Aug 29, 2023

As the school year comes to a close, numerous children find themselves either roaming the streets or trapped in unfavorable home environments. Amaro Tan presents a solution with its summer activities, offering a wholesome alternative for these youngsters. Through an engaging blend of sports, games, educational pursuits, and more, children are provided with a constructive avenue to make the most of their summer months.

Amaro Tan offers two main summer activities for children to enjoy. The first of these options is the Summer School program. For many people, a Summer School is a requirement for those that were unable to complete their regular curriculum during the allotted school year. At Amaro Tan, however, Summer School is very different. Held at the Amaro Tan center, the Summer School spanned a two-week period in June, during which, dedicated teachers offered a range of courses tailored to children's interests, aimed at enhancing their education. The purpose is not to make up for uncompleted coursework, but rather to cultivate the interests of the children. While some students delved into the world of culinary arts, mastering simple dishes that could be recreated in their own homes, others honed their vocal talents through singing lessons. By rotating schedules for various options, kids had the chance to engage in a diverse array of activities, including cooking, music, dancing, hand crafts, and more.

The second program is a summer camp. Taking place in August, this summer camp is held outdoors in a park next to the picturesque lake in Pogradec. While the Summer School concentrated on enriching various facets of education, the primary aim of the Summer Camp is to provide children with an enjoyable and exhilarating space to foster social connections. Each day is brimming with an assortment of games, sports, and meaningful devotional activities. The focus of the Amaro Tan summer camp is to have fun and be in fellowship with one another.

During the initial week of the Summer Camp, a dedicated team of volunteers from "Overflow," a youth program encompassing churches in the Frankenwald region of Germany, journeyed to Pogradec to contribute to the camp's operation. Differing to the typical programming, this week's activities took place at the Amaro Tan school. The children were sorted into small groups based on their age and cycled through an array of stations including games, crafts, singing, and more. Each day, the volunteers and children congregated for a worship session, as well as lunch.

While this week-long camp deviated from the typical structure of Amaro Tan's summer camps, it resulted in a significant extension of the August program by a full week. This might appear inconsequential to some, yet when considering the potential alternatives some of these children could have faced during that period, it truly was a blessing.