The path of ELIIS in Ukraine began from the Facebook space in November 2019. It was a regular page with information for the Ukrainian audience about the software and how preschools can use the functionality in their activities. After the full-scale invasion of Ukraine, during that period of paralysis of consciousness for everyone, February-March 2022, the Estonian ELIIS team decided to help Ukraine with what it could, and this is, first of all, to share their experience in automating workflows for preschools, and to provide access to the ELIIS online platform for Ukraine free of charge, because almost all kindergartens in Estonia use the platform and they like it.
In March 2022, this information was noticed by Ukrainian kindergartens via FB, the post received more than 1000 reactions, more than 40 kindergartens registered in ELIIS, but they didn’t continue to use the system, primarily due to the dynamics of the development of military operations on the territory of Ukraine (there were different regions, some kindergartens were closed, in some employees went abroad, some no longer had a kindergarten building, some were under occupation, etc.).
It was a period when everyone's life changed forever. In October 2022, a Ukrainian-speaking representative of ELIIS appeared in Ukraine - Anna, who is based in the city of Dnipro, and who collected all these stories of kindergartens, who were interested in ELIIS earlier…
Christmas initiative with gifts for children
Unfortunately, events in Ukraine were unfolding rapidly at that time, presenting everyone with new challenges and trials. Massive attacks on cities, destruction of energy infrastructure, power outages, lack of internet and cellular signal – quite a challenge for the new manager to find new ELIIS users in Ukraine.
After all, Ukraine is a big country, and thanks to the development of online technologies, it is possible to present any product online anywhere and to anyone - but first of all, both participants need a working communication channel. But at this time, we met our first client, who is still with us. But more on that little later…
ELIIS has an annual Christmas tradition - it's a Facebook competition for preschools, where kindergartens share photos or videos with a Christmas atmosphere, and the best ones receive gifts for the children. This is a charitable initiative which is implemented in every country where ELIIS is used (Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and Ukraine is no exception.
81 kindergartens participated in the first Christmas competition, and you can't even imagine the feedback and gratitude we received from the participants. After all, in the stormy times of the winter of 2022-2023, it was a breath of creative energy and unification for headmasters, teachers and parents, because our children deserve a holiday, no matter what…
Kindergarten "Romashka" Colomia, Ivano - Frankivsk region
Next year more than 330 preschools from different regions of the country participated in the competition. And this winter, our competition brought together more than 800 preschools. This shows that Ukraine is stable and unshakable.
Supporting local communities
The ELIIS platform is designed for both private and municipal preschools. With the support of donors - the Estonian Center for International Development (ESTDEV), we introduced our platform to preschools in the Ovruch City Council, Zhytomyr region.
Today, 16 kindergartens in this community use ELIIS in their work, and also they involve parents, and the local humanitarian department is able to get an overview of kindergarten groups, systematize data and reports through the platform.
Kindergarten "Lastivka" Ovruch, Zhytomyr region
Also, at the end of 2024, in conjunction with other leading educational companies in Estonia, the Estonian-Ukrainian educational project Ed-Ukraine was implemented in two territorial communities of Ukraine: the city of Brody, Lviv region and the city of Varash, Rivne region. As part of the project, preschool institutions had the opportunity to learn about the experience of digital transformation of preschools in Estonia, as well as test the ELIIS platform in their activities with the involvement of education departments of local communities. The project was implemented with the support of ESTDEV.
Users are the engine of development
In 2022, many people put their lives on hold, deciding to wait for more stable times. But technologies develop rapidly precisely in times of instability and change.
It was in October 2022, during the power outages, when we met a kindergarten from Rivne, which continues to use our online tool today. The headmaster was looking for just such a tool like that, which would help to optimize and to control work processes in her kindergarten. Now we have other users from different regions of Ukraine who are using or testing the platform.
ELIIS has been in Ukraine for almost 3 years and during this time we have met many experts who are interested in improving preschool education in Ukraine, heard the feedback from a large number of kindergartens and after-school institutions, conducted presentations, online webinars and trainings. Each kindergarten has its own problems and needs, everyone needs an individual approach, because everyone has their own experience and idea of how it should be. It is thanks to users that we are able to understand our strengths and weaknesses, improve and develop, and provide an effective product that helps.
Technologies should simplify work, and we are constantly working on this!
Peace to all of us!
