Three Ukrainian girls receive peace prize for developing apps to help refugees

The Guardian reported the news.

Sofia Tereshchenko, 18, Anastasiia Feskova, 17, and Anastasiia Demchenko, 17, were awarded the prize for developing a pair of apps for refugee children. The award was presented in the UK on Friday, November 17.

Inspired by a news report of a lone child crying while crossing the Ukraine-Poland border, the trio met online and developed one app for young children who have fled their country, to help them understand where they are and how to seek help, and another for older children on how to integrate into the countries they successfully sought refuge in.

Tereshchenko fled Ukraine with her mother and relocated to Ely, Cambridgeshire, UK. Her father and brother still remain in Ukraine. She said the family were always tight-knit and that being separated was “heartbreaking”.

"As much as we want all children to have a safe and peaceful childhood. We understand that reality is different," Feskova said when accepting the award.

"We hope to create a better future for children, no matter who they are and where they are from. We need your support to turn this into reality. We need all of you to be open to interact[ing] with children from different backgrounds, children who are living in an entirely alien environment through no fault of theirs," she added.

• Switzerland wants Ukrainian refugees to be more active in their job search, and therefore plans to abolish the mandatory work permit issued by local authorities.