MADRID, 25 Jul. (EUROPA PRESS) –
Former Ukrainian soccer player Andriy Shevchenko, winner of the Champions League with Italian Milan in 2003 and ‘Golden Ball’ in 2004, demanded more mental health support for young refugees on Monday, after a surprise visit to meet the children who have fled the horrors of war in their country.
The former player, ambassador of ‘Laureus Sport for God’, visited a summer school in Warsaw that helps Ukrainian children to recover lost learning and fun and is mentored by the NGOs ‘War Child’ and ‘Save the Children’ so that they can boost their education and their mental health and psychosocial well-being.
“Nearly three million children in Ukraine have been forced to flee their homes in the last five months as a result of the conflict. The physical impact of the war is obvious, but we cannot forget the psychological impact on these young people. It is not enough to take a child out of war, we have to take war out of children,” Shevchenko said in statements provided by ‘Laureus’.
The former Ukraine coach recalled that “sport has incredible power to break down barriers and create hope in times of despair” and was “proud and grateful that Laureus supports initiatives like this, working 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,” he stressed.
In these summer schools, boys and girls learn about ‘TeamUp’, “an innovative and scientifically proven method of movement, play and sport, which helps children affected by conflict, between the ages of 6 and 18, to manage their emotions and relieve stress from your body,” with sessions consisting of activities that have “a specific goal related to a topic, such as anger or stress management and interaction with peers.
“Children are resilient by nature, but they need our support to become children again. We are grateful for the opportunity that ‘Laureus’ gives us to do just that with ‘TeamUp’. Not only in Poland but throughout Europe,” said Frank. Velthuizen, director of this program in ‘War Child’.
For his part, Basile Ema Ebede, Leader of the ‘Save the Children’ Response Team in Poland, does not forget that “Ukrainian children have experienced a lot in just five months”. “Being forced to flee your home is a life-changing event that often has negative consequences that can linger for years. Our teams continue to witness the psychological and emotional impact this war is having on children,” he stressed. .
Earlier this year, ‘Laureus’ created its ‘Sport Fund for Peace and Humanitarian Action’ to help alleviate the humanitarian disaster that is taking place in and around Ukraine. The fund enables the organization to respond with greater speed and determination to support the world’s most vulnerable when they face crises. Thanks to this fund, he has been able to provide early support to the ‘TeamUp’ programme.