Since the beginning of the hostilities and war in Ukraine caused by Russian aggression, many soldiers who bravely defended the independence of our homeland did not return home, leaving their children orphaned. To support them, the children's project "EDUTAINMENT" was initiated and implemented from 2016 to 2019 in Germany and Slovakia. Over 200 children participated in the project during this period.
The project provides psychological and emotional support to children affected by the war. Throughout the project, children stay in a "safe place", which helps restore their psychological and emotional well-being. The program is well-balanced: children engage in various quests, play sports games, and participate in various competitions and quizzes. The project also offers a rich excursion program. In addition to psychological recovery, the children have a unique opportunity to broaden their horizons and gain new knowledge and experiences.
In 2023, the "EDUTAINMENT" project was renewed and now has two directions. The first direction, "EDUTAINMENT Yaremche," focuses on providing psychological support to children from de-occupied territories and areas that are suffering the most from Russian shelling. The project takes place in the city of Yaremche that is in Carpathian Mountains. In March 2023, the project participants were children from the Kherson region, and in June 2024, children from the Sumy region participated.
The second direction of the project, "EDUTAINMENT UK," is international. The participants are children who lost a parent in the war with the Russian aggressor, whose parents are missing, or whose parents are soldiers who participated in combat and received a first- or second-degree disability. From December 2 to 16, 2023, as part of the "EDUTAINMENT UK" project, 30 children visited London. The program included tours of all the major landmarks of London, Windsor, Oxford, and Stonehenge. The children rode one of the largest Ferris wheels in the world - London Eye, took a boat trip along Thames, visited Natural History Museum, and were guests at one of the largest Ukrainian schools in the UK – St. Mary's Ukrainian School. They were invited to a family celebration of St. Nicholas Day in the Ballinger community. The children strolled through the magical Christmas streets of London, enjoyed rides and ice skating. They were greeted by Saint Nicholas at the Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral of the Holy Family in London.
The project received extremely positive feedback from our British partners, the Embassy of Ukraine in the United Kingdom, the children and their parents. The next stage of the "EDUTAINMENT UK" project will take place in December 2024.