Ionut, 12, lives with his parents and five siblings in Solca, Romania, a small town in the northeast surrounded by rolling hills and forests. There are very few employment opportunities here. Some work in forestry, and many pick mushrooms and berries to sell, while others travel to Germany for agricultural work.
Ionut and his family live in poverty, his parents taking on whatever temporary jobs they can find. Summer school breaks can look bleak to lively children like Ionut. There is little to fill the long summer with, and it's difficult for children living in poverty to try new activities, meet new people, or learn new skills.
That's why Ionut's favorite thing about being enrolled in Mission Without Borders's child sponsorship programme is the chance to go to summer camp.
As sponsored children, Ionut and his siblings receive regular support, aiming to help them break out of the poverty they are growing up in and build a brighter future. For Ionut, summer camp is a vision of that brighter future – where he is rejuvenated, busy, learning new things, and surrounded by friends.
Ionut said, "I love summer camp. I looked forward to being at camp this summer, and hopefully, I will do it again next year. We enjoy every single thing here. Making new friends, playing games, eating cotton candy – it's all so much fun. It's by far the best week of the year. We can hardly wait from one year to the next to come along to summer camp again."
MWB's summer camps require a lot of hard work, wisdom, and planning. Staff and volunteers plan fun activities, songs and games, Bible lessons, workshops, hikes, and surprises. Each camp takes place in beautiful surroundings, and there are swimming pools, sports fields, bouncy castles, and all sorts of things for the children to experience.