When hundreds of young hearts unite to protect their native environment, an incredible energy of change and hope is born. The regional children’s environmental contest “The Carpathians – Creation Entrusted to Us”—held as part of the Season of Creation—brought together an impressive number of talented, sincere, and environmentally conscious participants.
This joint initiative—organized by the Ecology Commission of the Mukachevo Greek Catholic Eparchy, the NGO “Interreligious and Civil Environmental Forum of Eastern Europe” (IRCEF), and the “PADIYUN” Regional Center for Children and Youth Creativity—became a true celebration of caring for our common home, recognizing it as a priceless gift from God.
The scale of the children’s concern exceeded all expectations: the contest received 410 entries across four categories:
- Drawing: “The Carpathians – Our Shared Home”
- Literary Work: “Responsibility for Creation”
- Video: “Let’s Save the Carpathians Together”
- Environmental Initiative: “Responsibility Begins with Me”
The competition’s reach extended across virtually the entire Zakarpattia region. Students from educational institutions in 24 territorial communities submitted drawings, short stories, heartfelt video messages, and practical eco-projects. These communities include: Baranyntsi, Berehove, Bilky, Bushtyno, Velykyi Bereznyi, Vylok, Volovets, Horinchovo, Dubove, Zarichchia, Irshava, Kolochava, Korolevo, Mizhhiria, Mukachevo, Neresnytsia, Nizhni Vorota, Poliana, Rakhiv, Teresva, Turia-Remety, Uzhhorod, Ust-Chorna, and Khust.
Each submission represents a sincere prayer from a child—expressed through brushstrokes, words, and actions—for our shared Carpathian home. We express our immense admiration and deep gratitude to all the young participants for their creative courage, their profound understanding of nature’s value, and their sense of responsibility before the Creator for the Carpathians entrusted to us.
Special honor and thanks go to the educators, parents, and mentors! We thank you for your selfless work, patience, and wisdom, and for nurturing in the souls of the younger generation a love for their native land, a sense of Christian responsibility, and an ecological consciousness.
Above all, we offer prayers of thanksgiving to the Lord and express our boundless gratitude to our courageous defenders. It is solely thanks to their steadfastness, sacrifice, and daily heroism that our children are able to create, learn, behold the beauty of their native mountains, and live under a peaceful sky on their own land.
The names of the winners and the full list of contest participants can be found in the official document:
We extend our sincere congratulations to the winners and wish for each of them to continue being faithful guardians of God’s Creation!
In the near future, we will announce the date and venue for the awards ceremony, where we will have the opportunity to personally congratulate the winners and present their well-deserved awards. Stay tuned for updates on our pages!
As a reminder, the children’s environmental contest “The Carpathians – Creation Entrusted to Us” was held as part of the project “Ecological Catechesis: ‘Wonderful Are Your Works, O Lord,'” with the support of the Dioceses of Würzburg, Mainz, and Speyer.
IRCEF Information Service
