A Summer Camp for Children of Belarusian Emigrants was Organized in the Polish Part of Belovezhskaya Pushcha

A week almost without phones, but with hikes, compass orientation, treasure hunts, master classes, and real vereshchaka (traditional Belarusian dish). Most spoke with the camp organizer Maria Hryts about why Belarusian children should vacation close to their country.

"It was a serious challenge"

The idea of the summer camp was born to Maria Hryts after moving to Poland. Summer holidays, she says, became a separate challenge for many Belarusian families: there are no grandmothers, grandfathers, or other relatives nearby who could help with children. The first sessions took place last summer, thanks to the "Build Your Own" project from the SVAE team.

Initially, Maria thought the camp would be a one-time event. But the project continued: two sessions took place in winter, and this summer – as many as five, this time thanks to the "Country for Life" organization.

Павялічыць

— In total, 90 children aged 10 to 17 rested this summer. A team was responsible for organizing the camp, and volunteers worked alongside them. "It was a serious challenge," the organizer admits.

Belarusian roaming activated

Maria chose the location for the camp not by chance. For her, Belovezhskaya Pushcha is not just a beautiful forest in Poland, but a space that physically and emotionally connects Belarusian children with their homeland — a "place of power."

During one of the hikes, Belarusian roaming even activated on the children's phones.

— "Oh! We are welcomed in Belarus! We are in Belarus!" — the children shouted. "It was such an explosion of emotions," Maria recalls that moment.

Compass, pirate map, and forest treasure

This year, the camp program was significantly expanded. For example, orienteering was introduced: children were given a compass and a special pirate map, which they had to use to search for clues and ultimately find treasure.

Within the team, the children had to assign roles themselves: one worked with the compass, another determined the direction, a third held the map, and someone else counted steps.

Павялічыць

— "Once we had to postpone this activity because when we went to lay out the clues, a bison was just lying on our path. So 'zubrovye stsezhki' (bison trails) is not an exaggeration: we literally walked on bison trails. And when the bison had rested, then we went to do our orienteering."

Another challenge was a four-kilometer hike to the bison reserve. Initially, the children complained about the heat, fatigue, and thirst. But gradually, their attention shifted.

— "They started looking at what flowers were nearby, how moss grew, what sticks they could find. As a result, the children became so engrossed in the forest that they began collecting various stones and examining everything that came underfoot. They also had the opportunity to see bison literally next to where they lived."

"Phones were no longer really needed"

One of the main experiments this year was a stricter restriction on phones. After breakfast, children handed over their gadgets to the organizers and only got them back in the evening. At first, this caused dissatisfaction. But after a few days, Maria says, the situation changed.

— "By the end of the session, they didn't really need their phones anymore. They found it more interesting to play by themselves."

For the organizers, this was one of the most interesting observations: children began to communicate more with each other because there was simply no other option. Parents also noticed changes. Maria says that some later asked to at least somehow make their child call home.

Children told about searches and arrests of parents

Conversations about Belarus arose naturally during the summer camp. The children had different experiences: some spoke about the arrest of their parents, some about searches, some about how their family left the country. But, Maria says, this time she already knew how to react to such stories.

Павялічыць

— "I realized that here you don't need to save the child, or calm them down. You just need to be there for them."

The organizer noticed that children don't always perceive such conversations as a great tragedy.

— "They simply state the fact: we left like this, and my dad was imprisoned there, and my mom is imprisoned. Many have similar experiences. But after talking about difficult things, they can run off to play ball, throw apples, or light a campfire."

Pancakes, dolls, and soft sabers

Among the activities were master classes where children wove dolls and toy horses. Reenactors also visited — they talked about the Middle Ages. Children could take special soft sabers and train with them.

— "It was simply a sensation. They wouldn't let the reenactors leave. The children continued to play for another hour after their event ended."

There was also a real pancake party with vereshchaka. For some children, it was their first introduction to such a Belarusian dish, and they later enthusiastically told their parents about it.

Павялічыць

"Belarus can be very close"

Maria Hryts says she observes how children change from the beginning to the end of a session. At first, they miss their phones, complain about early mornings and fatigue. But by the end, they don't want to leave. Parents write words of gratitude to the organizers for giving children the opportunity to simply be children, and adults — a little rest from their daily worries.

— "I understand that, however difficult it may be, it is worth continuing this work. Because this year, 90 Belarusian children received what it all started for: several days without phones, in the forest, with new friends, bison, hikes, and the feeling that Belarus — even if it remained abroad — can be very close."

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