Reeling under the weight of the horror of war and the hard work of healing, First Lady of Ukraine, Olena Volodymyrivna Zelenska, has said serving as ‘First Lady’ in a country under war situation is a prayer no woman should wish for.

Speaking yesterday during a meeting with a group of African journalists at the State House in Bankova Street, Kyiv, she described the situation as a very difficult experience, which no one prepares for, and there is no written document to learn on how to handle such development.

Highlighting the toll that the war in her country has taken on Ukraine’s children and way of life as well as her work to provide mental healthcare to Ukrainians, she said Russian invaders “want to destroy our culture. Even after the war, it will be a tough one reversing the war crimes perpetrated by Russia and preserving Ukraine’s cultural heritage.

“It is a very difficult experience. No one would want this in her life. All of us would want to have peace. Yet, I have a great desire for all of us to be able to recover after this war.”

Same opportunity to recover, she said, has been created for everyone in the country. According to her, there were centres where people could access help on mental stability, especially women in the army and those whose husbands were in the frontline.

“In Ukraine, every citizen is equal. We have dozens of women in the army but we also understand that they have been traumatized. We also remember that most husbands are in the frontline. So, we have to help women on the issue of mental health. All around Ukraine, centres to help the people have been created for social and psychological assistance,” she added.

Speaking further on her personal experience on the war, she revealed that she was sometimes afraid and awful; yet conceals her emotions in order not to make others lose hope in the prevailing situation.

“Sometimes, I am scared. Sometimes, I am awful but I cannot share these emotions so that my people do not lose hope. The fact that I did not have to flee the country but stay back to help my people is a good thing for me. It is easier and safer for me to stay in the country than abroad; and I think it is one of the reasons my people support me”, she said.

She added that irrespective of Russian aggression, Ukraine will not give in to cruelty, stressing that the people will preserve their values.

Zelenska added that before the war, she was guided by her professional responsibilities and those of the office of the President’s wife. She however decried that the war situation has redirected her focus.

The First Lady also explained how emotionally traumatic it was for her and the people of Ukraine over the large number of children held in the Russian occupied territories. According to her, out of 19,000 of them in enemy territory, only 386 children have returned, alleging that Russia’s target was to erase the memory of Ukraine from the minds of the children.

“Of course, it is a small number that have returned. We are looking for the remaining children. Russia wants to erase the memory of the children about Ukraine. They told them lies that they were raised by Russians, that their parents and country rejected them. They want to reintegrate Ukraine children based on Russian culture.”

The First Lady however noted that taking care of her mental health remained very critical so as to be healthy and active at the end of the war. According to her, she would be willing to take counsel from any African First Lady who had passed through a similar situation.