{"id":156771,"date":"2025-09-17T11:10:09","date_gmt":"2025-09-17T08:10:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/?post_type=artikkelit&#038;p=156771"},"modified":"2025-09-17T11:18:00","modified_gmt":"2025-09-17T08:18:00","slug":"i-literally-jumped-for-joy-fca-summer-camp-offers-healing-and-hope-for-children-affected-by-war-in-ukraine","status":"publish","type":"artikkelit","link":"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/latest-news\/articles\/i-literally-jumped-for-joy-fca-summer-camp-offers-healing-and-hope-for-children-affected-by-war-in-ukraine\/","title":{"rendered":"&#8220;I literally jumped for joy\u201d &#8211; summer camp offers healing for children in Ukraine\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"\n\n\n<div class=\"block-hero full-width id-block\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Farewell-the-stress_HERO.jpeg');\">\n\n\t<div class=\"bg-mobile\" style=\"background-image: url('https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Farewell-the-stress_MOB.jpeg');\"><\/div>\n\n\t\n\t<div class=\"curtain\"><\/div>\n\n\t<div class=\"container\">\n\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"inner-blocks entry-content\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><\/h1>\n\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n<h1 class=\"wp-block-heading\">&#8220;I literally jumped for joy\u201d: FCA summer camp offers healing and hope for children affected by war in Ukraine<\/h1>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-ingress\">For children growing up in the war-affected Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, education has been disrupted, friendships scattered, and daily life overshadowed by fear. This summer, a week-long camp in western Ukraine offered them something different \u2014 a safe space to learn, recover, and simply be teenagers again.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>FOR 148 STUDENTS<\/strong>, seven days in the historical Chernivtsi region were not just a camp \u2014 they were a chance to step out of the shadow of war, catch up on learning, and rediscover the joy of being together.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Organised by Finn Church Aid (FCA) with the support of the Finnish private Pirkko and Tarmo Vahvelainen Foundation, the camp combined academic learning with psychosocial support and recreation. For the students from Regional Scientific Lyceum \u201cObdarovanist,\u201d it both bridged education gaps caused by displacement and disrupted schooling and supported the emotional recovery of children who have grown up amidst constant uncertainty. For young people from the front-line Kharkiv region, the experience was nothing short of transformative. &nbsp;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As one student summed it up:\u00a0<br><em>\u201cHere I could laugh, study, and just be myself.\u201d\u00a0<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_9-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"A teenaged boy stands at a table full of printed out emojis. In the background, other teenagers busy themselves arranging papers.\" class=\"wp-image-156753\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_9-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_9-480x360.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_9-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_9-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_9-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_9-237x178.jpg 237w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_9-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Psychosocial support sessions helped rebuild connections between students and relieve stress.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A school community under pressure\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The Kharkiv Regional Scientific Lyceum \u201cObdarovanist\u201d is one of the region\u2019s leading schools, bringing together academically talented students from across Kharkiv and beyond. Yet the war has deeply affected both the school and its students. Many have been displaced, some spent months under occupation, and all have faced the instability of remote or hybrid learning.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignleft size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pupils-11-th-grade_the-Pysanka-museum_4-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"A group photo of teenagers standing outside in front of a giant decorative egg.\" class=\"wp-image-156765\" style=\"width:353px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pupils-11-th-grade_the-Pysanka-museum_4-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pupils-11-th-grade_the-Pysanka-museum_4-360x480.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pupils-11-th-grade_the-Pysanka-museum_4-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pupils-11-th-grade_the-Pysanka-museum_4-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pupils-11-th-grade_the-Pysanka-museum_4-134x178.jpg 134w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Pupils-11-th-grade_the-Pysanka-museum_4-1920x2560.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Students from the 11th grade enjoyed a visit to the Pysanka museum<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>Valerii Polyvanyi, the school\u2019s director, emphasised the importance of creating spaces where students can meet in person again:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThe greatest value of this camp is that it brings our students together. For years, we hardly saw them. Now, they can learn, communicate, and feel part of a school community again. The fact that over a hundred families registered within minutes shows how much this is needed.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Before the war, the lyceum offered specialised field practice for each academic profile: biologists travelled to research stations, mathematicians to university laboratories, and younger students prepared for exams. Since 2022, such opportunities became impossible. FCA\u2019s camp restored this tradition in a new way \u2014 by uniting students from all grades, giving them both intensive learning and a chance to reconnect socially.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Learning and healing together\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The camp\u2019s programme combined STEM (<em>Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics)<\/em>\u00a0lessons in mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and IT with personal development workshops, sports, cultural excursions, and psychosocial support sessions. The approach was intentional: to recognise that education and well-being go hand in hand.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For many, this balance was critical. Kyryl, 16, studies in the physics and mathematics track. He remembers the excitement when he learned the camp would take place again:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"alignright size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"768\" height=\"1024\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_18-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"Teenagers look on as a boy builds a tower out of paper on a desk.\" class=\"wp-image-156759\" style=\"width:338px;height:auto\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_18-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_18-360x480.jpg 360w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_18-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_18-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_18-134x178.jpg 134w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_18-1920x2560.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 768px) 100vw, 768px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Kyryl&#8217;s idea became the winning solution in the task of building the tallest possible tower out of paper. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen I learned the camp would happen again, I literally jumped with joy. Here I feel calm and free to express myself. The psychosocial sessions gave me confidence, and team challenges helped me discover my own leadership.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>One activity asked students to build the tallest possible tower out of paper. Kyryl\u2019s idea became the winning solution. For him, the exercise was more than a game \u2014 it was a chance to practise collaboration, problem-solving, and leadership in an environment where his voice was heard and valued.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Reconnecting with community\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For Illia, 16, who studies in the biology and chemistry track, the camp was not only about catching up on academics but also about regaining social skills after months of isolation. He had lived under occupation in his home village before joining the lyceum and knew what it meant to be cut off from peers.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cWhen you stay at home too long, you lose social skills. Online you cannot share emotions the way you do face to face,\u201d Illia explained.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>At the camp in Chernivtsi, he reunited with classmates and took part in psychosocial sessions that helped him manage anxiety.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"768\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Illya-at-the-lesson-1024x768.jpg\" alt=\"A group of teenagers sit at outside tables, in front of laptops, listening to someone speaking off-camera.\" class=\"wp-image-156744\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Illya-at-the-lesson-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Illya-at-the-lesson-480x360.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Illya-at-the-lesson-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Illya-at-the-lesson-1536x1152.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Illya-at-the-lesson-2048x1536.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Illya-at-the-lesson-237x178.jpg 237w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/Illya-at-the-lesson-1920x1440.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">\u201cWhen you stay at home too long, you lose social skills. Online you cannot share emotions the way you do face to face,\u201d says Illia, 16 (second from left in photo).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cThey taught me to manage stress and realise it is not as frightening as it seems. Most importantly, they showed me that I am not alone with my feelings.\u201d\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>For Illia, the combination of STEM lessons, sports, and psychosocial support offered exactly the balance he needed to feel stronger and more connected.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Support for teachers too\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The camp also had an impact on teachers, many of whom work under the constant strain of air raid sirens and hybrid education systems.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Iryna Petrenko, who has taught physics and mathematics at the lyceum for over three decades, described both the challenges and the relief the camp provided:\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFor children from Kharkiv, simply being in nature without sirens is already healing. The camp combined learning with emotional recovery \u2014 something we all, teachers included, needed deeply.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>She explained that stress has affected students\u2019 concentration and memory. Even high-achieving pupils sometimes struggle to retain knowledge learned online. Being together in person allowed teachers to identify gaps, provide direct support, and restore students\u2019 confidence. For the teachers themselves, the camp was also a source of renewal. \u201cWe work with the children, but we also recharge emotionally. It gives us strength to continue,\u201d she added.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1440\" height=\"1080\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_24-edited.jpg\" alt=\"In the foreground is a rainbow parachute lying on the ground. In the middle of the parachute are a large number of scraps of paper. In the middleground a person in an FCA branded shirt stands looking on at a group of students sitting on chairs in a large hall.\" class=\"wp-image-156777\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_24-edited.jpg 1440w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_24-edited-480x360.jpg 480w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_24-edited-1024x768.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_24-edited-768x576.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/09\/MHPSS-training_24-edited-237x178.jpg 237w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1440px) 100vw, 1440px\" \/><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">Staff trained in psychosocial support oversaw support sessions. <\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">A safe space for growth\u00a0<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>For the students of \u201cObdarovanist,\u201d the camp was not only about catching up academically. It was also about reclaiming a sense of normal teenage life \u2014 studying, laughing, playing, and simply being together without fear.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>As Director Valerii put it, \u201cThe camp is not just practice. It is rest, recovery, and joy. It reminds children that life is bigger than the war.\u201d \u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Thanks to FCA and the support of the Vahvelainen Foundation, the summer camp created a safe and nurturing space amid ongoing conflict. For young people who have lost so much, this experience offered hope and resilience for the future.\u00a0<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>&#8212;<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p class=\"is-style-ingress\">Text and photo: Veronika Korobko, FCA Ukraine<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<div class=\"block-latest-articles-from-category full-width id-block has-bg\">\n\t<div class=\"container-lg\">\n\t\t\t\t<div class=\"row\">\n\t\t\t<div class=\"col\">\n\t\t\t\t<h2 class=\"block-title\"><span class=\"bg\">You may also be interested in:<\/span><\/h2>\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\n\t\t<div class=\"row articles\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-md-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"article-card article-card__default\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/ajankohtaista\/blogi\/in-the-darkness-after-the-missiles-the-flame-of-hope-shines-on\/\">\n\t\t<div class=\"article-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/ukraine-black-1-480x320.jpg\" alt=\"In the darkness after the missiles, the flame of hope shines on\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"320\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-meta\">\n\t\t<span>Blog<\/span><span>24.2.2026<\/span>\t<\/div>\n\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/ajankohtaista\/blogi\/in-the-darkness-after-the-missiles-the-flame-of-hope-shines-on\/\"><h3 class=\"article-title\">In the darkness after the missiles, the flame of hope shines on<\/h3><\/a>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-md-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"article-card article-card__default\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/latest-news\/news\/ukraine-needs-help-in-its-fourth-winter-of-war\/\">\n\t\t<div class=\"article-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-HD_bohodukhiv-35-480x320.jpg\" alt=\"Ukraine\u00a0needs\u00a0help in\u00a0its\u00a0fourth\u00a0winter\u00a0of\u00a0war\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"320\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-meta\">\n\t\t<span>News<\/span><span>24.2.2026<\/span>\t<\/div>\n\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/latest-news\/news\/ukraine-needs-help-in-its-fourth-winter-of-war\/\"><h3 class=\"article-title\">Ukraine\u00a0needs\u00a0help in\u00a0its\u00a0fourth\u00a0winter\u00a0of\u00a0war<\/h3><\/a>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<div class=\"col col-12 col-md-4\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\n<div class=\"article-card article-card__default\">\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/latest-news\/articles\/teacher-of-the-year-in-ukraine-champions-inspiration\/\">\n\t\t<div class=\"article-thumbnail\">\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/B-HD_ruslan-shalamov-1-480x320.jpg\" alt=\"Teacher of the Year in Ukraine champions inspiration\" loading=\"lazy\" width=\"480\" height=\"320\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/a>\n\n\t<div class=\"article-meta\">\n\t\t<span>Article<\/span><span>16.2.2026<\/span>\t<\/div>\n\n\t<a href=\"https:\/\/www.kirkonulkomaanapu.fi\/en\/latest-news\/articles\/teacher-of-the-year-in-ukraine-champions-inspiration\/\"><h3 class=\"article-title\">Teacher of the Year in Ukraine champions inspiration<\/h3><\/a>\n<\/div>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t<\/div>\t\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>&#8220;I literally jumped for joy\u201d: FCA summer camp offers healing and hope for children affected by war in Ukraine For children growing up in the war-affected Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, education has been disrupted, friendships scattered, and daily life overshadowed by fear. This summer, a week-long camp in western Ukraine offered them something different [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":179,"featured_media":156772,"menu_order":0,"template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_relevanssi_hide_post":"","_relevanssi_hide_content":"","_relevanssi_pin_for_all":"","_relevanssi_pin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_unpin_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_keywords":"","_relevanssi_related_include_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_exclude_ids":"","_relevanssi_related_no_append":"","_relevanssi_related_not_related":"","_relevanssi_related_posts":"114522,150419,154976,155369,155668,150640","_relevanssi_noindex_reason":"","_improvement_type_select":"improve_an_existing","_thumb_yes_seoaic":false,"_frame_yes_seoaic":false,"seoaic_generate_description":"","seoaic_improve_instructions_prompt":"","seoaic_rollback_content_improvement":"","seoaic_idea_thumbnail_generator":"","thumbnail_generated":false,"thumbnail_generate_prompt":"","seoaic_article_description":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[812],"countries":[892],"article_themes":[303,552],"class_list":["post-156771","artikkelit","type-artikkelit","status-publish","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-ukraine","countries-ukraine","article_themes-education","article_themes-education-in-emergencies"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v26.9 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/product\/yoast-seo-wordpress\/ -->\n<title>&quot;I literally jumped for joy\u201d - summer camp offers healing for children in Ukraine\u00a0 - FCA Finn Church Aid<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"For children growing up in the war-affected Kharkiv region of eastern Ukraine, education has been disrupted, friendships scattered, and daily life overshadowed by fear. 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