Zaporizhzhia is a frontline region where a lack of knowledge about basic safety rules in dangerous situations can cost someone their life.

Zaporizhzhia is a frontline region where a lack of knowledge about basic safety rules in dangerous situations can cost someone their life. For this reason, the Voice of Romni team recently organized a mine risk education training for children and youth. The training was held in cooperation with our partner, the international humanitarian organization Save the Children.

The session was led by an experienced safety instructor, Anton Berezan, who holds the appropriate certification. During the training, he focused on topics that can save lives: the dangers posed by explosive devices, how to reduce the risk of encountering them, and how to act properly if a suspicious object is noticed. Together with the children and youth, the instructor also identified places that may pose increased danger and discussed what signs to pay attention to in order to stay safe. The main goal was to help participants develop basic rules of behaviour in dangerous situations.

According to the trainer, young people were especially interested in the topic of drones.

“We discussed the threats posed by UAVs and what to do if a drone is flying overhead, if it is being shot down, or if it has been shot down but has not exploded. The children were extremely attentive, as these issues directly affect them, since Zaporizhzhia is a frontline city.”

Polina*, a participant of the training, says such knowledge is important to her because she has a younger sister and two brothers:

“I constantly explain these things to them. Even when they go outside with our mother, it is important to remind them that they must not touch dangerous objects they might notice.”

Another participant, Oleh*, adds that some of the information was completely new to him.

“It turns out that drones can be treated with chemical substances that can cause chemical burns even through gloves. I believe that such trainings are very important so that teenagers and young people do not forget the basic rules of safety,” the boy says.

We believe that such trainings should become a basic element of safety education for people in Ukraine, especially for those living in frontline regions. A conscious understanding of risks helps make life safer.

The series of mine risk education trainings was conducted in cooperation with Save the Children thanks to the generous support of the American people provided through the Government of the United States of America. The contents are the responsibility of Voice of Romni and do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government of the United States.

*Names have been changed for security reasons.