School collaboration for charitable purposes: AKROPOLE and Ziedot.lv initiate yearly philanthropic endeavor
The "Let's Help Prepare for School Together!" charity campaign is currently active at the AKROPOLE Riga shopping and entertainment center, running until August 29, 2025. It is the sixth consecutive year of this initiative, which invites the public to donate new or unused school supplies, clothes, shoes, and financial contributions to support low-income Latvian families and Ukrainian refugee families who need help preparing their children for school.
The public can contribute by donating school items such as new clothes, shoes, stationery, and other school supplies at special donation boxes located within AKROPOLE Riga and AKROPOLE Alfa shopping centers. Monetary donations are also accepted through the charity organization Ziedot.lv, which partners on the campaign with AKROPOLE.
This campaign especially helps first-graders, as they require many new school items, including school bags, sports shoes, and sportswear. Last year’s donations helped 317 children, including 150 Ukrainian refugee first-graders, start the school year with confidence and joy.
The campaign is supported by representatives from the Ministry of Welfare, the Ministry of Education and Science, and AKROPOLE management. Dāvis Mārtiņš Daugavietis, parliamentary secretary of the Ministry of Education and Science, highlighted that education depends on physical accessibility, teachers, and a sense of satisfaction, and that campaigns like this help level the scales between pupils. Minister of Welfare, Reinis Uzulnieks, emphasised that the state provides support for low-income families but that the start of school is particularly difficult, and public involvement is invaluable.
According to a survey conducted by Norstat in July 2025, 501 Latvian residents aged 25 to 65 participated. The survey revealed that 73% of Latvian households plan to set aside up to EUR 250 to buy everything needed for the new school year for one school-age child, while the majority of parents surveyed say they need to allocate more than EUR 250 in their family budget to cover the full costs.
Ilze Ošāne, Communications Manager of the charity organisation Ziedot.lv, gave inspiring words at the opening event. Kaspars Beitiņš, CEO of SIA Akropole Latvija, also encouraged everyone to participate in the charity campaign. The campaign will run until 29 August, and all donated school items and funds will be donated to low-income Latvian and Ukrainian refugee families who have applied for help. Remote donations can be made on the Ziedot.lv website, and non-cash donations can be made at virtual donation booths in both AKROPOLE shopping centres.
- Contributions towards education-and-self-development, including school supplies, clothes, and financial donations, are being collected at the AKROPOLE Riga shopping center as part of the "Let's Help Prepare for School Together!" campaign, which supports low-income Latvian families and Ukrainian refugee families, particularly first-graders.
- In addition to the physical donations, the general-news survey revealed that 73% of Latvian households plan to spend up to EUR 250 on school items for one child, highlighting the importance of campaigns like this to ease the financial burden on families and provide a better educational environment for their children.
