Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine, has shared a comprehensive strategy for keeping in touch with Ukrainian children currently living abroad due to the war. In an interview with “We are Ukraine,” she emphasized the importance of maintaining human connections and constantly reminding children of their origins, UNN reports .
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“This could be a very painful issue for us in the future if we really lose this thread now,” she said
The First Lady spoke about her conversation with Brigitte Macron, who praised the abilities of Ukrainian children in France. Zelenska emphasized the importance of preserving the Ukrainian language and culture, calling for flexible educational programs that would allow children to combine studies in local and Ukrainian schools.
Zelenska paid special attention to the experience of the Baltic States.
“We have great examples with the Baltic countries. There are Ukrainian schools in Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia. Not only evening schools, but also full-fledged Ukrainian schools. Ms. Diana Nausėdienė, whom I mentioned earlier, created a Ukrainian center in Vilnius, where our internally displaced persons not only received social support, legal support, and various kinds of assistance at the beginning, but they also gather to engage in creative activities. They have some clubs, creative workshops. They really create something together. This unites them, and it does not separate them from their homeland. It seems to me that as many cultural centers in Ukraine as possible give us a chance not to lose our younger generation,” the first lady said.
She also recalled a project to distribute Ukrainian books to displaced children in Europe, aimed at preserving language skills and cultural identity.
“Of course, we cannot encourage people to return now until they are guaranteed security, but we must do everything to ensure that the country recovers quickly, that schools and medical facilities are restored, that there is a place to return to,” the first lady concluded, emphasizing the importance of rebuilding Ukraine.