Thanks to the Ukrainian Football Association, children fulfilled their cherished dream — meeting football idols and leading them onto the field of the 40,000-seat Taras Shevchenko Arena in Wroclaw. After the match opening ceremony, they joined their parents on the stands and cheered for the national team of Ukraine without holding back emotions.

Photo: Dan Balashov

At the First Ukrainian School in Poland, children who were forced to leave their homes due to Russia's full-scale invasion are studying. The educational institution in Wroclaw unites 426 children from all regions of Ukraine — including Kyiv, Odessa, Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Dnipro, Lutsk, as well as territories that are under occupation: Kherson, Donetsk and Luhansk.

Photo: Dan Balashov

"My name is Artem, I am eight years old. I came from Kyiv with my family. What I miss the most are my toys that I left at home. In Wroclaw we are well off, there's tasty food here, but I really want to go back home."

"My name is Lyaisan, I am seven years old. I'm from Kherson. What I miss the most is my house in Ukraine. I'm very nervous about going on the field because I know that so many people will see me at the stadium."

Artem led French national team goalkeeper Mike Maignan onto the pitch, while Lyaisan — defender Leblond Lucas Digne.

Photo: Dan Balashov

"The social mission of the UAF is to use football as a tool to help Ukrainians both inside and outside the country. According to UNICEF data, over 200,000 children and young people from Ukraine were studying in Polish schools by January 2025. I am very pleased that students of the First Ukrainian School managed to fulfill their dream and received another powerful memory associated with Ukraine." — Elena Balbek, CEO of the UAF Foundation.

Photo: Dan Balashov

The First Ukrainian School was founded in March 2022, when the first children-refugees from Ukraine began arriving in Poland. The school follows the Ukrainian education system as well as a Polish educational program. Today it operates in three cities — Warsaw, Krakow and Wroclaw.

Photo: Dan Balashov

UAF Foundation — is a charitable foundation established by the Ukrainian Football Association, which implements social projects and fundraising aimed at developing football in Ukraine. The main areas of activity of the foundation include adaptive football, mass children's football, women's football, social support and restoration of sports infrastructure. The Foundation also initiates projects related to overcoming war consequences, using the unifying power of football for positive changes in society.