Focusing on child safety and supporting the Armed Forces of Ukraine, "Kusum" plays a vital role during wartime.

The role of socially responsible businesses in Ukraine cannot be overstated. Such companies are legitimate taxpayers, actively creating jobs and ensuring timely and full payment of salaries, bonuses, and providing material assistance to employees. Additionally, they develop and implement significant social projects. Supporting citizens and the Armed Forces of Ukraine (AFU) during these challenging times of resistance against Russian aggression is a priority for the Kusum pharmaceutical group. "We continue to assist the country in these tough times. Kusum does not cease to provide support to the AFU, supplying essential equipment, repairing vehicles, and delivering medicines. Besides aiding the AFU, we also focus on the social sector. Despite everything, we continue to support children's football teams, restore parks and squares, and do much more. Since the beginning of 2022, the total amount of assistance to the AFU, as well as for the restoration of the social sector, exceeds 5 million dollars," says Rajiv Gupta, the CEO of the Kusum pharmaceutical group.

Helping Children: Important Projects Implemented by "Kusum"

The Kusum pharmaceutical group regularly assists residents of frontline areas, as well as the hospitals located there. For instance, the company was one of the first to deliver necessary medications to hospitals as soon as Kherson and other cities were liberated. "When the 'gray zone' was established in Sumy region, our company helped provide essential medicines to the residents who remained there. And this is just a small part of what the company does to assist the civilian population," they say at Kusum.

One of the important areas of social projects by Kusum is helping children. In the city of Sumy, together with the local organization of the Red Cross of Ukraine, regular events for schoolchildren are held as part of the "Safe Holidays" and "Awareness School" projects. These projects aim to teach Ukrainians essential life skills and promote safety rules.

"Safe Holidays" is a project organized during the summer and autumn periods, aimed at creating a safe and informative leisure experience for schoolchildren aged 11–14. "Teaching children about potential dangers is one way to protect them. Therefore, we organize training sessions for schoolchildren, where they acquire useful life-saving skills," the company representatives explained.

The key topics of the "Safe Holidays" program include:

• Behavior in emergencies, such as evacuation during shelling or fires;
• Traffic rules: safe road crossing, wearing reflective elements at night;
• Personal hygiene and healthy eating to promote health awareness;
• Cybersecurity: how to avoid online dangers and protect personal data.

"Children also learned first aid skills: from proper bandaging to cardiopulmonary resuscitation techniques. Additionally, lectures were supplemented with interactive quizzes, practical tasks, and role-playing games, making the learning process engaging and beneficial," the company stated.

The second important project for children from "Kusum" is the "Awareness School." This project aimed to teach Ukrainians vital skills and promote safety rules. The program included basic knowledge of first aid, including actions in cases of bleeding, burns, or loss of consciousness, as well as classes on mine safety, explaining how to recognize explosive items, avoid risks, and report them to the competent authorities. As part of this project, Kusum also provided psychological support for children and adults, including stress and emotional tension management techniques.

"Particular attention was paid to creating interactive activities that included simulating emergency situations and solving practical tasks. Thanks to the involvement of Red Cross volunteers and professional instructors, all participants gained useful knowledge in an accessible format," the company explains.

Supporting Sports, Planting More Trees: Social Programs Implemented by the "Kusum" Group

In addition to caring for the safety of schoolchildren, Kusum is actively involved in supporting children's sports. Specifically, the company sponsors football teams and children's sports sections, promoting the physical development of children even in the challenging conditions of war. For many years, Kusum has provided jerseys, shorts, socks, backpacks, and balls to the Children's and Youth Sports School No. 21 in Kyiv, where around 400 students participate in 13 football teams. During the full-scale war, Kusum not only maintained support but also enhanced it by enabling the football school to attend competitions in other cities across the country.

The company has also not overlooked the issue of student assistance, as it was with the help of Kusum that 750 foreign students living and studying in Sumy were rescued in 2022. Daily, for 20 days, the delivery of drinking water and food was organized. Risking their own lives, Kusum employees collected food from around the city and region to provide for the students' needs. When the opportunity arose, all foreigners were sent to safer regions of Ukraine via a "green corridor."

The company is also involved in infrastructure projects. In November of last year, a modern park named "Kusum" was opened in the Dnipro district of Kyiv. The park covers an area of one hectare and is adorned with 60 trees, over 200 bushes, and about a thousand grasses and ornamental plants. The park features art objects by contemporary Ukrainian artist Petro Antyp, including "Scythian Diana" and "Monument to Stone."

Everything for the Front: How "Kusum" Helps Bring Victory Closer

In addition to assisting local communities and children, the company focuses on supporting the AFU. From the very first days of the war, the company transferred over 11.5 million hryvnias to the Ukrainian army support fund, and corporate vehicles (3 trucks and 19 cars) were donated for the needs of the AFU. Kusum also regularly purchases and supplies military personnel with essential clothing, protective gear, and equipment, as well as medicines, personally delivering these directly to the combat zone.

We regularly assist and repair military transport because we understand the importance and necessity of mobility for defenders. We have purchased and delivered boats, charging stations, drones, stoves, helmets, bulletproof vests, and more. Our employees regularly raise funds and have sent an off-road vehicle and drones to the front," notes Rajiv Gupta, CEO of the Kusum pharmaceutical group, in an interview with a journalist.

The total amount of assistance and investments in the social sector from Kusum since the beginning of the full-scale invasion has already exceeded 200 million hryvnias. And the company does not plan to stop its important charitable and social programs, as they believe that only joint efforts and constant activation of resources and efforts will lead the country to victory.