The first training took place in Khmelnytskyi for local volunteers from Khmelnytskyi and Dunaivtsi (head of the oblast football association — Igor Khiblin, regional coordinator of the project — Mykola Kuznetsov).

Photo by UAF press service

The seminar was held in a combined format — with the participation of the national coordinator of the project from UAF, Yevheniy Stolitenko, as well as online participation of renowned instructors Viktor Tvardovskyy, Serhiy Chesheyka, Lianna Kopilova, Yuriy Lutsenko, and Oleksii Lazarenko.

Upcoming training sessions are planned in Rivne (April 16), Lviv (April 17), Ternopil (April 18), Zakarpattia (April 19), Ivano-Frankivsk (April 21), and Chernivtsi (April 27).

Photo by UAF press service

The general goal of the «Open Football Lessons» project is to support children affected by the war, unaccompanied children, orphans, and other vulnerable children who have been displaced to Western Ukraine (the project will currently be implemented in seven regions — Zakarpattia, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernivtsi oblasts).

Photo by UAF press service

In addition to the general goal, the project has three specific objectives:

— provide immediate humanitarian aid (medical supplies, food, and non-food items) to children affected by the war and their families;

— provide psychosocial support to children through a powerful social tool of mass football, through play and open football events that will unite target groups of children with local children;

— provide material and moral support to cross-sectoral networks united by football in western regions of Ukraine in their efforts to help affected target groups of children.