A visit to "Zubrenok"

On Sunday I didn't pass an opportunity to visit the most popular children camp in Belarus - "Zubrenok".
Camp administration invited different youth organizations to do small master-classes, present themselves and discuss further partnership.



The camp is situated on the bank of Naroch, the biggest lake in Belarus. Whole year through the camp takes in children of different ages for health and vacation programs.

They say the camp wasn't very good till some time ago, but improved much during last few years it was thoroughly renovated. Looks very appealing, 4 beds in a room, computer classes and stuff.

The atmosphere is very "campish". When entering a room children greet you on count of 3-4 with a loud "Good day!" all together.
Children are all smart and intelligent (the stay at camp is not a cheap one, 990 000 belarussian rubles for a summer session). The timetable is quite full, there's a lot of different activities, which makes children want a rest back home after such a surge of information and impressions. The camp serviced 13 600 children in 2008 or 167160 children-days.

We made a few simple getting-to-know and team-building exercises with the children, made a small reflection, as much as it was possible, and went on to the round table to meet the administration.
There were representatives of big youth organizations - pioneers, union of youth, the scouts, the guides, Association of UNESCO clubs, League of Youth Voluntary Service, Fialta (our organization) and others.
Mainly we discussed partnership possibilities with the camp, organization of some activities, inviting of volunteers and such.

After the round table we had an opportunity to present our organizations to the wide camp audience. Children were listening and asking questions, which is peculiar. I wouldn't sit through half the presentations in their age.

And that was the end of our visit, which overall left strong impressions.
Children walking in pairs with camp leaders, waking up and doing things strictly on schedule, greeting guests with a common yell, discipline, solitude...
Well yeah, "Land of Childhood", why not?