Polish and Ukrainian children get to know each other at summer camps

As of July 2nd, 2022, more than 1.2 million Ukrainians refugees had received a national identity number (PESEL), giving them access to social welfare and the Polish labor market. According to official PESEL figures, 46.5% of the refugees are children.

The Russian invasion of Ukraine is bound to be a transformative experience for Ukrainian children, but to a certain degree, the same thing can be said about Polish kids. They saw their own parents and family friends driving back-and-forth to the border, volunteering at meal centers and often hosting Ukrainian families in their own homes. The bonds that are now tied between young Poles and Ukrainians will affect the relation between Poland and its eastern neighbor for decades to come.

Initiatives have been launched across the country to give Polish and Ukrainian children the chance to get to know each other. One example is the "Dobre Kolonie" summer camps organized by Poland's largest insurance company PZU.

More than 300 Polish and Ukrainian children have spent one week of their summer in the Masurian Lakeland District in north-eastern Poland. The kids have been learning outdoor sports such as windsurfing, sailing, kayaking and archery, but emphasis has also been put on how to lead a healthy way of life.

On August 11th, Poland's most famous TV-chef and Michelin-star restaurateur, Wojciech Modest Amaro, visited the children at their summer camp in the picturesque village of Wilimy for a day that was spent on learning how to cook healthy and tasty dishes from Poland and Ukraine.

The star chef stated that the event had brought the children together, saying "it was a pleasure to combine the flavors of Polish and Ukrainian cuisine together with our young cooks who were so eager to learn. We showed the children that there isn't much distance between us."

Mr Amaro was not the only one to be glad that the Ukrainian children were able to spend part of their summer vacation in beautiful and peaceful surroundings.

Poland's Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State Assets, Jacek Sasin, stated that he is proud that companies which the State Treasury has shares in are helping young Ukrainians in need.

He added "thanks to the PZU summer camps, children from Ukraine and Poland can spend summer holiday together and integrate. It makes it possible for the Ukrainian children to take their mind off, even if just for a moment, the hell of war that is taking place across our eastern border."

Just days after the final camp of this summer comes to an end, many of the Ukrainian children will start attending Polish schools for the first time. The integration between Polish and Ukrainian children was off to a good start in the Masurian Lakeland District. Now, the process will have to be repeated on a large scale across the country. If the adults will lead, the children will follow and Polish-Ukrainian relations will have a chance to blossom for decades to come.