Instead of explosions, the noise of Carpathian waterfalls. Instead of air raid warnings, excursions, sports games, new friends, and evenings by the campfire.
Thanks to the partnership within the framework of the national project “Side by Side: United Communities,” children from frontline and war-affected communities are resting in Lviv, Bukovina, Transcarpathia, and Cherkasy regions.
The Zhydachiv community is hosting children from the Bilopol community of the frontline Sumy region and the Aydar community of Luhansk region. The young guests have already gotten to know the city, visited the local museum, honored the memory of fallen Heroes, visited the Carpathians, the bear shelter in Yavoriv region, and discovered Lviv for themselves.
Children from the Chornobaiv community and Kherson spent ten eventful days in the Carpathians. At the invitation of the Vyzhnytsia community, they became participants in the Perkalaba Camp.
Children learned to navigate in the mountains, mastered first aid skills, participated in ecological quests, conquered the peaks of Chornyy Dil and Velyky Kamin, rode a zip-line and got acquainted with the nature and traditions of the region.
The health shift for children from the Siverska community-outpost from Donetsk region has also ended. Thanks to cooperation with the partner Onokivska community, they rested at the “Malyatko” camp, visited Uzhgorod, the “Stare Selo” museum, played a friendly football match, visited Lavender Mountain and spent a sunny day by the pool.
And for young residents of the Shakhivska community, a camp shift began in the Irkliivska community in the Cherkasy region. On the first day, the children were waiting for a rest near the Dnieper, a picnic, Cossack fun and team games. Ahead are excursions, creative activities and new discoveries.
For children who live near the front, have lost their homes, or hear alarm signals every day, such trips are an opportunity to regain strength, find friends, and relieve stress.
Side by side, communities create a space for them where the war recedes, at least for a while, and childhood returns.