During ten days in the West Swedish archipelago, the camp participants get to do various activities, while at the same time, with the help of psychologists, doctors and other volunteers, they get support in dealing with their experiences.
Stones were thrown at windows
In total, there are 21 children between the ages of 9 and 14 from different parts of Ukraine who had to flee their homes and are now living as internally displaced persons in the country. The second night on Styrsö they received an unwelcome visit. Young people came on mopeds, threw stones at the windows and shouted, among other things, “go home to Ukraine” in Russian.
– The windows in particular are an extra sensitive place for many children, because they only smoke when the rockets hit and you can be seriously injured. Some reacted by trying to block the windows as a protective mechanism, says Katja Blank from the organization Help Ukraine Gothenburg, which organizes the camp.
The events were filmed by the camp staff. With the help of other Styrsö residents, they were able to identify the young people and on Thursday the organizers had a meeting with their parents. A report has also been made to the police.
Get tools to handle everyday life
Despite the unpleasant incident, Katja Blank is happy to be able to organize the camp. When the war in Ukraine broke out, she resigned from her job as a surgeon at Halland Hospital to work full-time with various relief efforts. In addition to professional crisis help, the children here must also be given tools to manage their everyday lives even after they have gone home.
– It feels very meaningful. We have very qualified staff who see a big difference in the children just in the short time they have been here. They play, participate in the activities and open up and tell what they have been through, she says.