Olena Zelenska Visited “Cosmocamp,” an Inclusive Summer Camp Held for the First Time This Year with the Support of Her Foundation
July 8, 2025
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On July 8, Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine and founder of the Foundation, visited the inclusive summer camp “Cosmocamp: Space for Everyone.” This year, “Cosmocamp” was held for the first time with the support and cooperation of the Olena Zelenska Foundation.
The goal of the “Cosmocamp,” which is held annually by the NGO “See With Your Heart,” is to create a safe, inclusive space that brings together children with different needs and experiences.
Olena Zelenska and Olesia Yaskevych, the founder of the NGO “See With Your Heart,” talked with children and mentors, got acquainted with the camp program, and attended a play that the children prepared as part of it.
Last year, during her visit to “Cosmocamp,” the First Lady of Ukraine noted the special value of such a project. This acquaintance became an impetus for the Foundation to support “Cosmocamp” this year as part of systemic work to provide psychosocial support for children, adolescents, and youth.
In this area, the Foundation has already supported the organization of rehabilitation camps for over 700 children throughout Ukraine.
Psychosocial support is no longer just an option—it becomes an urgent need. After all, children, adolescents, and youth in Ukraine daily face loss, anxiety, forced displacement, and a sense of uncertainty about the future. At the same time, they often lack proper support adapted to their age, emotional condition, and what they experience.
Support for the “Cosmocamp” hangs together with the work in this area. It is an example of a safe, need-sensitive environment where children can feel acceptance, support, and the freedom to be themselves.
“A state’s capacity is measured by that of its most vulnerable citizens. We strive to provide every opportunity, protection, and support to those who face the greatest challenges – children with disabilities who require rehabilitation and special care. This is also part of the state’s barrier-free strategy,” Olena Zelenska, the First Lady of Ukraine and founder of the Foundation, notes.
This year, about 100 children from 6 to 20 years old in seven different age groups participated in the camp. The participants included children and adolescents with disabilities who do not attend school during the year due to their health conditions and their brothers and sisters, children with palliative status, children who have lost one or both parents due to the war, children who were forced to move from other regions, and children under guardianship.
“We are sincerely grateful to the Olena Zelenska Foundation for cooperation and support provided for the “Cosmocamp” this year. Every child must have summer vacation, fun, and adventure. Childhood has no disabilities. So, the “Cosmocamp” brings together different children yearly, but they all love summer, parties, and friends. “Cosmocamp” should grow into a chain of camps across the country so that children with disabilities could spend the summer like all other children, regardless of medical diagnoses,” Olesia Yaskevych, the founder of the NGO “See With Your Heart,” noted.
The “Cosmocamp” program includes daily activities—warm-ups, workshops, creative classes, themed games, and parties. Volunteers, artists, and representatives of business and creative industries traditionally create the camp’s atmosphere.
