Elena Zelenskaya signed with UNICEF in Ukraine a memorandum to strengthen joint work in the fields of study and protection of children during the war
Now it was decided to combine efforts and focus them to ensure that children and young people, especially the most vulnerable groups, felt as little as possible the harmful effects of war. “One of the important areas of our work will be information - we must constantly tell the world how the war takes away childhood from our children.
We will emphasize the international community that Russia regularly violates the Convention on the Rights of the Child, the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Russia has damaged more than 2,000 educational institutions. But these are just buildings. Since February, she nullified the educational process in principle, forced our children to hide in bomb shelters, starve, flee abroad. The world should be heard about it and remember daily, ”said Elena Zelenska.
The memorandum identifies the following main areas of cooperation: improvement of access and quality of education in schools and kindergartens, introduction of a national mental health and psychosocial support program in order to fight the injuries that warns, the creation of a barrier -free environment for children and the development Inclusion.
One of the elements of cooperation within the Memorandum will be the "Joint Learning" campaign, which UNICEF launches on the eve of the school year together with the Ministry of Education and Science and other authorities with the support of the First Lady.
The initiative will contain several components: the safety of educational space, including the arrangement of bomb shelters, shelters, instructions for teachers and mine safety training, as well as psychosocial support, involvement and development of young people. “We are ready to continue this important partnership between UNICEF and the first lady. The war in Ukraine and the destruction of educational infrastructure have a devastating impact on life and the future of more than 5.
7 million students in Ukraine. Together with Ms. Zelensk, we will work on the protection of the rights of every child and creating an opportunity to continue their studies in these difficult times. Education is the right and one of the most important investments to give children a sense of normal and safety. Children in Ukraine and abroad need safe access to learning and psychological support.
They need space and opportunity to interact with peers and assistance with the educational process they missed through the war, ”said Murat Shahin, the head of the UNICEF representation in Ukraine. The "Joint Education" campaign aims to restore access to education to Ukrainian children and improve their physical health, nutrition and social and emotional development. This is important for all: parents, children, teachers and school administrations. After all, young Ukrainians need to learn.