Soniashnyk (Sunflower) Camp 2024

Summer camp for Ukrainian children, many displaced by war, a place where “kids can just be kids”

Camping isn't just something to do when school's out - It's a life-changing experience

It’s time to put the camp fire out - somehow another year has come and gone.

Now in its 3rd year of operation, Soniashnyk (Sunflower) Camp is a place where Ukrainian children can enjoy the peace and calm of nature, maintaining their culture - food, language, art and music.

Many are living without their fathers, who remain in Ukraine to fight or to work. Many are lonely since their English is rudimentary, and most of their friends and relatives are still in Ukraine.

Ukrainian Sunflower Summer Camp was established in 2022 as a result of Russia’s unwarranted attack on Ukraine and Ottawa became home for so many displaced Ukrainians.

In our first 2 years we could only accommodate 40 children and many had to be turned away as the application wait list grew and grew.

In order to accommodate as many children as possible, we added another week at Lac Newcombe and a day camp in Ottawa which meant we could now accommodate 120 children. Priority was given to those children newly arrived in Ottawa from Ukraine.

A wide range of activities were held, including swimming, fishing, canoeing, sports and games, dancing, singing and drawing, all helping the children build confidence, teamwork skills and develop a positive attitude towards life.

A new twist this year was adding a theme: Pirates and buried treasure. Traps were set and the children had to solve various fun, creative, sports and intellectual tasks, demonstrating team spirit. And of course, searching for the treasure.

There was also an educational and cultural aspect. From the Ottawa community we have Ukrainian dance teachers, art teachers, and volunteers to teach safe canoeing.

Every day, life in "Sunflower" is filled with interesting events, and in the evening, children gather around a large fire, sing songs, tell jokes, munch on goodies and join in pleasant conversations.

The day I was at the camp, after supper we had an evening of fun, music and games. The older girls helped the younger ones to get all dressed up, many in pretty dresses - braiding their hair, painting their nails and putting sparkles on their faces.

Earlier in the day, all the boys and men had silently left camp and went to the nearby woods to gather wild flowers and during the evenings fun they presented bouquets to their favorite girl.

As there were many bouquets, no one was left out.

Besides the many benefits for the children, it was also a heartwarming experience for the camp counsellors and all the volunteer staff who made the week such a success. A measure of this success is the very positive feedback received from the parents of the children who attended and, of course, the children themselves.

Like many things at our camp, there is a moral here - kindness and respect.

Our third season has ended, but Sunflower Camp is already looking forward to next year to give children new, unforgettable adventures.