An international camp took place in Moisei, Maramureș County, Romania, and hosted 30 Ukrainian children affected by the war.
The camp took place from 7 to 13 August as part of the “Maramureș for Peace” project, initiated by Senator Cristian-Augustin Niculescu-Țâgârlaș, a member of the Romanian Parliament’s delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe (PACE), in partnership with the PACE Parliamentary Network on the situation of the children of Ukraine.
Over the course of a week, the children took part in sports, music, creative and educational activities, and sessions providing emotional support. Throughout the camp, a multidisciplinary team of psychologists, social workers, teachers, interpreters, and volunteers accompanied the participants.
A Christian gesture of doing good
An evaluation meeting for the camp was held on Thursday as part of a study visit by the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe’s Network on the situation of children in Ukraine. The meeting brought together parliamentarians, representatives of Romanian and Ukrainian authorities and institutions, specialists and project partners.
Archimandrite Casian Filip, the diocese’s administrative vicar, conveyed a message from His Grace Bishop Iustin of Maramureș and Sătmar, offering the bishop’s blessing and expressing solidarity with the children severely affected by the war. Each child attending the camp received a small icon and gifts.
Senator Cristian Niculescu-Țâgârlaș also highlighted the spiritual dimension of the initiative: “In a Maramureș where faith is part of our identity, I believe it is only natural to remember that doing good is a Christian act and that we must not forget this. Sometimes, peace can also begin with a child smiling again.”
During the event, the Theologos Byzantine Chant Group, conducted by Denis Damaschin Sulițanu and managed by Deacon Silviu Dănuț Pop, performed several patriotic songs alongside soloists Iulia Vlad, Andreea Ghițiu and Gabriela Ardusătan.
‘The children are happier’
The project’s initiator spoke about the changes he had observed among the 30 children: “At the beginning of this week, I saw them arrive carrying stories that no child should ever have to carry, and today I saw them more open, happier, connected to one another through friendships and shared experiences.”
The camp’s official film, Maramureș for Peace – A Week of Hope, was also screened at the meeting in Moisei, showcasing the children’s experiences, the activities they took part in and the friendships formed during their stay.
Another symbolic moment of the project was the planting of a “Tree of Peace”. The Ukrainian children were joined by Olena Khomenko, a member of Ukraine’s Verkhovna Rada and of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, and Chairperson of the PACE Network on the situation of the children of Ukraine.
Photo: Facebook / Cristian Niculescu Țâgârlaș
