Thanks to your support, in August, our travel program once again gave boys and girls unforgettable days in the Carpathians. The main participants were ten teenagers from occupied territories who have been living in Zaporizhzhia for a while as displaced persons. They successfully conquered the magical Svidovets Ridge and visited the stunning Vorozheska and Ivor lakes. For most of them, this was their second hike, so they were already a little familiar with the challenges of hiking life.

Even so, both the kids and the adults quickly wore themselves out, got their feet properly soaked, and woke up the next morning with a fever. Because of this, we had to slightly shorten the planned route. But even the shortened version was full of adventure and vivid experiences.

We made good use of our extra time: we picked more blueberries, lingonberries, and raspberries, explored the camp area more thoroughly, got to know the sheep, goats, and dogs that accompanied them, and gathered extra firewood and water.

We got drenched in the rain and dried our clothes on makeshift ropes strung between sticks. We lost our sneakers in the mud, and pushed through thick underbrush like icebreakers in Antarctica. We cooked borscht, counted satellites among the stars, sheltered under the tarp, and helped each other carry heavy backpacks. And undoubtedly, we reset ourselves for the whole year ahead!

Thank you to every donor who helped make this trip a reality! Special thanks to the "Ukraine IS YOU" foundation for the tasty treats and to the Zaporizhzhia Regional Tourism Center for providing the camping equipment. And yes, we’re already dreaming of our next adventure!