The First Lady of Ukraine, together with the team of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, presented the Foundation’s work in Norway for the first time to launch cooperation with Norwegian businesses on joint humanitarian and educational initiatives.
A panel discussion in Oslo brought together representatives of Norway’s leading companies and business associations. The main focus was on ensuring Ukrainian children’s access to education, which remains one of the Foundation’s key priorities.
The Olena Zelenska Foundation is restoring and equipping shelters in schools and kindergartens. This allows children to study offline in safer conditions, even under the constant threat of Russian attacks. So far, 30 shelters have been set up in schools and kindergartens across seven regions of Ukraine, serving over 13,000 children daily.
“At a time when children are forced to learn under the sound of sirens, education has become part of our resilience – something that helps us feel connection, support, and a sense of normal life. That is why my Foundation’s team and I are working to ensure that every child has the opportunity to learn in a safe environment – whether in a school, kindergarten, or hospital. Because by preserving education, we preserve childhood and the future,” said Olena Zelenska.
The Foundation is also providing students and teachers with digital devices for educational use and equipping Schools of Superheroes in children’s hospitals.
“The Foundation does not yet have joint projects with Norwegian partners, but we see great potential for cooperation. We are united by a shared understanding: supporting children and education means shaping the future. We believe that together we can create even more opportunities for children to study and grow, even in the most difficult circumstances,” emphasized Nina Horbachova, Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation.
The event was organized by the Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation (Norad) and moderated by Jorun Sigrid Nossum, Director for the Nansen Support Programme for Ukraine.