KMA Transforms Lives through Education: Children of War Will Become Leaders
Ivanna, a 16-year-old girl who attended the 2023-24 "Individual Trajectory of a Leader" program for the children of fallen Defenders of Ukraine, wrote a letter that brings us face to face with reality. She expressed a sentiment that applies to many more kids who lost their loved ones as she shared, "I don't have a father. He was there, and then he was not, because the war took him away... He died in Mariupol at the battle of Azovstal. My dad is a Hero, and not only for me... He is the same Hero as thousands of members of the Azov Battalion who defended to the very end.”
Together with thirty other seventeen-year-old kids displaced because of the war who lost loved ones, Ivanna joined the scholarship program last year, implemented by the Kyiv-Mohyla School of Professional and Continuing Education, headed by the Dean, Professor Tetyana Nagornyak. The program includes offline and online learning focusing on skills that prepare them for entrance exams to universities, identifying and training for future professions, financial literacy, leadership skills, the use and challenges of artificial intelligence, excursions to museums and selected public service organizations, and most importantly, it prepared them to understand themselves and the world around them to make the right ethical and personal choices. This nurturing environment plays a key role in shaping young minds and contributes to their overall well-being, and develops their leadership potential.
The teachers of kma·pro, and the charitable foundation from Britain - The Eneida Foundation, contributed to the program’s success. After completion of the course, the participants not only received a certificate from NaUKMA, but several of them chose Kyiv-Mohyla Academy as their home for the next four years.
"It is no coincidence that we started our journey with this social program for children and will continue to do so in the future. After all, Kyiv-Mohyla Academy is about values and Ukraine’s future. This project brought together people whose hearts beat in unison for the victory of Ukraine!" , stated Professor Tetyana Nagornyak. Kyiv-Mohyla Academy’s president Serhiy Kvit said, “Kyiv-Mohyla Academy continues its historic role in response to the demand and challenges facing the Ukrainian nation”.
This year, the kma·pro team plans to expand the program's target audience. The Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America appealed to donors to sustain the program and set a goal of $30,000, but the response was overwhelming and within three weeks in August raised $41,000 USD, which will sustain 41 children in the next semester. It was inspiring to see the generosity of donors who care about Ukraine and the fate of every child. Sponsorships of scholarships empower children by meeting basic needs and providing opportunities to develop as leaders for a positive future.
In a recent interview, First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Zelenska said that working with the next generation is a moral obligation and a “strategic priority” for Ukraine’s future. Let us continue to support children like Ivanna, who with her friends will soon be the next generation of leaders.
Marta Farion - President, Kyiv-Mohyla Foundation of America