News

The children and youth camp “Jelgava – Mītava 2025” continues for the second week in Jelgava, bringing together 60 children and young people, along with six accompanying teachers from Jelgava’s twin city Ivano-Frankivsk, Ukraine. The camp, organized by the Jelgava City Municipality in cooperation with local businesses, is being held for the second year in a row. This summer, eight of the participants have returned to Jelgava for a second time, happy to reunite with friends and teachers they met last year.

“It is very important for us to give Ukrainian children a chance to rest, to escape loss and fear, and to simply experience childhood together with their peers. We’re grateful to the city’s businesses for making this opportunity possible,” says Dace Ekša, the camp’s director and principal of Jelgava Elementary School “Valdeka” – Development Centre.

Children from Ukraine arrived last Monday, and for two weeks they are hosted by Jelgava Elementary School “Valdeka” – Development Centre.

Under the guidance of school principal and the camp leader Dace Ekša and the school teachers, the camp offers a diverse daily program. The children have already explored the city of Jelgava, visited Tērvete Nature Park, the Caramel Workshop, Rundāle Palace and its beautiful gardens, and enjoyed the breeze and waves of the Baltic Sea.

They also spent time at Jelgava Youth Centre “Pakāpiens” (Loka maģistrāle 25), where they met with local peers and youth workers and participated in joint activities. The young visitors also had fun bowling at the nearby “Zemgale” sports and leisure complex.

The director says that every day children and young people are involved in creative and sports activities – from music-making and dance lessons to playing table games and sports in the elementary school sports field. One of the most valued moments is the group reflection at the end of each day, where everyone shares thoughts and feelings.

This week began with a trip to Ventspils, where participants visited the “Vizium” Science Centre and enjoyed a thrilling ride on toboggans. Other upcoming experiences include bread-baking workshops, a boat trip on the Lielupe River, and a visit to the Old Town Quarter on Vecpilsētas Street to continue to get to know our city.

It should be noted that birthdays are also celebrated together. The camp is dedicated to peace, friendship, to enjoy the summer together, providing warmth and care to those whose families have been affected by the war.

Young people and children try to enjoy joy, sincerity, kindness, because they have not felt for a long time that someone cares about them and provides everything they need to feel good.

The camp “Jelgava – Mītava” is made possible thanks to the generous support of local businesses, who donated over €24,000. In response to the Jelgava City Council’s call, several companies have been involved in the organization of the camp, making a significant contribution to ensuring high-quality recreation for Ukrainian children and youth in our city.

Support for this camp was provided by SIA “Evopipes”, SIA “Gren Jelgava”, SIA “AKG Thermotechnik Lettland”, SIA “Ceļu būvniecības sabiedrība “Igate””, SIA “SFM Latvia” and SIA “CLT Profi”.

The Jelgava State City municipality would like to thank all the companies that responded to the call and helped make this camp possible.

The camp will conclude on Sunday, July 13, when the children and youth return to their homes in Ivano-Frankivsk.