Top 5 Highlights: Easy Camp 2025 — Second Session
The East SOS Charity Foundation held the second session of Easy Camp in the picturesque mountain village of Huklyvyi, Zakarpattia, welcoming 51 children aged 12–13 from the Donetsk, Luhansk, Zaporizhzhia, and Dnipro regions. All of them had to leave their homes due to the temporary occupation and share a common need — to restore their knowledge and mental health after years of air raid alerts and shelling.
For nine days, the East SOS team, together with the Estonian NGO Mondo, helped the children explore a new approach to learning, build friendships, and gain unforgettable experiences in a safe environment.
“I was very small when we moved out of Donetsk with my parents in 2014. Now we live in Zaporizhzhia, which I really like. I wish everyone a memorable summer. I will keep in mind the mountains and the teachers we did ‘excavations’ with, the guides who supported us in challenging moments, and the delicious food,” — said Danylo, 13 years old, one of the campers.
For many of the boys and girls who joined the second session of Easy Camp, it was the first real chance to escape the stressful environment of war and experience a rare, carefree childhood.
“We know how critical it is for children both to improve their studies and to feel free and happy. During the camp, they make friends, learn to trust, and discover the world and themselves. We want each child to return home with a sense of strength, confidence, and hope. Children teach adults how to remain bright and open despite all the difficulties,” — said Mykola Overchenko, Camp Director.
Over nine days, the children took part in classes in Ukrainian, English, mathematics, and history of Ukraine. The extracurricular program was just as rich: karaoke, jazz dance, drawing, affirmations and clay modeling, blogging workshops, language classes, and board games. This session became a record-setting one: the longest Talent Night, the highest mountain conquered by children, and the largest number of sincere smiles and unforgettable memories.
The Easy Camps for overcoming educational losses are part of the project “Supporting Mental Health through Online Diagnostics and Counseling, as well as Mental Health and Training Camps”, implemented by the East SOS Charity Foundation in partnership with Mondo (Estonia), with the support of the Estonian Center for International Cooperation and Development (ESTDEV) and Secours populaire français.
In July, we opened the Easy Camp season with 50 boys and girls from Zaporizhzhia.
