Urban Summer Camp at One Stop Shop Center: A Season of Learning, Fun and Friendship
BUCHAREST, Romania – In a quiet corner of Bucharest’s bustling urban sprawl, a summer of joy, resilience, and discovery is unfolding—one game, one field trip, and one heartfelt conversation at a time. This July, the One Stop Shop Center’s Urban Summer Camp has returned with a dynamic lineup of activities that blur the line between play and informal education, offering a much-needed sense of normalcy and hope for Roma refugee children from Ukraine.
Against the backdrop of a city in motion, children and teens enrolled in the camp are trading classrooms for adventure trails and museums, embracing a curriculum of curiosity. The camp’s itinerary reads like a child’s dream tour of Bucharest—Edenland adventure park, the city zoo, the Globus Circus, the Museum of Senses, and even a rustic animal farm—each destination carefully chosen to spark wonder and build essential life skills.
“For the third consecutive summer, Roma Education Fund Romania has organized programs such as the Urban Summer Camp at the One-Stop-Shop Center, specifically designed for Roma refugee children. These initiatives aim to foster learning through hands-on, interactive experiences while also supporting children’s emotional, social, and personal development,” said Monica Călin Programs Director, REF Romania.
Among the standout moments of this year’s Urban Summer Camp, the visit to Edenland Adventure Park has emerged as a clear favorite. There, participants were encouraged to collaborate, support one another, and engage in team-based challenges that tested both their physical abilities and their capacity for cooperation. Another particularly moving experience unfolded at the Globus Circus, where the children were inspired by a chance meeting with a Ukrainian acrobat couple who have been performing in Bucharest for the past three years.
“Meeting the artists after the show, speaking with them in Ukrainian, and hearing their story was profoundly moving for the children. It became a moment of recognition, resilience, and genuine connection,” shared Izaura Dryma, REF Romania facilitator.
As the Urban Camp is ended, REF Romania is already preparing for the next chapter: an upcoming mountain camp in August, which will offer children a chance to further explore nature, strengthen friendships, and continue building positive, empowering experiences in their new environment.
The One-Stop-Shop Center, opened on April 25, 2023, supports Roma refugees from Ukraine and is funded through grants from the Council of Europe Development Bank’s Migrants and Refugees Fund.
