According to WHO standards, Ukraine needs 33 donors per 1,000 people. We had a deficit even before the war, because the number of donors was three times less. To provide blood and its components to those in need in a timely manner, two million regular donors must be in reserve. That is why it is so important to donate blood systematically, not occasionally and sporadically, which is the main goal of the corporate donation project at Aurora.
Prior to the full-scale invasion, we received individual requests from the employees to donate blood for their relatives, and the number of donations per year was insignificant. Active hostilities in the country became the impetus for scaling up and developing a systematic approach to donation, as the demand for donations was growing every day. Today, Aurora has one of the most developed corporate donation systems in Ukraine.
● The employees have already made 1,500 donations, which equates to 4,500 potentially saved lives.
● Every 2 months, collective Donor Days are held, with the opportunity to donate blood directly at the office in Poltava (in Vinnytsia, there are collective on-site donations at a transfusion station).
● Aurora’s corporate base includes more than 540 donors.
● A regular donor of Aurora engages in 4 donations per year.
Yevhen and Yuliia Pronchenko are spouses, colleagues and donors of Aurora. We asked Yevhen a few questions about their experience of donating at Aurora.
What motivates you to donate blood?
My motivation is to be useful to society and, above all, to our Army. From the very beginning of the full-scale invasion, we helped the guys right from our workplace, as we were located next to the ring highway. My colleagues had a volunteers’ headquarters, and through us they brought food and aid to the guys. Together with my wife, we sent it to the military, and we immediately realised that we could also help with blood.
Since I served in the police in Luhansk Region until 2019, I donated blood many times and already understood that this was something we should also help with, because my blood type is quite rare and always in demand. Then we found out about the initiative from Aurora, which also motivated us to donate blood even more.
Has the start of the full-scale invasion affected your attitude to donation?
We are both originally from the Luhansk Region, and the war started for us back in 2014. We witnessed all these horrors, so when the full-scale war was unleashed, we immediately knew what to do. Our attitude to everything changed a lot when we met our military friends and realised that we had to do our best to help the Ukrainian Army and win this war. That is why donation is one of the ways to help.
Did your wife join the donation program because of your example?
Yes, but she was able to donate blood only on the third attempt, because she is small and did not have enough weight. In the future, we plan to donate blood together and possibly motivate our colleagues from the store to join us.
Blood Agents – interaction that has taken Aurora’s support for blood donation to a new level
In the spring of 2023, Aurora became a partner of the NGO Blood Agents. This NGO has been promoting regular, conscious and free blood donation since 2015. The organization’s large base of volunteers, duty in healthcare institutions, corporate donation, and specific art projects turn blood donation into a strong volunteer movement.
Due to the institutional support from Aurora, NGO Blood Agents has done a lot:
● launched the project Donating is the Norm attracted more than 6 thousand new donors;
● implemented the project Greetings Sent together with a chain of restaurants in Kyiv: Donor Days on the 14th of each month;
● held 2 ArtDonation contests. In 2023, the subject of the competition was Systemic Donation as Cultural Norm, with 122 participants from 12 countries and Ukraine, and 11 exhibitions. In 2024, the theme of the competition was Caring Starts with Yourself. The competition was attended by 128 participants from 12 countries and Ukraine, with a total of 162 works accepted and 26 exhibitions organized. We are currently preparing a line of merchandise with illustrators’ works to enhance the project;
● sent 73,313 SMS of gratitude to donors for their blood donation;
● Agent volunteers conducted 512 shifts at blood centres to accompany donors;
● organized 102 on-site duties;
● provided 4 Blood Centres with the necessary consumables.
● In addition, the Agents have created a collection of Blood Cells pins, which is a way to engage in repeat donation through gamification and positive motivation. The collection contains 18 different blood cells, which means that the donor is motivated to donate 18 times. With the support of Aurora, 7,800 badges were produced and distributed to donors (Aurora’s employees also receive them).
Donations make an invaluable contribution to the rescue of war victims and are therefore crucial support for Ukraine and its people in difficult times.