Elio & KUMALA in Berehove

Almost ten years ago, Elio joined weltwärts and went to western Ukraine. What began as a one-year volunteer service turned into a long-term commitment: today Elio and other volunteers organize creative summer camps for children in Berehove through the project KUMALA – with circus, art, theatre and music. During the ongoing Russian war of aggression, the camp has become more than just a summer activity: it is a powerful expression of solidarity.

Originally, Elio had hoped to go to South America. As a third option, Elio rather casually listed a few Eastern European countries with the sending organization – including Ukraine. Soon after came the acceptance. This is how the volunteer service in 2016/17 led to Berehove (Hungarian: Beregszász) in Transcarpathia – a city where Ukrainians, a large Hungarian minority, Roma communities and others live together.

Through DJiA, Elio worked in a Hungarian Reformed church community with an affiliated diaconal organization. Elio visited elderly people, helped with daily tasks and supported food distribution for people in need. At the same time, Elio volunteered at a school for Roma children.

“Looking back, I’m very grateful that it was Ukraine,” Elio says. The proximity to Germany made visits from family and friends easy. Even after the weltwärts year ended, the connections remained strong – until the pandemic and the Russian full-scale invasion in 2022 made travel impossible.

Solidarity as a starting point

“The project KUMALA grew out of the desire to act in solidarity with people in Ukraine. We wanted to offer our time and energy,” Elio explains.

In 2023 Elio returned to Berehove for the first time. Inspired by a stilt theatre group working with refugee children at the Turkish-Syrian border, the idea emerged to create a similar experiential learning project.

Personal influences also played an important role. Elio grew up in a church community in Mecklenburg that organized circus and theatre weeks for children and youth. Later came studies in theology, a year of acting training and today work in puppet theatre. Many contacts from the theatre and cultural scene became early supporters of KUMALA.

From pilot project to KUMALA

In 2024 the first pilot project started – entirely donation-funded and supported by thirteen volunteers. The group included Elio, a former co-volunteer, Elio’s sibling, students from different German cities, an acting student from Ukraine who had fled to Salzburg, and supporters from the church community in Mecklenburg.

In the mornings the team helped in the diaconal centre, and in the afternoons they organized activities for children. Between 25 and 30 children aged six to fourteen participated. At the end of the project, €4,500 in remaining donations were able to stay in the local community.

At that time the project still had the name “Ukraine Project Reinshagen”. That changed because of a song: Kumala Kamala Vesu – an existing melody with newly invented fantasy lyrics that the children loved to sing together.

“At some point the children said: you are the Kumala people,” Elio remembers. The name stayed.

Since last year the project has officially been hosted by the association East-West-East Germany e.V. and is funded through the European Solidarity Corps.

The summer camp offers three areas: circus, art, and theatre & music. Children juggle, sing, do body percussion or practice diabolo. Structured activities alternate with free play. The goal is to create a space without pressure – with room for creativity and small moments of success.

Berehove between diversity and war

Berehove is shaped by linguistic and cultural diversity. Elio speaks Hungarian, so many early contacts were within the Hungarian community. Only in 2025 did connections develop with the Ukrainian community through the city’s social services. The Roma community – often affected by poverty and social isolation – is also becoming more involved.

“The war has created additional tensions,” Elio says, referring to internal displacement, military mobilization and political divisions. At the same time, new connections are forming.

More than a year of weltwärts

The idea for Kumala did not arise immediately after the volunteer service but grew out of years of connection with the place and the people. Long-term relationships are essential.

“Many things work because I’ve known people here for ten years,” Elio explains.

For the 2026 summer camp, new volunteers are currently being sought. From July 21 to August 7 at least ten people can support the camp. Up to 50 children will be able to participate this time – twice as many as in previous years.

Educational experience is helpful but not required: help with organization, cooking or technical support is also needed. Accommodation, meals and a small pocket allowance are included. Ukrainian language skills are welcome.

Participants can expect three intense weeks in which a group of individuals quickly grows into a strong team. The shared experience creates a special dynamic that lasts beyond the camp itself.

At the same time, volunteers gain a direct insight into everyday life in a historically diverse town in a region shaped by war – and the opportunity to turn solidarity into concrete action.

For Elio, Kumala is not a short-term project: “I will come back for as long as people here want me to,” Elio says, referring to the children, parents and local partners. “We started this with the intention of building something long-term.”

And so, year after year, a temporary space emerges in Berehove where children can play, perform and try new things – reliable, collective and full of creative energy.