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The first group of children of Metinvest’s employees from Kryvyi Rih companies went to a summer recreation camp in the Western Ukraine as part of rest and recovery programme Strong Generation Camp – Future.

The programme has been launched to help children of conscripted employees and those affected by the shelling as well as children of IDPs from temporarily occupied territories and areas of active hostilities. The programme is aimed at providing psychological support, rehabilitation, rest and recovery, as well as art therapy and sessions with qualified specialists. In total, 400 children will receive psychological support, including 173 children from Kryvyi Rih.

For Nastia Shcherban it’s the first trip to the picturesque Carpathian Mountains. Her father is on the front line fighting for Ukraine.

“It’s good that despite the war our children can have fun in summer, this is the way it should be. Indeed, it’s hard to have a normal life in the context of the war but still nobody has the right to deprive boys and girls of their best years and impressions. Childhood gives us energy for the life ahead and I want my daughter Nastia to remember her friends and fun rather than the war and the shelling. She looked forward to the trip. She tried to imagine how much fun she would have and what friends she would meet,” said Maryna Shcherban, a wife of Volodymyr Shcherban, a soldier from Inhulets and former mechanic at InGOK.

The programme will last for two weeks and includes entertaining activities: games, quests, master classes, trips to lakes and mountains, sports games, etc.

“I am very happy that my child can enjoy the nature of the Carpathian Mountains, talk to his camp mates and receive new impressions and make new memories. It’s the first trip to the summer camp for Artem, and it’s his first time in the Western Ukraine. He got prepared really well and learned in advance many interesting facts about Synevyr Lake and the area where he is going to stay. He is looking forward to the trip. I am confident that the beautiful environment and the team of professionals will help our children feel safe and protected. We highly appreciate the input provided by Metinvest Group in arranging this lovely holiday for our children and we thank them for this wonderful initiative. We were told that the children would gain invaluable skills while attending psychological training programmes and master classes. I hope our boys and girls will make new friends, build their self-confidence and have unforgettable memories to share when they come back home,” said a servicewoman Svitlana Matvienko, a former conveyor operator of CGOK factory.

“To be honest, it’s all about emotions now: travel arrangements, parting, and worrying about how my child will get and adapt there, whether he will connect with his camp mates... I do have some worries but we believe that everything will be fine. We expect that the holiday will bring only positive emotions: we happened to be there once, and the area is really fabulous, with very picturesque landscapes. I’m sure this will be an interesting and varied holiday for my son (he is 11) and, given the ongoing war, it’s a great opportunity to change the scenery, meet other children, have some rest and get distracted from the reality. Lately, Nazar’s study took place entirely online, and many of his friends moved away, so this trip and new experiences will stand him in good stead, I hope,” said Kateryna Petrovska, the wife of a serviceman Valery Petrovsky who was a mechanic at Northern GOK before the war.

The new rest and recovery programme for Metinvest employees’ children affected by the war – Strong Generation Camp – Future is implemented as part of Saving Lives, the humanitarian initiative of Metinvest Group. Metinvest is set to allocate UAH 9 million for the psychological rehabilitation of children.