The organization and holding of the football event together with the Ukrainian Football Association and the Zakarpattya Football Association was joined by the regional leadership.

"This event took place for children who were forced to move to Zakarpattya, fleeing with their families from the war," — noted the head of the region Viktor Mikita, adding that lessons were conducted within a project initiated by the Ukrainian Football Association.

Photo courtesy of UAF

"Within the framework of the project, Zakarpattya schools received a large amount of sports equipment for football events, and each child who participated in the event received a t-shirt and a participant certificate as a gift," — emphasized the head of OVA.

The event was also attended by the deputy head of Zakarpattya ODA Ihor Shynkaryuk, the deputy mayor of Uzhhorod Vasyl Gomonay, the head of the Zakarpattya Football Association Ivan Duran, and the project coordinator from UAF Yevheniy Stolitenko as well as a member of the Coordination Center of UAF Vitaliy Danilenko.

Photo courtesy of UAF

Wonderful master classes for children from 14 educational institutions in Uzhhorod, many of which were IDP schools, were conducted by well-known coaches and former football players such as Oleg Dopylka. The psychological aspect of the project was successfully implemented by Valeriya Dragunova, while a motivational warm-up for all children was led by fitness trainer Kateryna Dyamko.

During the event, large humanitarian packages (medicines, products, first aid items) were provided to IDP families within the framework of the project.

The next day, children from the Uzhhorod district will also join in.

The schedule for "Open Football Lessons" is constantly being updated:

May 20-21 — Khmelnytskyi oblast, Dunaivtsi;

May 21-22 — Chernihiv oblast, Novoselytsia;

May 23-24 — Ternopil oblast, Buczach;

May 26-27 — Ternopil oblast, Zaliztsi;

May 26-27 — Khmelnytskyi city;

May 27-28 — Chernivtsi;

June 1-2 — Uzhhorod;

June 2-3 — Lviv oblast, Sosnovka;

June 3-4 — Zakarpattya oblast, Hushts;

June 8-9 — Ivano-Frankivsk city;

June 11-12 — Ivano-Frankivsk oblast, Nadworna;

June 28-29 — Rivne oblast, Ostroh.

Other communities that have joined the project (dates to be announced):

Lviv oblast, Stryi/Morshyn;

Rivne city.

All events of the project are conducted with the approval of regional military administrations.

We remind you that in April, special preparatory training for volunteers was held in seven regions participating in the project.

The overall goal of the "Open Football Lessons" project is to contribute to the protection of IDP children, unaccompanied minors, orphans and other vulnerable children who have suffered from the war and were forced to move to Western Ukraine (the project is currently being implemented in seven regions — Zakarpattya, Ivano-Frankivsk, Lviv, Rivne, Ternopil, Khmelnytskyi, and Chernihiv oblasts).

Photo courtesy of UAF

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

• To provide immediate humanitarian aid (medical, food and non-food items) to IDP children and their families;
• To provide psychosocial support to children through a powerful social instrument of mass football, through games and open football events that will unite the target groups of children with local children;
• To provide material-technical and moral support to cross-sectoral networks united by football in Western Ukraine in their efforts to help affected target groups of children.

International donors and partners of the project — New Democracy Fund (Denmark), Common Goal (Germany), Cross Cultures Project Association (Denmark).