Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center launches a new program – «Peaceful summer for Donbas children»

Today during the briefing that took place at "Ukrainian News" Information Agency, Rimma Fil, Coordinator of Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center, commented the situation with humanitarian aid delivery and told about new work streams.

"We want those people who live across the contact line to understand and remember an important thing – Rinat Akhmetov will not leave people in trouble, – Rimma Fil commented the blocked deliveries of humanitarian aid to Donetsk. – The Humanitarian Center helped, helps and will help our fellow countrymen. We will search for a way to deliver food products. And if today there is a problem, we hope that common sense prevails, this problem will be solved, and humanitarian assistance, as required by all the norms and practices, will be delivered to where it is particularly needed by civilians.

But the Humanitarian Center is not only providing food products for civilians. This is also targeted assistance and "Psychological support for children" project.

"As part of this project the Center opens "Mobile assistance of psychologists". Starting from today the volunteer psychologists of the Humanitarian Center start working in school camps of Donetsk, – Rimma Fil said. – Our soonest plans are to cover the schools of Mariupol, Donetsk, Makiivka, Yasynuvata, Yenakiieve, Khartsyzk, Avdiivka, Dokuchaievsk and Zugres by these mobile school groups.  There are active military actions in many of these towns, but there also children living there and they require psychological assistance".

Children also need to some rest. That is why Rinat Akhmetov Humanitarian Center opens one more program: "Peaceful summer for Donbas children", as part of these program boys and girls can have a vacation on the Coast of Azov Sea.

"In July and August the Humanitarian Center will send 500 children for a vacation in recreation summer camp for children, called "Fakel", in Berdiansk, – the Humanitarian Center's coordinator shared. – The vacation is aimed for children from 8 to 14 years old, who live in non-government-controlled areas of Donetsk and Luhansk regions, and displaced children, who live in peaceful area of Donbas and on the contact line".

The summer camp works for two shifts. The first one is planned from July 15 to 28, the second one is from July 26 till August 8. Each shift can take 250 children for a free vacation. To send a child for a vacation to the summer camp, parent have to fill in the registration form on the website of the Humanitarian Center (the application form is active since the 12th of June), wait for a call from the Humanitarian Center's employee and prepare the required package of documents. It is required to send a certificate, proving an IDP status of a child, or a medical certificate (for a child from non-government-controlled ATO area) on the Humanitarian Center's email.

In the summer camp children can relax, revitalize, find new friends and have a good time. But most importantly is that aside the large-scale entertainment program in the camp, a team of volunteer psychologists from the Humanitarian Center will be working there, who will help children to cope with war trauma through active games, master classes and art therapy. These specialists were in "Trauma of War" course and they know how to help children who faced war.

"The Humanitarian Center believes that through this camp, with the help of mobile groups of psychologists, we manage to get the youngest residents of the Donbas out of war trauma and do everything for these children to be psychologically healthy citizens of Ukraine", – Rimma Fil says.

Unfortunately, the Humanitarian Center cannot organize transportation of children from non-government-controlled territories, it has to be done by their parents. But we can definitely assure that staying in camp will give only good mood and positive emotions to children.

"The Humanitarian Center hopes that all programs, such as food delivery, "Psychological Assistance" and "Targeted Assistance" will bring the peace closer, as we all need it today" – Rimma Fil said at the end of press conference.