"How children affected by the war in Ukraine learn to cope with trauma": The Sun about the Blogger Camp of Rinat Akhmetov Foundation

Journalists from The Sun, one of the most famous British publications, visited Blogger Camp in the Transcarpathian region as part of Rinat Akhmetov to Children. Peaceful Recreation for Children of Ukraine project, which provides rehabilitation, recreation and psychological support to children affected by the war in Ukraine in the format of a children's camp. The journalists were deeply impressed by the children's stories and shared them in their article.

Original article is in English: https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/30059810/child-survivors-war-ukraine-trauma-putin-russia/

Translation into Ukrainian is available at the Museum of Civilian Voices by Rinat Akhmetov Foundation: https://bit.ly/3MmAL8U

"It is important for children to feel like children. The main goal of our programme is to give them a sense of childhood, to allow them to feel alive again," Olha Frolova, a psychologist at Rinat Akhmetov Foundation, explained to The Sun.

The publication describes how children affected by the war in Ukraine undergo recovery at the Blogger Camp, where they can communicate with their peers, improve their health and receive qualified support from the Foundation's psychologists.

The Sun shares the stories of three teenagers who survived the horrors of war in their hometowns. These are Valeriia Varvarova, a 14-year-old who lived in Enerhodar during the occupation, Kyrylo Hariaha, a 14-year-old from Izium, and Sofiia Turulova, a 16-year-old from Kurakhove in Donetsk region.

According to Olha Frolova, the children come to the shift in a difficult psycho-emotional state, they hardly speak. However, during their stay at Blogger Camp, their condition noticeably changes for the better - they even start talking to strangers.

According to Olha, the tragedy is that Ukrainian children normalise war in their own minds. But war is not and should not be the norm.

Children from the most vulnerable categories take part in the Blogger Camp sessions: orphans and semi-orphans, children under guardianship, children who were illegally taken to Russia and managed to return to Ukraine, children who lost their parents during the war, children with psychological trauma and in need of socialisation, etc.

Almost 5,000 children affected by the war received recreation, rehabilitation and psychological help at a children's camp in the Transcarpathian region as part of Rinat Akhmetov to Children. Peaceful Recreation for Children of Ukraine project.

Over 19 years, more than 5 million Ukrainian children have received support under Rinat Akhmetov to Children programme. More: akhmetovfoundation.org/rinat-ahmetov-dityam