Author:
Markiian Klymkovetskyi
First Lady of Ukraine Olena Zelenska visited our Voices Camp together with the team from the Olena Zelenska Foundation and the Minister of Education of Ukraine, Andrii Butenko. They were joined by the Ukrainian band Antytila, who performed a concert for 112 children and the camp team.
The meeting with the teenagers had no prepared script. The children asked the guests about music, childhood, dreams, career choices, and decisions they had made at different points in their lives.
When Voices of Children co-founder Olena Rozvadovska asked what they would tell their younger selves, Olena Zelenska smiled and replied, “Get ready.” Andrii Butenko advised the children not to be afraid to dream andto learn English.
When Voices of Children co-founder Olena Rozvadovska asked what they would tell their younger selves, Olena Zelenska smiled and replied, “Get ready.” Andrii Butenko advised the children not to be afraid to dream andto learn English.
Antytila frontman Taras Topolia was asked about the most precious gift he had ever received.
“My three children, whom I love very much,”
There were lighter questions too, including how Antytila had heard about the camp in the first place.
“Someone called us and said there were some really cool kids here,”
The band performed their hits and sang many of the songs together with the children. They also performed one song with Bohdan, a teenager who plays his guitar and puts on concerts for the other children in the evenings.
The guests also took part in one of our camp traditions: each person tied unity ribbons around the wrists of two people beside them as a keepsake. By the end, Olena Zelenska had collected around ten ribbons on her wrist.
The guests also took part in one of our camp traditions: each person tied unity ribbons around the wrists of two people beside them as a keepsake. By the end, Olena Zelenska had collected around ten ribbons on her wrist.
There was also time to talk about important issues: the First Lady and the Foundation team met with the Voices of Children co-founder, psychologists, and camp leaders. They discussed how the children they work with have changed over the years of Russia’s full-scale war, what experiences they bring with them to camp, and what kind of support they need most.
“Every year of war means more accumulated stress and difficult experiences. Children have had no break to catch their breath and regain their strength. Our task is to create more life for children amid all this grief. We cannot erase this scar, but we can give them more things to rely on. This summer, these memories, swimming, arguments, hugs — this is life,”
For many participants, a few weeks in the Carpathians are a rare opportunity not to wake up to explosions or have activities interrupted by air raid alerts.
Camp participant Ivanna says that at home she sometimes falls asleep in the bathroom or wearing headphones so she does not hear the shelling. When she is out in the open and hears a threatening sound, she immediatelylooks for a hollow in the ground or another place where she can take cover.
Stanislav is used to having lessons either in the classroom or in a shelter, depending on air raid alerts. At camp, what calms him most are the mountains, forests, and the opportunity to spend time in nature.
Camp participant Ivanna says that at home she sometimes falls asleep in the bathroom or wearing headphones so she does not hear the shelling. When she is out in the open and hears a threatening sound, she immediatelylooks for a hollow in the ground or another place where she can take cover.
Stanislav is used to having lessons either in the classroom or in a shelter, depending on air raid alerts. At camp, what calms him most are the mountains, forests, and the opportunity to spend time in nature.
At Voices Camp, children work in teams, take part in creative and sports activities, and, together with psychologists, learn to better understand their emotions, talk about what they are going through, and ask for help.
“Sometimes a child comes up and asks you to stay with them while they fall asleep. Or they simply want someone to listen to them. We help children feel that there are adults nearby who will be there when they need help,”
Sometimes, the impact of this support becomes visible only years later. Three of the current camp leaders once received support from Voices of Children themselves. Now they have returned with the strength and resourcesto support others.
“We cannot change what our children have been through, but we can do everything we can to ensure they do not have to face these experiences alone. That is why the Foundation provides ongoing support for psychosocialprograms that help children gradually regain a sense of safety, trust, and confidence in themselves,”
Voices of Children has been running Voices Camp for three years in a row with the support of the Olena Zelenska Foundation. Over that time, 18 camp sessions have taken place, bringing together 946 children from across Ukraine.
Participants include children from frontline and de-occupied areas of Ukraine, children from internally displaced and military families, as well as those who have lost loved ones or their homes because of the war.
In 2026, the program doubled in size: 448 children took part in eight camp sessions. The first five were funded by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation as part of the “12–21” project, the sixth by Svenska Postkodlotteriet Stiftelse, and the seventh and eighth by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV).
You can also support children by making a donation.
Participants include children from frontline and de-occupied areas of Ukraine, children from internally displaced and military families, as well as those who have lost loved ones or their homes because of the war.
In 2026, the program doubled in size: 448 children took part in eight camp sessions. The first five were funded by The Howard G. Buffett Foundation as part of the “12–21” project, the sixth by Svenska Postkodlotteriet Stiftelse, and the seventh and eighth by the Estonian Centre for International Development (ESTDEV).
You can also support children by making a donation.
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