Restoring the Freedom canal: a volunteer-led project in Kharkiv

The Freedom canal has been used as an informal dump for years. This August, 53 neighbors turned up for a first cleanup, filling 82 bags in a single morning. Now we want to restore it for good. We have a plan agreed with the municipal water board, including native species selected by a local botanist. The area floods more each year, and fish have returned for the first time in a decade after our first cleanup. Restoring it will protect homes and bring back shade. All the labor is volunteered. We just need materials. Funds buy saplings, gloves, bags, hire of a skip, and signage. Where the $600 goes: • Native saplings and stakes: $300 • Tools and protective gear: $85 • Waste removal and skip hire: $160 • Signage and educational materials: $55 Thanks for reading all this. - Kirill