The First Lady of Ukraine, along with the team from the Olena Zelenska Foundation, visited newly renovated shelters in schools and kindergartens in the Chernihiv region, including the Superhero School.

Thanks to the Foundation's efforts, there are already ten functioning shelters in the area. Chernihiv has been subjected to heavy shelling and experienced Russian occupation in 2022.

«During wartime, shelters are not a choice but the only option for learning. When sirens replace the school bell, children have the right to be students, not mere witnesses to war. Every safe and equipped space offers them a chance for education, development, and a sense of normal life,» emphasized the First Lady.

The Olena Zelenska Foundation is actively working to create comfortable shelters so that children can continue their education. Each shelter includes study areas, rest rooms, and play zones. The facilities are fully accessible: entrances are equipped with special devices for wheelchair access. Separate rooms with beds for rest are created in kindergartens.

«Every renovated shelter in frontline regions guarantees that the school year can continue safely. Thanks to our partners, we are establishing shelters where they are needed most,» stated Nina Horbachova, director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation.

Currently, there are 30 functioning shelters in Ukraine, restored with funding from the Foundation, serving 13,000 children in Poltava, Chernihiv, Mykolaiv, Dnipro, Odesa, Sumy, and Zaporizhia. The four shelters visited in Chernihiv were renovated with support from the government of Åland Islands, the Latvian fund Ziedot.lv, and Bosch Group.

Also attending the event were representatives of the diplomatic corps: the Ambassador of Latvia to Ukraine Andris Pīldegočs, the Chargé d'Affaires of the Finnish Embassy in Ukraine Merja Lahtinen, and the Chargé d'Affaires of the Portuguese Embassy in Ukraine Pedro Forbes Lemos.

Additionally, the First Lady visited the Superhero School in Chernihiv, which has recently opened. Its establishment was funded by the Olena Zelenska Foundation with support from the Portuguese Camões Institute. The educational space is based at the regional children's hospital. During the year, while renovations were ongoing, classes were held for about 400 children. The center has three classrooms for different age groups, as well as a mental health office and a separate area for preschool activities.