As part of the national project "Side by Side: United Communities," a delegation from the Mangush community traveled to the village of Solotvyno in the Zakarpattia region.
The delegation included representatives from the education, culture, and youth sectors, who participated in joint activities with partners from the Solotvyno community.
The key focus was on educational and youth cooperation. During the meetings and discussions, educators exchanged experiences of working in educational institutions during wartime, discussed the use of digital tools, modern approaches to learning, and the role of schools as spaces for supporting children.
Practical workshops involving children and adults demonstrated that education can remain vibrant and interactive even in difficult conditions.
Joint creative initiatives that brought together children, young people, and adults played an important role in the program. Students from the Lesya Ukrainka Lyceum in Solotvyno prepared greetings for soldiers of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, and during a master class on painting bullet casings, participants transformed symbols of war into signs of remembrance, strength, and hope.
As part of the cultural exchange, the Mangush community presented an element of its intangible cultural heritage — traditional fulto bread, an authentic dish of the Mangush community that carries the history, family traditions, and memories of generations. Such elements of culture convey not only taste, but also the spirit of the community.
In turn, the Solotvyno community organized a pottery master class, which became a space for lively dialogue, mutual understanding, and hospitality.
Lilia Zolkina, head of the Department of Family, Youth, and Mass Events of National Patriotic Education of the Donetsk Regional State Administration, joined the youth events and addressed the participants with words of support, emphasizing the importance of cooperation between communities.
Such meetings form strong partnerships, promote unity, and create a basis for joint initiatives that bring about the restoration and development of communities and the entire country.
Based on materials from the Mangush Village Military Administration