In Dunaivtsi, located in Khmelnytskyi Oblast, an "Open Football Festival" took place at the local stadium "Kolos," organized with the support of the Ukrainian Association of Football (UAF) and the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Association of Football. The event provided children with opportunities to showcase their skills, gain new knowledge, and experience true team spirit.

The festival brought together students from the Mynkovec, Ivanivtsi, Holozubynets lyceums and Mushkytynets, Zaliztsivskyi, and Zelenchenskyi gymnasiums.

Photo by HOAF

Honored guests at the event included the head of Kamianets-Podilskyi District Football Association and festival coordinator Mykola Kulyk; consultant for the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Department of Social Services, "Center for Professional Development of Educational Workers" Natalia Chumak; deputy chairman of the Khmelnytskyi Oblast Football Association Mykola Kuznetsov; football players from FC "Epizentro," Yevhen Zaporozets, Vladyslav Supryha (U-20 World Champion), Andriy Bezhnar and team coach Oleh Naduda.

Photo by HOAF

At the festival, six locations were active:

— football pitches for mini-matches and testing skills in obstacle courses with a ball;

— a safety zone run by DSNZ workers where students learned about behavior rules during wartime and generally dangerous situations;

— a space with a psychologist who helped children develop team interaction, communication, and emotional resilience.

The event concluded with the solemn awarding of diplomas and sports equipment. Each child received an emblem signed by UAF President Andriy Shevchenko.

The festival provided children with new knowledge and a cheerful mood, becoming a bright example of unity and team spirit.

Photo by HOAF

The "Open Football Festivals" project of the Ukrainian Association of Football is:

• youth leadership in communities;
• psychosocial support for children of military personnel, internally displaced persons (IDPs), and war-affected children;
• unity and friendship among IDP children and local children, social integration;
• an inclusive environment where everyone participates, including children with special educational needs;
• knowledge of safety in wartime conditions;
• the philosophy of mass football — joy from playing rather than results at any cost;
• cultivation of a healthy lifestyle;
• volunteer development;
• activation of local communities through cross-sectoral networks (youth leaders, teachers, coaches, psychologists, safety experts, parents, local authorities, patrons, etc.).