Minister Fajon opens first foster home in Ukraine with Slovenia's support: every child deserves a home

Minister Tanja Fajon opened a foster home | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve

In Medzhybizh, in the Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Minister Fajon opened the first foster home with a shelter for ten internally displaced children and a foster family. Minister Fajon emphasised: "This home is the result of exceptional cooperation combining charity and official development assistance, as well as compassion that has travelled over a thousand kilometres - from Slovenia to Ukraine. The opening of the foster home is an expression of true solidarity, which means standing together when the world is falling apart and showing that hope is stronger than destruction. All children deserve safety, care, a warm home and an opportunity for a better future."

She added that the house would not have been built without the solidarity of many Slovenians who contributed funds as part of a charity campaign organised by the television station POP TV, the Anita Ogulin Association and the Slovenian Association of the Friends of Youth, and the cooperation of the Centre for International Cooperation and Development (CMSR), which led the construction project.

The minister announced that by the end of 2026, Slovenia would use official development assistance funds to support the construction of two more similar foster homes with a playground and shelter for large foster families. The total value of the construction and equipment project is estimated at one million euros. With this, Slovenia wants to contribute in the long term to the protection of foster children and the restoration of communities that have been further affected by Russian aggression.

Minister Tanja Fajon met with Serhiy Tiurin, Governor of the Khmelnytskyi Oblast | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve

In talks with the governor of the Khmelnytskyi Oblast, Serhiy Tiurin, Fajon said that Slovenia would continue to support Ukraine to the best of its ability, with an emphasis on knowledge transfer and economic integration. She expressed her satisfaction that Slovenia and the Khmelnytskyi Oblast have strengthened their cooperation, emphasising the importance of a development project supported by the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs through the Centre for European Perspective (CEP). The two-year project, carried out under the U-LEAD programme, aims to strengthen ties between municipalities in Slovenia and Ukraine. The CEP also wants to enhance its ties in the region by cooperating with the development agency and sharing its experience in waste management, decentralisation, EU rapprochement and connecting companies in both countries. "This cooperation is a valuable opportunity to exchange knowledge, strengthen local communities and work together to find sustainable and innovative solutions to improve the life of people," the minister emphasised.

In Lviv, Minister Fajon visited the construction site of a biogas plant project co-financed by Slovenia (Ministry of Finance) through the CMSR and the European Bank for Reconstruction and Development, with a Slovenian company also participating in the construction. The project will ensure sustainable water resource management, clean energy and create new jobs. She also visited the Superhumans Centre, which carries out rehabilitation programmes for war victims. The aim of the programme, which is supported by Slovenia in cooperation with the ITF Foundation for Human Security, is to enable the successful rehabilitation and reintegration of victims through medical acre, physiotherapy and psychosocial support.

Minister Tanja Fajon visited the Superhumans Centre | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve

At the Lychakivsky Cemetery in Lviv, Minister Fajon laid wreaths in tribute to Slovenian soldiers who fell in the First World War and to Ukrainian soldiers who fell in defence of Ukraine. She also laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance in the Khmelnytskyi region: "The consequences of the Russian aggression can be felt throughout Ukraine. In these difficult times, Slovenia stand by the Ukrainian people and all those who are striving to end the suffering," said Fajon.

During the rest of her visit, Minister Fajon will get acquainted with two projects that are being implemented in Ukraine in cooperation between Caritas Spes and Caritas Slovenia, the latter being a strategic partner of the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for emergency humanitarian response. She will visit a public kitchen, where 500 hot meals are prepared and distributed five times a week, also with the support of Slovenia, and she will hand over a vehicle for delivering food and aid to internally displaced persons in Zhytomyr and the surrounding area. The Minister will also visit a rehabilitation centre for children and young people with special needs, which can accommodate up to 90 children and their parents and was renovated with Slovenia's support between 2022 and 2024.

Next stop will be a hospital in Zhytomyr, where Foreign Minister will hand over to the hospital director medical and sanitary supplies, financed as part of Slovenia's voluntary contribution to the World Health Organisation for the needs of Ukraine. Through the World Health Organisation, Slovenia has been allocating half a million euros to Ukraine every year since the start of the war. The latest agreement on Slovenian support was concluded on the sidelines of the 20th Bled Strategic Forum.

"Through development and humanitarian projects, Slovenia shows solidarity and contributes to peace and security - values on which the EU is based. At the same time, we are helping people who have lost the most in the war - their sense of security and their homes. This is an investment in a peaceful and secure future for Europe," Fajon emphasised.

Slovenia's humanitarian and development efforts strengthen its reputation in the world and confirm its role as a responsible and trustworthy partner.

Information on Slovenia's development and humanitarian projects in Ukraine.

Minister Tanja Fajon laid flowers at the Wall of Remembrance in the Khmelnytskyi region | Author Ministrstvo za zunanje in evropske zadeve