When war breaks out, children suffer the most, with emotional scars that can last a lifetime. The Ukraine conflict has deeply impacted countless young lives, leaving enduring marks on their well-being.
For the third year, SOS Children’s Villages Ukraine has organised camp holidays for children suffering from stress and trauma. At Camp Lighthouse, hundreds of children escape the daily hardships of war to enjoy carefree fun and serenity, as all children should.
“It began as a summer camp, but now it runs from May to Christmas,” says Olha, the camp coordinator, adding that it was the high demand among children and parents that extended the duration of the camp from three to eight months.
The idea came in spring 2022, a few months after the full-scale war started, inspired by similar camps for children following the 2014 Eastern Ukraine war.
Located in a rustic hotel complex in western Ukraine, the camp is a safe haven where children can escape the sounds of air-raid sirens and shelling for two weeks at a time.
“Our first shift this year was with children from the Kharkiv region,” Olha says. “One boy told me that he couldn’t sleep for two nights. ‘It’s too quiet,’ he said to me.”
Dance, Dance, Dance
Olha and her team of counsellors aim to relieve children’s stress and trauma. Part of this involves every day starting and ending with dancing.
“Trauma lives in the body,” Olha explains. “Rapid movements such as dancing help release it.”
During dancing time, the camp’s central area becomes a lively dance stage where about 80 children and 15 adults dance, jump, run, laugh, and have fun.
Learning through Playing
Each day is different but thoughtfully structured. “A routine fights uncertainty and reduces anxiety,” says Olha. Workshops include self-defence, eurythmy, finger-painting, textile painting, psychological support groups, and educational sessions on children’s rights, and socialising.
Children are encouraged to use their creativity to design group projects. Last year, teenagers built a dinghy from wooden pallets to use on the nearby lake.
The No-No’s
Participation in activities is encouraged but not mandatory. Even during the school year, children are encouraged to play and enjoy themselves. However, there’s also a ‘no mobile phones’ rule, which no one minds.
Parents and children are informed of this rule before camp. Phones are kept with counsellors and returned during designated slots at breakfast and supper. “By the third or fourth day, the children stop asking for their phones,” Olha smiles. “We speak with the parents, send pictures, or make video calls. They are always glad to see their children smiling and enjoying the moment.”
Fun, Safety, Serenity
Quiet times are from 10 pm to 8 am, and midday from 2 to 3:30 pm. Children carefully guard these times, as evidenced by an eight-year-old who complained when her roommates were noisy at 2:01 pm.
For those needing extra support, counsellors let them cuddle up with Pavlik the Sloth. “He’s helped so many children fall asleep that he’s like a colleague,” Olha smiles.
