Summer Camps Protection, Leraning and Fun!

Directory of Services and Social Protection:
 
A municipality structure that includes the CPU sector. The exact name for the directory can be different in each municipality. 
Residential Institution: a facility that is licensed to provide residential care and developmental guidance to 16 or more children who do not routinely return to the homes of their parents or 
guardians. 
Roma minority group: 
An ethnic group with origins in Northern India who are widely dispersed across Europe with their largest populations in Central and Eastern Europe. 
Social Animator:
Summer camp personnel member or volunteer that interacts directly with children during summer camp activities. The social animator’s role is to animate age appropriate 
sports, educational and social activities for groups of children, and to also ensure the safety and security of the children under his/her supervision during all summer camp activities. The social 
animator is sometimes referred to as the/an animator.
Social State Services (SSS):
A state agency in Albania which operates under the Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities. It is an executive body in charge of policies and 
legislation in the field of social welfare. 
Glossary

---

SUMMER CAMPS GUIDELINE
1. Introduction and Background
Each year, as the weather warms up, children and parents start thinking about summer, 
school holidays, the change of daily routine, and the possibility of participation in a 
summer camp. For kids, summer camps offer fun, new experiences and encounters 
with new friends. For parents, summer camps offer more support in their efforts to 
ensure the welfare of their children by engaging them in fun and educational activities 
during school holidays. For children who face economic hardship, stigmatization, and 
marginalization, the participation in organized summer camps is an opportunity to 
escape their impoverished lives and only focus on being children, learning and having 
fun in a safe and respectful environment. For the CPU, the summer camps are an 
opportunity to identify children in need of support and protection.
A good summer camp provides an appropriate and safe environment where children 
feel comfortable, have fun, learn new and interesting things about life and themselves, 
strengthen their physical and emotional skills to cope with new experiences and 
challenges, develop skills to express and communicate their thoughts and concerns, and 
build confidence in themselves by developing new friendships and actively participating 
in inclusive activities. In this way, summer camps serve as a good opportunity in 
meeting their needs in various aspects related to personal development and overall 
physical, emotional, social, spiritual, psychological and intellectual well-being.
Since 2001, Terre des hommes (Tdh) in Albania and its partners, including UNICEF, 
the Austrian Development Cooperation (ADC), Norwegian Ministry of Foreign 
Affairs, Oak Foundation, Raiffeisen Bank, MEDICOR and others have supported the 
Child Protection Units (CPUs) in eight municipalities and four communes across the 
country in organizing summer camps for children in need. In 2011, Tdh and its partners 
supported within the Child Protection Safety Net (CPSN) Project (October 2009 - 
April 2012) the involvement of about 1,100 children in summer camps, organized in 
the regions of Durrës, Fier, Elbasan, Vlora, Gjirokastra, Saranda, Korça and Pogradec. 
In addition, Tdh supported a variety of local organizations, such as ARSIS, Children of 
the World and of Albania (FBSH), Romani Baxt, as well as Residential Institutions in 
organizing similar activities for children in need.
The success of these camps is related not only to the participation of about 
1000 children annually, but also to the fact that the majority of children involved 
in these camps come from families and communities with limited socio-economic 
opportunities. In addition participation in summer camps can enable children and 
their families to access vital support, counselling and other forms of assistance that 
can help them recover from traumatic experiences and better (re)integrate in social 
and academic life. Furthermore, past experience has shown that summer camps can 
also serve to identify other children at risk and/or in need of protection or services
Children from "Zyber Hallulli" Residential Institution prepare a 'Thank you' banner at the end of Summer Camp, 
Tirana, 2011
1

---

SUMMER CAMPS GUIDELINE
within the region, county or municipality, as the children themselves attract other 
children to these camps. 
Summer camps have helped in the identification of a significant number of children at 
risk and in need of support and protective services. These children were subsequently 
supported by the CPUs through case management, in cooperation with various actors 
of inter-disciplinary group at the local level, which enabled the provision of necessary 
services and assistance. 
As well camp personnel in close cooperation with the CPUs can help in providing 
other services necessary to promote the welfare and development of children 
depending on local needs and context. This might include preparation for school 
classes, informational sessions on rights issues and child protection, education sessions 
on health and hygiene issues and conflict management.