Summer camp in the spirit of health

20/07/2022

For many children, summer vacation is like camping. Until the end of August, they can participate in several different themed camps and spend their time usefully. However, there are those who have had a miserable fate, so they have not been able to experience this experience until now.

The majority of the young people living in the Refugee Center came from a disadvantaged background, so they only worked hard during the summer holidays until school started again. However, these camps are extremely effective in character formation and community building. Now, at a young age, it is extremely important what influences them during this period, as it will affect what kind of adults they will become. That is why we are especially grateful to the GoodSports Foundation for bringing the atmosphere of the summer camp to the Refugee Center for these kids.

The almost one-week program had something for every day that captured the attention of the little ones. Dancing and singing together really brought the team together! The well-known songs of praise were sung loudly by the smallest ones, while they held hands and danced in a circle. After all this, the children could learn about biblical principles and their application in Bible studies.

Most of the children living in the Dorcas Refugee Center have not been to a summer camp until now
Most of the children living in the Dorcas Refugee Center have not been to a summer camp until now

Crafts and sports activities could not be left out of such a camp. Sport played a big role in these few days! Soccer and baseball were a daily program. Although what the children especially enjoyed was riding. For a whole day, they had the opportunity to try out horseback riding.

Since the weather was extremely hot, the water bomb battle was a daily activity. The heat wave is more bearable if you pass the time with water games. The children chased each other on the soccer field and threw water balloons at each other.

In addition to all this, the highlight of the day was the bouncy castle! As soon as they saw the huge castles in the air, the young people immediately took possession of them. The heat was not an obstacle for them either, they jumped freely in it.

For the refugee children, the bouncy castle was a great experience
For the refugee children, the bouncy castle was a great experience

At the same time, in addition to the games and activities, the employees of the Goodsports Foundation also placed great emphasis on the residents' health. A volunteer dentist from America and his assistant spent a few days here at the Refugee Center to assess the condition of the refugees' teeth. With the help of an interpreter, they were able to communicate with the English-speaking doctors, so the affected patients received complete information on everything.

The teeth of the people living here are in critical condition. Most residents' dentures deteriorated because they did not pay enough attention to oral hygiene. And this irresponsibility had serious consequences.

This problem can be noticed even in the smallest ones. In order to avoid later, more serious issues, the children were given preventive counseling. They were taught the correct technique of brushing their teeth and drew their attention to regular oral care. Of course, adults were also provided with useful advice on how to properly take care of the health of their still intact teeth.

Before the war, the Camping site was a place for children's camps in the summer. A few years ago, when young people from different parts of the country camped here, we never thought that in 2022, Dorcas Camping would provide a home for our Transcarpathian brothers fleeing the war.