Katerynivka, Kharkiv region — September 4, 2025. 

A newly rehabilitated underground school space has been opened in the bomb shelter of Katerynivka school, allowing 150 students to safely return to their studies. This is the final educational facility completed under the joint project of the Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Ukraine, the UN Refugee Agency (UNHCR), ACT Alliance, and the NGO Common Cause for People, in close coordination with the Kharkiv Regional State Administration and local authorities. 

In partnership with UNHCR, and with contributions from other funding partners like Diakonie ACT Austria (DAA), Neighbour in Need (NIN), ELCA and ACT Alliance, LWF rehabilitated safe and inclusive underground classrooms at the Kharkiv Vocational Railway Transport Lyceum, and in the schools of Pishchanka, Mykolo-Komyshuvate, Merefa, and Blyzniuky. Additional support included providing furniture and equipment for the school in Panyutyne, as well as developing an architectural plan for a facility in Kehychivka. All these educational spaces are located underground, ensuring both safety and access to learning for over 2,500 children in a secure and dignified environment. 

According to the Ministry of Education and Science of Ukraine, since the beginning of the full-scale invasion 4,139 educational institutions have been damaged, with 394 completely destroyed.