"No lies or pretense! We're real": Tomsk volunteers opened a summer camp for residents of local residential care facilities.

Residents of the Zabota social services home and the Lesnaya Dacha boarding home for the elderly and disabled will spend a whole week in the Altai Territory.

"Summer camp is the most important and largest event of the year, a place where we all meet and can live as one big family, since almost all of our wards have never had any relatives," Svetlana Yakobi, chair of the Hidden World charity, told NeMoskva.

The camp program includes excursions to the pink lake Bursole and the city of Slavgorod, swimming in the pool and other sports activities, painting and plaster workshops, film screenings and, of course, as in any camp, singing with a guitar.

"All year long, the kids (as we call them) look forward to this event, asking where we're going this time," says Jacobi. "They look through photos and share with each other the love and care they've garnered during previous camp seasons."

Organization The Hidden World, which helps "people forgotten by almost everyone," has been organizing summer camps for residents of Tomsk boarding schools since 2004. The current season was made possible thanks to donations from caring individuals: the fundraising goal was set at 170 rubles, but 183 were raised.

According to Yakobi, almost all of this year's camp participants were returning. Some have been to every season.

"Summer camp with the kids is nothing but positive emotions. No fatigue, just a burst of energy that makes you want to fly so high! And no lies or pretense! We're alive and real," says Olga Konovalova, a teacher at the residential care center, commenting on the camp days.

Photo: "Hidden World"