Youth from Ukraine visit Edmonton to improve future of war-torn country

2016/7/15 10:45:45

Photo: Ukrainian youth create messages to thank their hosts at St. John's Institute in Edmonton. (CBC)

 


By Travis McEwan, CBC News Posted Jul 13, 2016

 

Roman Pushniak struggles with the loss of his father, a sergeant in the Ukrainian military, who was killed two years ago in the country's ongoing war with pro-Russian rebels.

 

The 15-year-old from Kyiv is more optimistic about his future.  After being in the Edmonton area for the past month, he has fallen in love with the city and the post-secondary schools.

 

“Yesterday we were at MacEwan University and it was very great,” he said. “I want to live here, start a family and study.”

 

Pushniak​ is part of Children for Peace, a group of 14 Ukrainian teens who were handpicked out of 300 to get a glimpse of Canadian society. Five of them are children of Ukrainian soldiers killed in the conflict, while some volunteered with the military efforts. It's the first trip organized by Children for Peace.

 

Anastasia Sokolenko, 16, paints her hand blue and places it on a yellow posterboard, to signify the colours of the Ukrainian flag. Along with her peers, she writes her name and a message on the board. It will be presented to host families on Wednesday, the night before they return to Ukraine.

 

While she's enjoying the past month in Canada, Sokolenko wants to stay in Ukraine to improve the country. She hopes for an end to the current war, one her father participated in, making way for the country to become a better place to live.

 

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http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/edmonto ... ar-torn-country-1.3676400

 

 

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