Water Filtration Systems Help Students Return to Learning

Clean Water, Safe Classrooms: Helping Students in Mykolaiv Return to Learning

Since 2022, the ongoing war in Ukraine has upended the lives of countless families living near the frontlines. In Mykolaiv, constant shelling didn’t just damage homes and roads. It repeatedly struck critical infrastructure, including the city’s water supply system, leaving thousands without access to water. Today, many of these systems have been restored, but the water that flows through those pipes still isn’t safe to drink.

For children, this is yet another obstacle to their education. Over the past few years, their learning has been repeatedly interrupted by violence, displacement, and unsafe conditions. To address this, Ukraine introduced strict state-level requirements for schools to ensure that children can safely receive an education, even during wartime. In Mykolaiv, this means functioning bomb shelters and reliable access to clean drinking water are non-negotiable.

water filtration system with tanks - ukraine 3 — The osmosis system purifies water to make it safe to drink and cook with.

Liana gets a closer look at the osmosis system.

CORE staff speaking in front of water tanks and water filtration system - ukraine 2 — Liana and Kateryna with Oksana, a lyceum director.

Over the last year and a half, CORE has installed osmosis systems in four kindergartens and two lyceums*, reaching nearly 900 students. This technology filters and purifies tap water, allowing children to drink safely, wash their hands and faces, and eat meals at school.

“The children and their parents were very happy when they found out that the kindergarten would be open again,” said Lyudmyla Holyan, one of the kindergarten’s directors. The school primarily uses purified water for cooking meals for its students and staff. “Now we have access to pure, high-quality water. We were, of course, happy because we knew that without this system, the kindergarten would not open,” adds Lyudmyla.

woman preparing food — A woman prepares food for students and staff in the school kitchen.

A dining room for students to eat and socialize.

CORE staff speak with lyceum director Oksana.

For Director Oksana Borysovets, installing the water filtration system represented the first step toward welcoming her 200 students back into classrooms, full-time. “Of course, children should study in person because that means live communication. It means contact not only with classmates, but also with the teacher,” she shared.

Last year, the lyceum introduced a hybrid learning model, holding some classes at another location while building their own shelter. The 2025-26 school year will be entirely in-person, an exciting and important milestone for students and teachers.

WATCH NOW | In 2024, CORE rehabilitated schools and shelters near the frontlines >>

*Note: Lyceums and gymnasiums are secondary education institutions, private or government-funded, that provide specialized academic training in a particular area. Kindergartens are pre-primary educational facilities for children ages 3 to 6.

CORE has supported the evolving needs of frontline communities in Mykolaiv since the start of the war. Our tailored programs meet Ukrainians where they are at—whether it’s finding ways to keep homes warm during the winter or repairing vital infrastructure. Learn more about our work in the region.