Summer fun for kids and teens in Ukraine

UKRAINE - Complete with glowing campfires, colorful crafts and end-of-camp musicals, Operation Blessing's summer camp program brought smiles to over 600 orphans and impoverished children across southern Ukraine.

"Thank you for the mentors and the cooks," said Alina, a camper. "I learned a lot playing sports and the food was delicious."

From six-years-old to sixteen, children and youth in six villages participated in activities such as embroidery classes, musicals, arts and crafts, and volleyball.

Camps were held in wooded areas, local school buildings, and city parks, complete with inflatable playground games and toy distributions. Cooks also prepared nutritious meals of meats, vegetables, fruits and homemade baked goods.

"At our follow up meeting in the village of Bulgakovo, parents expressed their gratitude and encouraged OBI to continue the camps in the future," said Galina Kucher, Operation Blessing regional director in Ukraine. "We assured them that this is just the beginning of our work with the children in this region of Ukraine."

More than 2,000 children, including orphans, have attended summer camps since the program's inception in 2000.

With 70 percent of the population struggling with poverty, OBI has provided aid to over one million Ukrainians since 1992. That aid includes the distribution of more than 160 containers of humanitarian goods, 13,000 hot meals and free medical aid to over 17,000 people.

This year alone, over 6,200 people received medical treatment through weekend medical outreach programs in remote areas, with volunteer teams treating 600 to 700 people each weekend. In September, OBI plans to open up the first stationary medical clinic in the capital city of Kiev.

In addition, OBI will further expand training programs for teenage orphans by opening three new learning centers that will teach training courses in English and computers.