Eastern Europe
Ukraine Camp 2025; Stories of Hope: Preparing for New Camps in Ukraine
Aug
Across Ukraine, children and young people are growing up in the shadow of war. Some hear drones overhead every night. Others live close to the front line where explosions are a daily threat. For many, school has been disrupted for years, leaving them isolated and without community.
This summer, we met children like Yana, Ilya, and young leader Roma at our camps. Their stories show both the hardship they live with and the extraordinary resilience and hope they carry.
Yana, 11, from Sumy
Yana lives in Sumy, only 30 kilometres from the Russian border. The front line has been moving closer, and she often hears drones flying overhead at night.
At the beginning of the war, her family lived inside a church because its basement served as a bomb shelter. Now they have a shelter at home where they hide when the sirens sound.
Yana studies online, while many of her friends have already left. Yet she refuses to go. “It is my home,” she says. She dreams of becoming a music teacher and already plays the piano to a high level.
At camp, she laughed, joked, and proudly taught us Ukrainian phrases. Her favourite memory was the barbecue on the final night. For a little while, she was able to enjoy being a child again.
Ilya, 10, from Zaporizhzhia
Ilya lives in Zaporizhzhia, just 30 kilometres from the front line. The sounds of shelling are never far from his home, where he lives with his parents and two sisters.
At camp, Ilya loved swimming, running, and playing with new friends. He told us these were the moments when he could forget the war and feel like any other child. “I do not want to move away,” he said. “This is where I am from. But I want peace.”
Roma from Volyn, Camp Leader
Roma comes from Volyn, on Ukraine’s northern border with Belarus. His town has not been directly attacked, but the war still disrupted his life. When the invasion began, his school closed for six months and he worked on his family’s farm caring for cows, pigs, and chickens.
Roma is one of eight children. His sister is married and one of his brothers now lives in Germany. He is now training to be a plumber and dreams of building his future in Ukraine. “I want to stay here,” he told us, “but I want peace. Without peace there is nothing.”
Roma did not come to camp as a child but as a camp leader. Despite being young, he carried responsibility with maturity and strength. He supported the team throughout and became a role model for others. His leadership left a lasting impression.
New Camps This September
In September, we will begin a new series of camps for children living close to the front line.
In the mornings, children will experience schooling together in groups for the first time since the war began. In the afternoons they will take part in camp activities that bring joy, laughter, and friendship.
For children like Yana, Ilya, and Roma, these camps provide far more than a break from war. They offer safety, community, and hope for the future.
How You Can Help
It costs just £20 per day for a child to attend camp. For a full week of five days, £100 gives a child the chance to rest, learn, and play in safety.
👉 Will you help us give children in Ukraine hope this September?