Four Cities, 80 Smiles: How East SOS Summer Camps Helped Children Find Support
In June 2026, the East SOS regional teams organized day camps for children and teenagers aged 8-16 in the frontline cities of Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Vinnytsia, whose hromadas (communities) have welcomed thousands of Ukrainians fleeing the war from more dangerous regions.
Amid russia’s full-scale invasion, children’s summer holidays pass by between air raid alerts, forced displacement, and the long wait for loved ones to return home. The opportunity to spend even a few days in a safe environment – where they can play, create, meet new friends, and simply be children – is especially meaningful. Behind these activities are the unique stories of every child.
Although each camp had its own name and format, every city offered a unique atmosphere:
- Vibe Camp in Mykolaiv brought together 20 teenagers (aged 12-15) from veteran and internally displaced families. Through shared activities, creative workshops, and team challenges, participants got to know one another, learned to trust each other, and made new friends.
- School of Creativity in Zaporizhzhia welcomed 23 children aged 9-12. They had recently been evacuated to the regional center and were adjusting to life in a new city. The camp became a space where they felt safe and began building a support network to help them adapt to the changes in their lives.
- Summer Express in Kharkiv gave 23 children aged 8-12 an opportunity to discover new interests, nurture their curiosity, and enjoy their holidays in an atmosphere of support and shared play.
- Journey Around the World in Vinnytsia brought together 14 children (aged 11-14) from families of servicemembers and veterans. For them, the camp provided a chance to take a break from everyday worries, meet peers with similar experiences, and realize they were not alone with their emotions.
Board games, communication exercises, problem-solving quests, and creative activities helped children and teenagers get to know one another, communicate, and build new friendships. This was particularly valuable for those who had recently been forced to leave their homes.
“This year, many of the participants had only recently been forced to flee their homes because of the security situation. These were families evacuated from the Bilenke and Novooleksandrivka hromadas, Stepnohirsk, and the Chernihiv and Orikhiv hromadas. For many of them, getting to know a new city and meeting new people is only just beginning, so the camp became one of the first places where they could truly feel part of a community,” said Nina Bulana, Assistant Regional Manager in Zaporizhzhia.
The day camps at the Zatyshno Space centers in Zaporizhzhia, Kharkiv, and Mykolaiv were organized as part of the project “Protection and Psychosocial Support for War-Affected Populations in Ukraine’s Frontline Regions” (2026–2027), which is implemented with the financial support of the German Federal Foreign Office.
The two-day event at the Vinnytsia hub took place with financial support from the Fondation de France Solidarity with Ukraine Program.
Soon, teenagers aged 12-13 from Mykolaiv and Kharkiv will head to Zakarpattia to take part in East SOS’s Easy Camp, an educational catch-up camp. While they prepare for this new adventure, we invite you to look back at how last year’s camp transformed its participants and what awaits children from frontline hromadas this summer.
