During her visit to Japan, the First Lady of Ukraine, together with the team of the Olena Zelenska Foundation, met with representatives of the Japanese government agency JICA and Japanese businesses.
In particular, meetings were held with Miyazaki Katsura, JICA Executive Senior Vice President; Hiroshi Nojima, President of Nojima Corporation – one of Japan’s largest retail chains specializing in electronics and digital technologies; Hiroshi Mikitani, Founder and CEO of leading Japanese tech company Rakuten Group; and the leadership of Daiwa House – one of Japan’s construction industry leaders. The Foundation's team also met with representatives of Panasonic Corporation, a major electronics manufacturer in Japan and globally.
During the meeting, the President of Nojima Corporation announced the decision to allocate 200 million yen to the Foundation’s projects aimed at supporting children.
Rakuten Group expressed interest in supporting the Foundation’s projects, and the terms of cooperation are currently being finalized.
Olena Zelenska thanked the companies and the Japan International Cooperation Agency for their continued support of Ukraine.
“Ukraine’s recovery is not just about infrastructure. It is first and foremost about people – especially children, who must grow up in safety, surrounded by care and attention, and have the opportunity to develop. I hope these meetings will mark the beginning of meaningful cooperation in areas that are critically important for restoring Ukrainian society through support for every child,” the First Lady said.
During the meetings, the Foundation’s team presented its work and key projects. These include building shelters in schools and kindergartens, creating Schools of Superheroes at children’s hospitals, providing students with devices for distance learning, and constructing housing for large foster families who lost their homes. A new Foundation project was also presented – the “12–21” youth spaces for psychosocial support of adolescents and young people.