On September 20, 2017, Olena Polkhovska, Director of the NGO Ukrainian School of Elites, joined the planning of a charity auction aimed at providing the children of the Strong in Spirit International Charity Foundation with a vehicle for visits to the rehabilitation center.

The initiative was inspired by Rivil Kofman, founder of Strong in Spirit, and was supported by members of the Ukrainian School of Elites, Tetiana Kosenko, Director of the Museum of Kyiv History, along with other patrons and volunteers.

The event is scheduled to take place in November 2017.

On April 21-22, 2017, the First Charity Auction “Give a Child a Fairy Tale” took place, co-organized by the NGO Ukrainian School of Elites, represented by its director, Olena Polkhovska.

The Museum and Exhibition Center “Museum of Kyiv History,” in collaboration with the NGO Ukrainian School of Elites, held the Charity Auction “Gift a Child a Fairy Tale.”

“A timely told fairy tale for a child means as much as a therapy session for an adult. The difference is that a child isn’t required to voice conclusions or analyze what’s happening to them; the work takes place on an internal, subconscious level.”

— Rivil Kofman

The main goal of the Auction is to raise funds to purchase a minibus for transporting children with cancer from hospital departments to the “Fairy Tale World” Rehabilitation Center, which operates under the international charity foundation “Strong in Spirit.”

The Auction items include works by renowned Ukrainian and international artists. The Strong in Spirit Foundation, for which the Auction is held, focuses on the rehabilitation of children with cancer, HIV, and multiple sclerosis.

The foundation’s founder, Rivil Kofman (awarded “Pride of the Country” in 2006), is a mother of four and a qualified psychologist. Rivil overcame her own “incurable disease” and now helps children in their fight against cancer.

Rivil works with children using fairy tale therapy and art therapy — creative modeling through imagination. These methods don’t replace traditional treatment but create a positive environment that aids a child’s recovery. Rivil has been practicing these techniques for over 15 years and believes that without a positive mindset and faith, overcoming illness is much harder.

For children in need of rehabilitation, Rivil (known to everyone as “the Fairy”) created the “Fairy Tale World” — a children’s center with themed rooms located at 25 Observatory Street in Kyiv. Children from all oncology departments in Kyiv come to visit, enjoying the chance to leave the hospital and, if only for a while, forget about their illness.

The Foundation currently needs a minibus for comfortable transportation of these children. At present, trips to the center are made by taxi, but the nature of the illness and the condition of the children require specially equipped transportation.

“Strong in Spirit” brings fairy tales, positivity, and faith in the best, helping children return to life!