Teacher and students in Kherson make adaptive clothing for wounded Ukrainian soldiers
Olena teaches labor studies in one of the schools in Kherson, a Ukrainian city on the southern front line, and sews adaptive clothing for wounded soldiers and civilians.
Her team includes 20 students. The children create souvenirs and protective charms that are placed in clothing packages or sent abroad for charity fairs. According to Olena, every participant receives a creativity kit by mail.
"We purchased bead-weaving looms that I send to the children. They receive beads in different colors for the project, along with glue, thread, accessories, bead trays, and needles. Of course, I also include sweets, tea, and greeting cards so the children can sign them in their own handwriting," Olena explains.
She learned about the Shveina Rota ("Sewing Platoon") volunteer initiative, which makes adaptive clothing, through social media and joined it in August 2023.
"During one of our class meetings, the children told me they couldn't help because they didn't have money. Their parents made donations, but the kids felt they had nothing to contribute. That's when I came up with the idea of involving them directly. When the founders of the Sewing Platoon learned about our work, they suggested creating our own logo and becoming the Kherson Sewing Platoon," Olena says.
Olena spends her free time sewing adaptive clothing. Patterns and video tutorials are available on the official Sewing Platoon website, making it easy for volunteers to join the effort.
She says volunteer work often becomes a family effort. Her daughter, Marharyta, helps as well. "She specializes in cutting Velcro strips and trimming corners," Olena says.
The teacher from Kherson has never counted how many pieces of adaptive clothing she has made over the past three years.
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19 of June 2026
