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Alexei Furman/Getty
For four months, the Ukrainians suffered a deadly russian invasion this forced several million residents to evacuate their homes and seek refuge either abroad or in other areas of Ukraine unoccupied by Russian forces.
With summer in full swing, many of the surviving children in Ukraine, who have suffered great emotional trauma this year, are desperate to reclaim their childhood – and a new summer camp program is dedicated to that.
The 7Fields Eco Camp is a new children’s camp with a strong mission, located on the outskirts of Ukraine’s Kyiv region, near Zalissia National Park. Through six sessions, the camp aims to provide 300 refugee children with fun activities and psychological help before the end of the summer.
Alexei Furman/Getty Children play on the playground on June 20, 2022, at the 7fields camp near Zalissia National Nature Park.
Participants receive six meals a day and take part in a range of events during their free two-week stay – think talent shows, flash mobs and campfire songs. They also have access to playgrounds, sports fields, a swimming pool, a yoga dome, a climbing wall and a wide variety of games.
Creative educational programs are incorporated into the experience to give children the opportunity to learn financial literacy, English language, engineering and music, and older children will attend anti-corruption lectures.
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Alexei Furman/Getty A boy smiles while playing on the playground on June 20, 2022 at 7fields camp.
The camp notes that the children they plan to foster “live in foreign towns and villages in Ukraine and have no access to education and leisure activities”.
Organizers are working with the Ukrainian government to identify children officially registered as “internally displaced persons”, most of whom have been evacuated from eastern and southern parts of the country that have been occupied by Russian invaders or are not not safe for residents. as the war rages on.
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Helping children feel safe is the camp’s top priority, and even though they’re only an hour from the Ukrainian capital, Kyiv – an obvious target in the ongoing conflict – camp children can enjoy the outdoors and the clean air and fresh well water that comes with it.
Alexei Furman/Getty The boys play football on June 20, 2022 at the 7fields camp near Zalissia National Nature Park.
Managed by two public bodies, the head office and 7Fieldsthe eco-camp is completely free for participants, relying on outside donations to ensure the programs run smoothly.
Currently, there are still children who need funding, and the organization calls on donors to support their mission by sponsor a child to participate. A Facebook group allows donors and interested parties to follow what is happening in the camp and see how the money is being used.
“Support is not just about bringing food,” co-founder Oxana Volzhina wrote in a Facebook post about the camp, “support is not about making them forget what life is, what children’s lives go on and should be happy!
The Russian attack on Ukraine is an evolving story, with information changing rapidly. Follow Full coverage of the war by PEOPLE hereincluding testimonials from citizens on the ground and ways to help.
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