CITA Summer Camps in the combat zones: Fundraiser Launched “Childhood Without a Pause”

On April 28, we launched a fundraiser for summer camps for kids in the Mykolaiv, Zaporizhzhia, and Kharkiv regions. The funds will go toward food, drinking water, and craft supplies. Our goal is to raise 15,000 UAH by July 1.

In the combat zones—especially Kharkiv, Mykolaiv, and Zaporizhzhia—there’s a unique need for these kinds of events. The war has brought heavy changes. But children are still children, and they deserve a full childhood that shouldn’t be put on hold.

According to Elena Volkodayeva, Executive Director of CITA, summer camps are a special time when Christ Is The Answer ministers can create a real celebration of childhood—offering connection, rest, and a chance to truly listen to each young heart:

“Every child needs time to talk, but daily life doesn’t always make space for that. Camp conversations—that’s what real childhood looks like, especially in wartime!

A pot of warm food, care, deep talks over tea, real-life stories by the campfire, testimonies about Christ’s love, and handmade crafts that will remind them of this blessed time all year long.

Through these camps, we aim to create an environment where kids don’t just come for the program—but stay connected afterward with people who understand them and can become their friends and mentors. That’s the heart behind the ‘Childhood Without a Pause’ fundraiser.”

During camp, children will take part in morning and evening sessions. Every camper will enjoy lunches, snacks, and a picnic.

The organizing missionaries are already preparing the camp theme and selecting all props and creative ways to share the Gospel with young hearts.

“Our program is called ‘Who Is Your Authority?’ We’ll be exploring Jesus in different relationships: Jesus and friends, Jesus and disciples, Jesus and the crowd, Jesus and me. The whole experience will feel like a real photo studio.

We’ll help the kids think about who influences them—and point them to the only true authority, Jesus Christ,” shared Inna Titova, a minister from Mykolaiv.

To make the camps happen at all three locations—Zaporizhzhia, Mykolaiv, and Kharkiv—we need:

• Cookies for tea time
• Craft supplies
• Picnic food
• Drinking water
• Ice cream

The cost to sponsor one child is 100 UAH.

You can support the fundraiser by following the link.

Camps are a powerful tool for children’s evangelism, and Christ Is The Answer missionaries use them actively. These camps create a space where, even in the middle of war and hardship, kids can experience real childhood, get refreshed, rest, and hear the Gospel in a way they understand—through fun and play.

CITA Ministry Press Center.