This summer, the Olena Zelenska Foundation organized a camp at "Artek-Bukovel" for 1,500 children from 320 large foster families from the Kharkiv, Odesa, Sumy, and Dnipropetrovsk regions. This was announced by First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska.
The Foundation has been carrying out this initiative for the second year in a row, thanks to the help of foreign benefactors.
“Childhood must remain childhood, no matter what. Large foster families know this well, as they welcome dozens of children from orphanages into their homes. Due to the Russian invasion, many of these parents were forced to rescue children from under fire and, together with them, become internally displaced persons,” said the President’s wife.
At the camp, the children had the opportunity to not only develop creative skills but also learn safety practices. HALO Ukraine specialists taught them to recognize mines, cluster munitions, and other explosive objects.
This year's camp was made possible through the cooperation with the Olena Zelenska Foundation's partner, the Open Society Foundations network.
“It’s important for us that children rest not only physically but also mentally. This way, they also strengthen their mental health and gain the strength to live and win,” said the First Lady.
Last year, nearly 1,400 children from 218 large foster families attended this camp. The initiative was supported by charitable organizations from Denmark and Israel – Ulla & Mogens Folmer Andersen’s Charity Foundation and the Jewish Federations of North America.
Background. HALO Ukraine is the Ukrainian branch of The HALO Trust, the world’s largest non-governmental organization specializing in humanitarian demining.