The First Lady of Ukraine, together with the team of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, visited the “12–21” youth space in Khmelnytskyi. This is one of the first spaces in the network that the Foundation is developing for teenagers and young people aged 12 to 21.
The President’s wife spoke with the team and the young people who had come to the space. In the two months since it opened, the Khmelnytskyi space has hosted dozens of events, including creative workshops, training sessions, film evenings, and board game clubs. The team also shared early results and talked about the challenges they face in creating a supportive environment.
“For us, it is important not only to open new spaces but also to return to them, to hear from the youth and the team. The most valuable thing is the words of the teenagers themselves – that here, they can exhale, not over-explain, and simply be themselves. That was exactly our goal with ‘12–21’: to establish a sense of support and acceptance here,” said Olena Zelenska.
Joining the First Lady, the Head of the Khmelnytskyi Regional Military Administration, Serhii Tiurin, also visited the space. They discussed cooperation in supporting teenagers and young people and the importance of developing such initiatives across the region.
The “12–21” spaces also operate in Bila Tserkva and Chernihiv. The network is expanding so that teenagers and young people in different regions of Ukraine have access to safe spaces where they can feel supported and accepted.