13/08/2024, Author: Clodagh Gallagher

This year more than 1,600 summer camps for young people are taking place in 18 countries ─ from Egypt and Jordan to Iraq, Georgia and Kazakhstan – thanks to funding by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) in the amount of almost 2 million euros. In many war and conflict-torn regions as well, including the Holy Land, Lebanon, Syria, Ukraine, Armenia, Mozambique and Venezuela, youngsters are being welcomed into a peaceful and healthy environment to share their lives with others in their age group and to become more familiar with their faith. 

Some of the camps have a long history of benefiting from the support of ACN. Among these are those taking place in the Holy Land again this year, even as the armed conflict there continues. Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, has thanked the charity for its “ongoing collaboration” and insists that the summer camps of the St. James Vicariate for Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel would not exist without the funding provided by ACN. Outlining the importance of the camps, he says, “the majority of the participants are children of migrants. This group of people is particularly affected by the ongoing war.”

Father Piotr Zelazko, Patriarchal Vicar for the Hebrew-speaking Catholics in Israel, explains that, for the migrants’ children, these camps are not just another summer activity, “but also a beacon of hope, a chance to experience a sense of belonging and community that is often absent in their tumultuous world. Our camps provide a safe haven where they can reinforce their identities, build friendships, and engage in educational activities that are otherwise inaccessible to them. It is here that they can also connect with their faith and cultural heritage.”

This summer’s camps in the West Bank, for around 500 children and young adults, ranging from 9 to 35 years old, have been inspired by Pope Francis’s call for this year to be dedicated to prayer.

A large number of summer holiday camps offering spiritual and psychological support to orphaned children, those with disabilities, internally displaced children and the offspring of war victims are being hosted in Ukraine. Auxiliary Bishop Maksym Ryabukha, of the Greek Catholic Exarchate of Donetsk which is overseeing summer rehabilitation camps for the children of internally displaced families, insisted during a visit to ACN’s international headquarters that the holiday camps gave young people who currently lack the opportunity “to enjoy a normal life”, a valuable opportunity not only to gather strength, but also to “recognise that life cannot be put on hold. Every one of us is called upon to grow day by day, to take responsibility and to become builders of the world and of peace.”

Keeping the youth rooted in their homeland

In recent years many of the summer camps organised by the church in Lebanon have had to be cancelled because of the severe economic crisis there. In view of the financial situation, many families find it difficult to prioritise their children’s participation in pastoral activities. This context makes the support provided by the charity all the more important. This year ACN is enabling around 60,000 young people to attend summer camps in the country. In addition, day camps for Lebanese orphans and young refugees from Syria and Iraq are being facilitated in the Chaldean Catholic eparchy of Beirut, which is one of the smaller dioceses – with probably the highest proportion of refugees – in Lebanon.

The experience of a summer camp can have a huge influence on the lives of children and young people and help them to put down stronger roots in their home country. This factor is of major significance for both Lebanon and neighbouring Syria, where the exodus of people shows no sign of abating and is jeopardising the very existence of Christianity in the country. This is where the largest number of summer camps are taking place this year: the 44 events will be attended by more than 75,000 young people. A scout group leader in the Syrian city of Jaramana comments that “by way of these summer camps we are seeking to give our children the hope that overcoming life’s difficulties, which is a worthwhile endeavour. Unless we change the mentality of this generation, it will be one that lacks both ideals and dreams. In consequence, they will be destined to turn their backs on the country.”

Making the world a better place through love

In Armenia, which UNICEF estimates has taken in more than 100,000 refugees (including 30,000 children) since Azerbaijan’s occupation of the Nagorno-Karabakh enclave in September 2023, the Our Lady of Armenia summer camp is celebrating its thirtieth anniversary this year. It is overseen by the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception. Among the more than 800 beneficiaries this year are orphans and children of the families forcibly displaced from Nagorno-Karabakh, the families of seriously wounded and deceased soldiers, minors from the villages bordering Azerbaijan, as well as children and adults with disabilities. “We are hoping to relieve their trauma and brighten their days in a safe and warm environment”, explains Arousiag Sajonian, Superior General of the Armenian Sisters of the Immaculate Conception.

Every year, around 200 children receive the sacraments of initiation while attending these holiday camps. Arousiag Sajonian is very grateful for the many years of support given by ACN: “The camp is the most eagerly awaited event of the year for our children. Thanks to the help provided, every summer hundreds of disadvantaged children can disconnect from their habitual routine and improve their physical, spiritual and emotional well-being in the beautiful surroundings of Tsaghkadzor. We firmly believe that we can make the world a better place to live through education and by fostering solidarity, empathy, unconditional love and passion.”