Fourteen Ukrainian children are attending the Sorja summer camp in Sastamala this week. The Ukrainians arrived from Kyiv to the friend city Tampere on Tuesday this week. Summer camp is organized by Tampere's Kesäsiirtolaisyhdistys ry.
The summer camp programme includes outdoor games and games, swimming and sauna. A total of 60 children will be kept safe and entertained by a team of fifteen trained adults. After the camp, the Ukrainians will spend another day in Tampere.
– It is great that we can strengthen the long-standing cooperation between Tampere and Kyiv by organising a summer camp again this summer. We also want to show our support in this way, first and foremost to our friend city, but also to Ukraine as a whole. The campers told me that this is a nice opportunity to enjoy the summer for a while and to forge new international friendships that cross language barriers, says Anne-Mari Jussila, Deputy Mayor of Tampere.
Tampere has supported Kyiv by organizing a similar camp since 2022. In addition to the cities of Tampere and Kyiv and the Tampere Summer Colony Association, the trip and its programme have been supported by Finnair and Särkänniemi. A wide range of summer camps for Ukrainian children and young people are organised across Europe.
The city of Tampere has helped Ukraine and Kyiv during the war launched by Russia. As soon as the war started, the Tampere City Council decided to donate 150 000 euros in supplies and money to the Ukrainians. Since then, donations to Ukraine have included relief supplies, decommissioned Tampere's local TKL buses, a water tanker and generators. In addition, proceeds from concerts and other events organised by cultural operators in Tampere have been donated to Ukraine.
This year marks the 71st anniversary of the friendship between Tampere and Kyiv. At the request of the City of Kyiv, the City of Tampere has focused its assistance in particular on supporting children and young people, as well as cooperation through sports and athletics.
