Heroes for a warm home – Julian Erjautz
He is deployed in the world's crisis hotspots. Whether wars, floods or earthquakes - the 33-year-old is always one of the first on the ground for SOS Children's Villages.
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Vaillant Group
A warm and cosy home for those fleeing from war
Vaillant contributed extensive state-of-the-art heating technology to help rebuild the SOS Children’s Village in the Ukrainian city of Brovary. The 16 houses in the village are currently providing a temporary home to children and families from the disputed territories.
Like a little piece of paradise
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The pastel-coloured houses are nestled amidst tall trees. Children are painting pictures in chalk on small driveways. These are the kind of carefree surroundings that parents the world over want for their children.
The families living here, however, have only just fled from the onslaught of Russian soldiers, tanks and missiles in their homeland.
SOS Children’s Village Brovary, which is situated roughly 20 kilometres north-east of the Ukrainian capital Kyiv, was initially evacuated shortly after Russia invaded Ukraine. It now serves as a refuge for families who have fled from the disputed territories in the east and south of the country, giving them some respite from the horrors of war and their own traumatic memories.
Vaillant Group
SOS Children’s Village Brovary is situated about 20 kilometres from Kyiv. As part of their international partnership, the Vaillant Group has been supporting SOS Children’s Villages in Ukraine for several years.
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The 16 houses can accommodate up to 13 families, offering a safe haven for up to 90 children.
© SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine / Oleksandra Zborovska
Vaillant Group
22 employees currently look after the children who have sought refuge from the war at SOS Children’s Village Brovary.
Vaillant Group
“A lot of psychological assistance is required,” explains Olena Kripak, who, as Programme Director, is responsible for the support provided at the SOS Children’s Village. “Most of the families are internally displaced persons and have gone through things that most of us could barely imagine.”
The SOS Children’s Village in Brovary strives to give children and families from war-torn regions at least some sense of normality. Alongside a feeling of safety and extensive social support, the aim is also to provide residents with a new, warm and cosy temporary home.
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The children have lost everything in the war – their homes, their relatives.
Programme Director at SOS Children’s Village Brovary
Vaillant Group
Although the SOS Children’s Village did not sustain any major damage when Russian troops invaded at the start of the war, it was still in need of significant modernisation work. The previous heating equipment, for instance, was inefficient and prone to breakdowns, even though the SOS Children’s Village – now more than ever – relies on a cost-effective heating supply. As such, the donation of state-of-the-art heat pump systems by the Vaillant Group came at just the right time.
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Comfortable conditions thanks to hybrid heat pump systems
The Vaillant Group donated a comprehensive package of modern heating technology as emergency relief. Delivering to a war zone was challenging, but a cross-departmental team pulled it off, with hybrid heat pump systems now heating and cooling the 16 houses. aroTHERM air-source heat pumps, coupled with exceptionally efficient, cutting-edge ecoTEC condensing boilers, deliver highly efficient heating, even in cold conditions. This is a key point, as winter temperatures in the region around Kyiv can fall as low as –35 degrees Celsius. In summer, the thermometer can reach the opposite extreme, with record temperatures up to 45 degrees Celsius. During summer heatwaves, heat pumps have a cooling effect and ensure pleasant conditions.
Installer Oleksandr Podluzhny and his team renovated the houses before the start of the heating season. “First and foremost, the new heating equipment makes us more economical.” Families with ten to twelve children live in each house, meaning that a considerable amount of hot water is required on a daily basis.
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The Vaillant Group has fully upgraded the heating equipment in the village.16 environmentally friendly heat pump systems ensure pleasant conditions in summer and keep residents warm and cosy in winter.
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The state-of-the-art hybrid systems – a combination of heat pump and gas-fired heating system – were installed by a specialist regional firm.
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With temperatures plummeting as low as –35 degrees Celsius, winters in Brovary can be bitterly cold. The installed heat pump systems enable efficient and energy-saving heating, even in freezing conditions and unrenovated buildings.
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Several lorryloads of donated heating equipment on their way to Ukraine. Delivering to a war zone is a challenge.
Believing in the future
The Vaillant Group’s Ukrainian sales company has been supporting the local SOS Children’s Villages organisation for many years, providing young people with internships and summer jobs, for example. Just before war broke out, funding was also started for health insurance for 75 children under the care of the Ukrainian SOS Children’s Villages.
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"The Vaillant Group is a family business. For us, supporting the children and families in the SOS Children’s Village is a matter of course, especially in times of war."
Alexander Rohn,
Country Director, Vaillant Group Ukraine
The Vaillant Group and “SOS Children’s Villages worldwide” have an international partnership. For more than a decade, the company has been supporting the children’s rights organisation with modern heating technology and a wide range of social projects. Because every child needs a warm home.
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A strong commitment to children and families in Ukraine
Since 2022, support for children and families impacted by the Russian invasion of Ukraine has played a central role in the international partnership. Shortly after war broke out, the Vaillant Group launched a global employee fundraising campaign; the company doubled all the donations received, increasing them to a total of €255,000, which benefited the humanitarian work carried out by SOS Children’s Villages on the ground. In 2023, the family-owned company supported the reconstruction of the SOS Children’s Village Brovary by contributing modern heating technology. On GivingTuesday, a global day of generosity, the family-owned company – now in its 150th year – doubled all donations until a total amount of €150,000 was reached.
Title image and photo of the SOS Children’s Villages logo in Brovary, © SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine / Oleksandra Zborovska
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