Ukrainian football legend made surprise visit to young refugee program in Poland
Ukrainian football legend Andriy Shevchenko called for more mental health care for young refugees on Monday, after a surprise visit to meet children fleeing the horrors of war in his country.
He attended a summer school in Warsaw that helps Ukrainian children regain lost learning and fun. Since the war escalated five months ago, at least 5.8 million refugees from Ukraine have been registered across Europe, half of whom are estimated to be children and many without access to education for weeks.
Save the Children’s summer schools for Ukrainian children in Poland provide a safe haven where young refugees can improve their education and improve their mental health and psychosocial well-being.
Shevchenko, 45, former Ukraine captain and coach and former Milan and Chelsea striker, was at the school where he attended TeamUp, an intervention designed to improve children’s mental health and psychosocial well-being through play.
“Nearly three million children in Ukraine have been forced to flee their homes in the past five months as a result of the conflict. The physical impact of the war is clear, but we must not forget the psychological impact on these young people. It is not enough to take a child out of the war. We have to take the war out of the children,” Shevchenko said.
“Sport has an incredible power to break down barriers and create hope in times of despair. Today in Warsaw we saw the best of sports and gaming in action during the fun and constructive TeamUp activities. I am proud and grateful that Laureus supports these kinds of initiatives, in collaboration with War Child and Save the Children, to help these children and their families. We must continue to work together for the future of these children.”
Shevchenko won the Ballon d’Or in 2004 and retired from professional football in 2012. He returned to the sport in 2016 as an assistant coach of the Ukrainian national team and was appointed coach from 2016 to 2021, taking the country to the quarter-finals. led. of Eurocopa 2020. He recently coached Genoa, of the Serie A.
Many of the children Shevchenko met experience daily insecurity, fear and anxiety. Even when they find safety in another country, they are often quiet and withdrawn or bold and pushy. Summer schools give these children the opportunity to explore and process their emotional experiences with sports and play, while ensuring that they do not fall behind in their learning.
Source: La Verdad
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