June 27^th marked the launch of the 2017 Children’s Summer Camp of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine. The camp is located at the Kalinka Children’s Center located in one of the beautiful resorts of Odessa, that is, the coastal Sergeyevka (Belgorod-Dnestrovsky region) where 60 children will spend their two-week summer vacation. This year, the participants were selected based on their progress in school, that is, their active participation in events organized by Armenian schools and the events organized by Armenian community organizations.

On this occasion, early in the morning, parents escorted their children to Odessa from different regions of Ukraine. First, they participated in a meeting with Pastor of the Armenians of Odessa, Fr. Priest Abgar Gilitchyan, who taught the children morals and gave them advice, encouraged them and wished that they spend a good time and have interesting meetings.

Afterwards, the director of the camp, President of the Armenian Youth Association of Ukraine Hovakim Harutyunyan provided some information about the terms and regulations and introduced the teachers who are engaged in the educational-disciplinary program and have assumed responsibility for organizing the campers’ vacation with great pleasure and a high sense of responsibility. The young leader also emphasized the activities at the camp, stating that the goal of the Union of Armenians of Ukraine and its president Vilen Shatvoryan is to not only make sure the Armenian children spend a good time in the heart of nature, but also do their best to help the children interact, communicate in their native language, make new friends and gain some knowledge of Armenian history and culture…

After praying in church and receiving blessings from the priest, the participants rested for a while, sat in comfortable buses an headed towards the camp where they were going to be joined by the children who were going to arrive directly at the camp.

Narine Muradyan

Freelance correspondent of Hayern Aysor in Odessa