As Ukraine continues to endure sustained attacks on its energy infrastructure, millions of families are navigating daily life with unreliable electricity, limited heating and scarce fuel for cooking. In many communities, power is available only intermittently, leaving households to improvise simply to prepare meals during one of the most difficult winters since the start of the war. For families already living through conflict, the ability to cook safely has become an everyday challenge, one that carries profound implications for health, nutrition and dignity.
Responding to this growing challenge, South Africa-based WONDERBAG has partnered with the Legacy of War Foundation and the international #CookForUkraine movement to launch “WONDERBAGs to Ukraine.”
The humanitarian initiative will deliver WONDERBAG heat-retention cooking bags to families across the country, providing a practical way to prepare warm meals while using far less electricity, gas or fuel.
A Practical Cooking Solution Meeting an Urgent Need
At its core, the WONDERBAG offers a remarkably simple but powerful solution. Once a pot of food has been brought briefly to the boil, the insulated bag retains the heat and allows the meal to continue cooking safely for hours without additional energy. In environments where electricity supply is unpredictable and fuel supplies are limited, this technology enables households to stretch scarce resources while still preparing nourishing meals for their families.
“In solidarity with the people of Ukraine, we are working with partners who understand the realities communities are facing on the ground,” said Sarah Collins, Founder and CEO of WONDERBAG. “With energy infrastructure under sustained pressure and winter placing further strain on households, the need for practical solutions is immediate. Something as simple as the ability to cook a warm meal can bring comfort and stability during extremely challenging circumstances.”
Through the partnership, WONDERBAG bags will be transported into Ukraine via the Legacy of War Foundation’s humanitarian aid convoys and distributed through trusted grassroots organisations already supporting vulnerable communities across the country.
For Giles Duley, CEO of the Legacy of War Foundation, the collaboration highlights the importance of practical, low-energy tools that can make an immediate difference for families navigating daily power disruptions. “Fuel-efficient cooking solutions are a lifeline in these conditions,” Duley said. “Working with WONDERBAG allows us to deliver a simple, practical tool that families can rely on when access to power is limited.”
Mobilising Global Support for Ukrainian Women and Families
The Ukraine initiative forms part of the broader humanitarian work of the WONDERBAG Foundation, which for more than 15 years has supported women and families facing hardship in communities affected by poverty, displacement and conflict. Across many crisis-affected regions, women often carry the responsibility of feeding their families despite having little or no access to fuel, energy or safe cooking methods.
By providing WONDERBAG bags alongside essential aid, the Foundation helps households prepare meals using significantly less fuel – reducing the energy needed for cooking by up to 70%. Working with trusted partners on the ground, the programme also supports local livelihoods by involving women in manufacturing WONDERBAG bags and helping deliver them to communities where they are needed most. The WONDERBAGs to Ukraine campaign also invites individuals and organisations around the world to contribute. For every large WONDERBAG purchased through the global WONDERBAG website using the code ‘Wonderbagstoukraine’, a subsidised bag will be sent to a household in need. Supporters can also contribute R650 toward a donated WONDERBAG, with the company matching the contribution to fund and deliver a complete unit.
The programme builds on the earlier humanitarian support in the region. In 2022, Collins and The WONDERBAG Foundation donated more than 3,000 WONDERBAGs to Ukrainian organisations assisting displaced families and communities cut off from reliable cooking resources.
By combining South African climate innovation with trusted humanitarian networks, WONDERBAGs to Ukraine aims to equip thousands more households with a safe and energy-efficient way to cook – bringing warmth, resilience and dignity to families navigating the realities of war.
For more information or to support the initiative, visit:
www.wonderbagworld.com/WonderbagforUkraine.
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