Zelenska initiates project of family-type orphanages, counts on assistance of construction companies

KYIV. Jan 17 (Interfax-Ukraine) – First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska, speaking as part of the discussion program Ukraine is you in Davos, spoke about the launch of a project for the construction of family-type orphanages, and also said that she was counting on the help of partners and construction companies.

"Now we are developing a project that is related to children. This is the support of family-type orphanages. The fact is that there are still institutional forms of education in Ukraine, which we must abandon on the way to the EU. This is a very difficult and long journey, but the child must be brought up in a family or in conditions that are close to the family. Therefore, we must now consolidate all political and financial efforts to support such alternative forms of education," she said.

She noted that representatives of the Olena Zelenska Foundation constantly keep in touch with families who have adopted, on average, up to 10 orphaned children.

"It’s hard for them now. Half of them are now internally displaced. They fled from the occupied territories, but they do not have their own housing now. Therefore, we are now initiating a project to provide existing families with decent housing and also to build houses for such families that will be created … We want to make this form of education popular in order to help such families," she said.

In this regard, Zelenska appealed to partners who can provide financial assistance, as well as to construction companies.

"We need houses that will be non-volatile, where there will be shelter, which can be quickly assembled and built. Therefore, construction companies, design companies and companies that are engaged in construction in large volumes – we very much count on expertise and assistance," the first lady summed up.