From Korle Klottey to Kotovsk: How a summer camp opened world of possibilities for public school children

The music started, and the young Ghanaians took to the stage. Thousands of kilometres from home, at the Koster International Summer Camp in the city of Kotovsk, Tambov Oblast, Russia Federation, the children from Korle Klottey Municipality transformed from visitors into cultural ambassadors, captivating fellow campers and guests with a vibrant Ghanaian dance that brought a taste of Accra to Kotovsk city.

Their performance was one of several moments that made the 2026 Koster summer camp memorable for a group of schoolchildren from Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly in Accra.

For the 10 pupils selected from public schools across the municipality, the trip was much more than a summer holiday. It was an opportunity to see the world beyond their classrooms, meet children from other countries, experience Russian culture and, in their own small but significant way, become ambassadors of Ghana.

The initiative formed part of the growing sister-city relationship between Korle Klottey and Kotovsk and was designed to expose young people to international experiences that could broaden their outlook and contribute to their personal development. The Assembly has since indicated that it intends to expand the programme in subsequent years.

A journey beyond the classroom

From the beginning, the children were immersed in an environment very different from what they knew in Accra, as Koster transformed into a classroom without walls, where the football field became a place to learn teamwork, the art gallery, the museum as a history lesson, and the city itself a textbook.

Through sporting activities, cultural programmes, language lessons, artistic sessions, excursions and business simulations, the Ghanaian pupils embraced every opportunity to learn and connect, including participation in a regional sports festival involving 22 teams from municipalities across the Tambov Region, where football proved to be one of the easiest ways to break language barriers, build friendships and bring the children together.

Learning what history means

One of the more solemn experiences came when the Ghanaian children joined the Mayor of Kotovsk, Alexey Plakhotnikov, to lay flowers at monuments dedicated to those who died during the Second World War and to heroes who lost their lives in later conflicts.

For children who were used to learning history from textbooks, standing before the memorials and taking part in the ceremony gave them a deeper understanding of courage, sacrifice and responsibility. It reminded them that the history of every nation is shaped not only by victories, but also by the sacrifices of ordinary people.

When Ghana met Russia

The cultural exchange was not one-sided, as the Ghanaian children not only discovered Russian culture but also introduced their hosts to Ghana through a colourful dance performance during the camp’s closing carnival, while at the Kotovsk School of Arts they were introduced to the Gusli, an ancient Russian musical instrument that many of them encountered for the first time, capturing the true spirit of the programme, ask questions, learn and share.

A language lesson that became a friendship lesson

The Ghanaian students were introduced to the Russian language through an interactive lesson organised by professors from Derzhavin Tambov State University, giving them a new way to communicate and understand Russian culture, and at the end of the session, they received certificates for their participation in the International Russian Language Club, “In the Heart of Russia,” providing them with a lasting reminder of an experience that went beyond their normal school routine.

From factory floors to art galleries

The children took part in educational excursions that exposed them to different aspects of life and production in the Tambov Region, including visits to the TАКФ confectionery company, facilities producing children’s toys and tumblers, workshops for creative materials, and the Kotovsk city museum complex, where they learned about the city’s history and its people, before visiting the Tambov Regional Art Gallery for a painting masterclass where they created their own still-life works, which they planned to take home to Ghana as lasting souvenirs and memories of their Russian adventure.

The Ghanaian entrepreneurs

One of the highlights of the camp was the Business Day, which challenged the children to put their entrepreneurial skills to the test through a practical business simulation. The Ghanaian team decided to set up a hairdressing salon and had to develop a simple business idea, attract customers, manage their operations and make a profit. Working together, the young entrepreneurs successfully turned their salon into a profitable venture and emerged as winners of the competition.

Beyond the excitement of winning, the exercise taught the children valuable lessons in teamwork, communication, creativity, decision-making and problem-solving, while giving them an early understanding of how an idea can be developed into a viable business.

Meeting the men behind the uniforms

Another memorable encounter came through an off-site programme organised by the veterans’ organisation Combat Brotherhood together with the Union of Paratroopers of Russia, where the children were introduced to aspects of military history and had the opportunity to interact with veterans, servicemen and military heroes, giving them a chance to hear firsthand about experiences different from their own while learning important lessons about courage, discipline, service and sacrifice.

More than a trip

At the end of the camp, the Ghanaian children gained experiences that went far beyond certificates and photographs, having played football with Russian children, learnt some Russian, discovered a centuries-old musical instrument, visited museums, factories and art galleries, painted, danced, participated in a business challenge, stood at war memorials and, most importantly, made new friends, while for children selected from public schools in Korle Klottey, the journey carried a deeper message of opportunity, learning, cultural exchange and the belief that they too can explore and connect with the wider world.

International opportunities are not only for children from privileged backgrounds.

The Assembly deliberately targeted public-school pupils, giving children who might otherwise have had limited opportunities to travel internationally the chance to experience another country and culture. The initiative has been described by the Assembly as part of its broader effort to expose young people to opportunities beyond Ghana.

Young ambassadors with a lasting memories

International relations are often associated with presidents, ministers, diplomats and formal agreements, but the Korle Klottey-Kotovsk experience showed that diplomacy can also begin with children. It began when a Ghanaian child learned a Russian word, when Ghanaian and Russian children played football together, when Ghanaian dance filled a Russian stage, and when a child from Accra created a painting in Tambov to take home as a lasting memory. These simple moments created opportunities for friendship, cultural understanding and stronger people-to-people relations between the two communities.

For the Korle Klottey Municipal Assembly, the summer camp was therefore more than a youth programme; it was a practical expression of municipal international cooperation and an investment in the next generation.

When the children returned to Ghana, they came home with more than photographs and souvenirs, they brought stories of Kotovsk, new friendships, football matches, Russian language lessons, museums, factories, art, entrepreneurship and cultural performances. Most importantly, they returned with a broader understanding of the world and the confidence that, despite coming from public schools in Korle Klottey, they too can cross borders, connect with other cultures and take their place in the wider world. The summer in Kotovsk may have been brief, but the memories, lessons and friendships created there are likely to remain with them for years to come.

BY NII OFORI -QUAYE

The Writer is Head of Public Affairs and International Relations,

KoKMA

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