Ukraine's First Lady Olena Zelenska and the team of the Olena Zelenska Foundation met with Denmark's Minister for Entrepreneurship, Morten Bødskov, who visited Kyiv.
The President’s wife expressed gratitude to Denmark for its unprecedented support of Ukraine and the Foundation’s projects since the beginning of the full-scale Russian invasion.
"It was a pleasure to learn from the minister that, after our trip to Denmark in April this year and the presentation of the Foundation’s initiatives, more and more Danish companies and funds are eager to support Ukrainians through the Foundation’s projects. We have done extensive preparatory work and now have practical results: several Danish organizations are joining the implementation of two large-scale, long-term projects related to construction," said Olena Zelenska.
In particular, The A.P. Moller Support Foundation is allocating funds for the construction of 10 homes as part of the second phase of the "Address of Childhood" project, which the Foundation’s team plans to build next year.
The LEGO Foundation, Lundbeck Foundation, Tuborg Foundation, Orient’s Steamship Company Foundation, DSV A/S, and Lauritzen Foundation will assist the Foundation in rebuilding the children's creative and sports center in Borodyanka, Kyiv region, which was destroyed by Russian invaders during their occupation of the village in the spring of 2022.
"Various Danish foundations have taken on great responsibility and extended a helping hand, particularly to Ukrainian children whose childhoods were destroyed. I am grateful to all the foundations for their participation in this important work. This assistance is proof that Denmark is always willing to help in any way it can," noted Morten Bødskov.
Earlier, with the support of Danish partners, the Foundation's team rebuilt a rehabilitation department at the Izium hospital in the Kharkiv region and funded the repair and equipping of three shelters at schools in the Dnipropetrovsk region.
"One of our warm and emotional projects is 'Christmas on the Doorstep.' Last year, with the support of Danish foundations and companies, we greeted over 13,000 children from all foster and large foster families in Ukraine. The children received developmental games, sweets, and toys before Christmas. We are sincerely grateful to our Danish friends for this project, as even during the war, we were able to create a holiday for the children," summed up Nina Horbachova, Director of the Olena Zelenska Foundation.