Air raid sirens, shattered apartment buildings and empty playgrounds have become familiar sights across Ukraine since the war began.
As families have been displaced and communities uprooted, thousands of children have been left without parents or stable homes. For many Americans watching the war, the destruction can feel overwhelming and difficult to respond to.
However, for Boy Scout Aarav Dixit, that uncertainty did not stop him from trying to help.
In just a couple of months, Dixit has led an Eagle Scout project that raised over $2,000 and assembled roughly 100 care packages for orphans in Ukraine, providing necessities and support for children affected by the war.
Dixit knew early on that he wanted his project to be different. Eagle projects often involve creating planter boxes or benches for local parks, so he wanted to use the opportunity to make a wider impact on the world.
His idea began to take shape after he read about another scout’s project on LinkedIn that sent supplies to children in Gaza. While the post inspired him, it also made him question whether a project like that was possible for him. “I was, at first, doubting myself because this obviously isn’t a traditional Eagle project,” he said.
As he considered where he could best spend his time, Dixit’s background in debate, where he covered many foreign policy topics led him to think of Ukraine first.
“There’s a lot of statistics on how the homelessness and orphan rate in Ukraine has skyrocketed,” Dixit said. “Seeing so much of it happening in Ukraine was what made me want to do something.”
Dixit reached out to several nonprofits seeking mentorship on how his idea could become a reality and received a message from The Children of Ukraine Foundation (TCUK), a nonprofit that provides humanitarian aid to families and children affected by the war.
Through long conversations with the organization, Dixit was able to learn what would work best and how he could help.
Oleksiy Polishchuk, a member of the TCUK who mentored Dixit throughout his journey, said, “It really got to show what kind of kid Aarav is to be thinking of such big issues at such a young age and dedicating so much time and effort into such a noble cause.”
With a clearer plan in place, Dixit began working on his Eagle Scout Project Proposal, an arduous process where scouts present and refine their project plans with adult leaders before starting.
The repurposing and revising, he said, took months to complete, forcing Dixit to rethink the details of the project and focus on how it could create meaningful impact rather than simply raise money. The several rounds of iteration led Dixit to decide to create and organize care packages filled with gloves, socks, beanies and stationary as requested by aid workers.
The packages also included a personalized note written in Ukrainian. One line read, “Even though we are far away, we admire your strength and courage and hope that this will bring you at least a moment of comfort and kindness.”
Dixit said, “It’s nice to have personalized notes that let these kids know there are people out there who care about them.”
After receiving approval, Dixit launched a GoFundMe fundraiser that quickly drew support from his community. Scouts and parents from his troop were among the first to contribute, while a Ukrainian parent helped connect the project with others in the local Ukrainian community.
Within a couple of weeks, Dixit raised around $1,200 and received an additional $900 in donations from stores such as Target and Home Depot.
Dixit then led a team of six scouts to assemble the packages and write the personalized notes. In just a few hours, the group assembled around 100 care packages. The packages are scheduled to be distributed to several orphanages in Ukraine in the coming weeks.
“This project really gave me a new lens to view how I can help others. There are a lot more ways to help other people than just through research,” Dixit said. “The biggest step is actually just deciding that you’re going to do this project.”
