultation with local officials, LifeLine Ukraine prioritised the provision of a school bus as the fastest and most impactful solution.
Rapid Mobilisation
Following the needs assessment, People for People mobilised its Dutch business network and secured a suitable vehicle within one day. Pouw Vervoer made the bus available and prepared it technically for operation under Ukrainian conditions.
LifeLine Ukraine coordinates the implementation on the Ukrainian side, including alignment with the municipality, transport logistics, and integration of the bus into the local school system.
1,500 Backpacks and Essential Supplies
The bus will depart fully loaded with:
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1,500 backpacks filled with essential school supplies
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hundreds of handwritten cards from Dutch schoolchildren
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computers, clothing, hygiene kits and other emergency goods
For the community of Krolevets, the bus represents more than transport. It restores daily structure and safe access to education — and will also enable children to participate again in sports and social activities.