During the campaign, people are invited to donate new school supplies and financial means to help pupils from poor and low-income families in Latvia, as well as Ukrainian refugee families, to start school in September. The campaign will run until 30 August.
According to a survey conducted by AKROPOLE shopping and entertainment centers, more than half (55%) of the surveyed parents of Latvian pupils are looking ahead to the start of the school year with some degree of concern. 37% describe themselves as worried, and only 28% as excited.
The survey on preparation for the new school year among Latvian residents with school-age
children was carried out by the research agency Norstat in July and took the views of 511 residents of Latvia aged 25 to 65.
According to the survey, one third of respondents (36%) will be able to allocate up to EUR 100
to prepare their child for school. 39% will be able to afford to spend up to EUR 250 to buy
everything they need for the new school year, and only 12% will be able to spend more than
EUR 250.
To support pupils and their families facing financial difficulties, people are invited to donate new stationery, school bags, sportswear and other school-related items in special donation boxes located in the AKROPOLE Alfa and AKROPOLE Rīga shopping centers until 30 August.
You can also support families by making a non-cash donation at the virtual donation booths that will be located in both AKROPOLE shopping centres, or by making a money transfer on the Ziedot.lv website.
Uldis Augulis (ZZS), Minister of Welfare, backed the campaign saying: “September brings huge changes in many families. While parents of older pupils have a clear rhythm and routine, the little first-grader along with their parents are in a situation where joyous excitement mixes with worry and concern about both the mental readiness of the first-grader and the resources for the learning process. The traditional “Let’s help prepare for school together!” campaign is a good example of how we can all do better and help our fellow families prepare financially and mentally, without forgetting to encourage and sometimes reassure both the first-grader and their parents.”
Rūta Dimanta, Head of Ziedot.lv, said: “For poor large families and Ukrainian refugee families, autumn comes with a challenge and a difficult question – how to provide everything necessary for school. It is most difficult to prepare first-graders for school as they need everything, and the most expensive items are school bags, sports shoes and sportswear. In addition, rising prices often result in families buying lower-quality items that break during the season and then they have to buy new ones. Therefore, I encourage everyone who has the means to participate in the charity campaign, as donations will be turned into practical help to support these families in preparing their children for school.”
All donated school items and funds will be donated to low-income Latvian and Ukrainian refugee families who have applied for help.
