On Friday, September 12th, at the Zolotonosha district's Voznesenska school in Cherkasy region, "Open Football Festivals" took place for children affected by the war, organized with support from the UAF and CHOAF.

Photo CHOAF

At the beginning of the event, project coordinator Volodymyr Lobanov gave the floor to school director Alla Ridko, who sincerely welcomed the participants and wished them pleasant emotions. A special moment was the appearance of Army Sergeant Serhiy Mykolayovich (REF), who presented the school with his battalion's battle flag.

Next were introduced the location leaders — Tetiana Kara, Oleksiy Leontyovych, Hryhoriy Chukhray, REF, Yevhenii Baranik and Ivan Dulskyi, who enthusiastically greeted the children on the playgrounds.

Photo CHOAF

Six teams participated in the festival. Among the participants were 13 children from IDP families and 28 children whose parents serve in the Armed Forces of Ukraine.

The event concluded with a solemn awarding of diplomas by CHOAF Deputy Head Oleksandr Kochergin. Each child also received an emblem signed by UAF President Andriy Shevchenko.

Photo CHOAF

This was truly a day of joy, unity and faith in the future of Ukrainian football!

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

• youth leadership in communities;
• psychosocial support for children of Armed Forces of Ukraine servicemen, IDP children, and war-affected children;
• unity and friendship between 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 instead of results at any cost;
• cultivation of a healthy lifestyle;
• volunteer development;
• activation of local communities through cross-sector networks (youth leaders, teachers, coaches, psychologists, safety experts, parents, local authorities, benefactors and others).