The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) and the Association of Ukrainian Cities are organising summer camps all over the EU to host Ukrainian children to offer targeted psychological help to stabilise their emotional state and distract them from traumatising experiences, an official CoR communication reads.
Kyiv Mayor Vitaly Klitschko called for the EU’s cities and regions to organise summer camps for Ukranian children during a plenary session of the CoR in April 2022. More than 12 cities and regions answered Mayor Vitaly’s call and participated in the first edition of the summer camps in 2022, with a total of 1248 children hosted.
The most interest came from Poland, whose regions and cities hosted 734 participants.
“Our goal was for the children from Ukraine to enjoy a beautiful and fearless vacation in the Podkarpackie region, allowing them to enjoy their childhood again and forget, at least for a few moments, about all the evil and terror. I think we managed to achieve this and the children spent pleasant moments in our region’s idyllic, and above all, peaceful atmosphere” Podkarpackie Region’s President Wladyslaw Ortyl told EURACTIV.
“The children had a psychologist, a nurse at their constant disposal. Two more Ukrainian speakers were also engaged to make the children feel even more comfortable”, he added.
For this summer edition, 50 local and regional authorities from Ukraine, Spain, Lithuania, Ireland, Sweden, Germany, Italy, Finland, Estonia, Poland and Latvia participated in an information session at the CoR on Wednesday, but the planning is yet to be finalised, a spokesperson told EURACTIV.
This edition will also count on UNICEF’s support, which has partnered with the CoR to help regions and cities with the camps’ planning, coordination, and implementation.
“The shared objectives with UNICEF are to ensure the strongest child protection standards and the safety and well-being of all children, as well as to increase support to EU cities and regions in their work on child protection”, the CoR spokesperson added.
The aim of these summer camps is also to provide Ukrainian children with a European cultural and language exchange, as the camps’ programmes include visits to regional attractions, cultural events, and activities with locals.
“The children’s summer camp programs included hiking in the beautiful surroundings of Rymanow and relaxing by the water. The campers visited beautiful parts of the region, including the Prządki Nature Reserve and the Solina Lake, which they learned about during a boat cruise. They also visited the Chocolate Factory in Korczyna and participated in workshops at the Glass Heritage Center in Krosno”, Ortyl said.
(Max Griera | EURACTIV.com)
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