Ukrainian refugee children living in North Yorkshire are being taught lessons about their country in their native language to keep in touch with their homeland.
Iryna Kutsemakhina, a refugee from Ukraine who lives in Scarborough, started the project in the seaside town, which is supported by the Salvation Army and the Homes for Ukraine resettlement scheme.
Around 174,000 refugees from the country moved to the UK after the Russian invasion in 2022. Iryna said that many Ukrainian children forget their native language due to time spent away from home, and some children even forgot the Ukrainian alphabet
The lessons, which take place outside of the regular school, are held in Ukrainian and focus on various aspects of the nation’s culture and history.
“It is very important for us, because our children are young to remember their country and their memories of it, like small pieces of a big puzzle. When we realized that some of our children do not even remember the alphabet, we decided to organize this project.
They forget about their homeland and language, because about 90% of knowledge is obtained in English and in English schools. They speak Ukrainian at home, but it is not enough for them. In lessons, students learn the history and culture of Ukraine,” – Iryna told BBC journalists.
The young refugee Zlada, 12 years old, said that she liked the classes because she had “a little” forgotten the Ukrainian language.
David, 10, said he was enjoying living in the UK and attending a “great” school, but added: “It’s important that we remember our language and traditions.”
Iryna Kutsemakhina said:
“We meet a lot of kind and generous people in Scarborough. We have received a lot of support. If we want to share our pain with them, they listen to us and always support us. Although I desperately want to return to Ukraine, I am grateful to the people in the coastal city for their hospitality”.
