Mr. Panteleimon Boumbouras, President of the construction company «Gefest» and Chairman of the Boumbouras Foundation, has been helping the Ukrainian Armed Forces since the beginning of the war in 2014. Since then, a lot has changed, our army has become stronger, and the military invasion has spread across the country, so the scale of assistance to our defenders has increased several times.
Pursuant to the request of the Department of Capital Construction of the Odesa City Council dated 16.03.2022, to create regular round-the-clock detachments of construction crews, GEFEST created regular round-the-clock detachments of construction crews in Suvorovsky district to eliminate possible blockages and destruction of buildings in the city. Since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, our teams have set up more than 15 checkpoints, dugouts and fortifications in Odesa region. More than 10 vehicles and more than 50 employees of our company have been performing all the tasks they are assigned to, including providing equipment to the Odesa Regional Military Administration for the construction of fortifications in the Odesa region, 24/7 and under the guidance of the city headquarters.
In March of the same year, three evacuation operations of Ukrainians to Greece were carried out: the evacuation of members of the Greek society Helios from Kharkiv to Piraeus. Members of the society were provided with all the necessary assistance, accommodation and food. Organizing an evacuation bus to Athens, which included residents of Zaporizhzhia, Dnipro, Mariupol and Odesa, with further accommodation and meals. Organizing the evacuation of children deprived of parental care from an orphanage in Slavutych.
During the first six months of the full-scale russian invasion, «Gefest» transferred financial assistance for the needs of the Armed Forces of Ukraine in the amount of UAH 500,000 to a special account of the National Bank of Ukraine, and paid for construction materials in the Epicenter store for a total of UAH 200,000 for the needs of the city of Odesa.
Since the beginning of the full-scale invasion, 100 tons of humanitarian aid including clothes, household supplies, textiles (blankets), food and medicine have arrived in Odesa from the Hellenic Republic with its support.
"I am very grateful to everyone who is helping Ukraine in this difficult time for the country and its people, providing the medicines and things we need today. I am proud and happy that such caring people live in Greece. Thank you for being with Ukraine!" Mr. Boumbouras said.
The Chairman of the Foundation provided assistance to our military including tactical footwear, a thermal imager, food, medicines, equipment and personal care products, as well as active tactical headphones and radios for a special police unit. Equipment that will allow them to be more effective in their missions.
The transportation of a generator, furniture and medicines from Uzhhorod to Kherson was financed at the request of the Kherson Regional State Administration.
With the assistance of the Netherlands, 6 large generators for hospitals and 90 generators for small buildings were delivered to cities in Donbas, the Kharkiv Cancer Center and Hospice, and Kherson.
The collection for the generators was organized by Breath Care For Kids.
"Transportation and passing through all customs and checkpoints in a country where there are battles and massive attacks are also heroic actions that are possible only with a strong team. We have financed this one of the most difficult stages so that nothing could stop life in Ukrainian cities!" says Mr. Kovalchuk.
On the occasion of Odesa Day, Mayor Gennadiy Trukhanov awarded Panteleimon Bumburas, President of GEFEST, Chairman of the Bumburas Foundation, and the «Gefest» construction company team with a new honorary award "For the Defense of Odesa", which was established this year.
Financial assistance was provided for the purchase of diesel fuel. Fuel, accessories for AK rifles, purchase of electronic devices related to the operation of drones and tactical footwear for the 34th Air Force unit** of the Armed Forces of Ukraine.
Financial assistance was provided for the purchase of tableware for the Zaporizhzhya Military Hospital, purchase of gas cylinders for the 110th Mechanized Brigade, A40** Battery of Anti-Tank Missile Systems, purchase of tactical clothing for units of the 110th Mechanized Brigade, A40** Battery of Anti-Tank Missile Systems, A70** Engineer Company, 109th Brigade, 22nd Separate Battalion, 406th Brigade, 66th Division, 1st Battery 36th Infantry. We provided assistance to the military in the Donetsk sector: sleeping bags, tourniquets to stop bleeding, an autoclave for sterilizing instruments and warm clothes, and in the Kherson sector: funds were transferred to buy a pickup truck.
The purchase of a quadcopter with additional components, a tablet and optical devices for the 34th Brigade in the Kherson area was financed.
We also provide financial assistance to Greek TV channels Sky, Antena, Mega and ERT, allowing them to cover the REAL events in our city and in Ukraine. Eight groups of Greek journalists have arrived to show the mood of the city's residents and what is happening in Odesa, Mykolaiv, Bucha, and Gostomel. The coverage of real events by Greek journalists in Ukraine helps to combat russian propaganda on Greek television and radio.
We would like to note that from 26.02.2022 until the last air raid, the parking of the completed GEFEST residential complexes, which are used as a safe haven for residents of our and neighboring houses, have been open and provided with food, drinking water and essential medicines.
This is not a complete list of charitable assistance provided by the company and personally by its President and the charitable foundation. The work is ongoing and we will cover it in our social media and on the charity's website.
Our foundation actively helps the defenders of Ukraine, supports the cities of Ukraine that suffer the most from the hostilities, because we believe that joint efforts ensure order and security in our cities. Let's protect our city and homeland together!