President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke with participants of the Iron Squad project for the development of talented youth. The launch of this camp was initiated by Ukrzaliznytsia.
The meeting was attended by more than 200 children who will go on the next shift. For 12 days, the schoolchildren will travel through the cities of Western Ukraine. The train will take them along safe routes to Ternopil, Ivano-Frankivsk, Uzhhorod, Chop, Lviv and Chernivtsi. In these cities, the children will meet with military personnel, doctors, businessmen, politicians and artists; they will also visit modern Ukrainian and international enterprises.
The Head of State also met with the participants of the previous shifts. Athletes, members of the Junior Academy of Sciences, leaders of student self-government and graduates of the Ukrainian Global Scholars program, who returned to Ukraine after studying abroad, spoke about their impressions of the Iron Squad, achievements, plans for the future and motivation to stay in Ukraine.
“I think you have a very clear path. And I would like you, no matter what the challenges are, to move along this path, but only forward. I wish you big, small – different excitements in your life, because a steady life – it is not interesting. And I wish us all victory, one and the most important!” the President said.
He also emphasized that an important component of this project is communication between children and defenders.
“It is also important for them – this dialogue and support, because they are defending your Ukraine, which is for you. They are fighting today so that you can live today, tomorrow and in the future,” the Head of State noted.
The camp participants are selected from among schoolchildren who have achievements in education, science, sports, and arts. In addition, the program involves internally displaced persons, children who have lost their parents, homes, and whose relatives are defending Ukraine at the front.
“We show them our beautiful cities, cool Ukrainian enterprises, the best that Ukraine has to offer in business, art, social and political life. And that the country continues to develop even under martial law. We encourage them to think of what they can give to Ukraine,” the head of the project, Oleksandr Yegorov, said.
Iron Squad aims to encourage children to connect their future with Ukraine. The camp was launched in September 2023. Since then, more than 2,300 students have taken part in it. The project is financed by American philanthropist Howard Buffett through his foundation.
In the future, the initiative is planned to be expanded to include integration with the Mriia app and to involve Ukrainian children living abroad.