Traumatised and displaced … but Ukrainian children are determined to continue their education
Categories: US Education News
Theirworld was part of a mission to Moldova to gain a better insight into the unfolding Ukrainian refugee crisis and find ways to ensure every affected child has access to education and psychosocial support.Organised by Education Cannot Wait – the fund for education in emergencies – and hosted by UNICEF Moldova, the visit to Ukraine’s neighbour was aimed at supporting the efforts of the Moldovan government and United Nations agencies. Theirworld was represented by Maysa Jalbout, our Senior Adviser on Education in Emergencies and an international development expert. During the trip last week, she spoke to the BBC and had a live chat with Theirworld President Justin van Fleet (see Twitter link at the end of this story). When she returned from Moldova, we asked Maysa about what she saw and learned during the mission.A devastating impact. More than 2.8 million children are internally displaced and another two million are refugees in neighbouring countries. In addition to experiencing horrific violence, displacement and separation from their families, millions of Ukrainian children have had their education disrupted. Inside Ukraine, more than 700 schools have been destroyed by shelling.Families now have to make tough choices between choosing to continue their children’s schooling online where it is available and under difficult conditions versus joining a local school in their host country and adapting to a new language and curriculum. They expressed their solidarity with the Ukrainian people and their commitment to host them. But they have limited means and require the support of the international community to help integrate refugee children into their schools. Support is needed to strengthen the education system so they are able to cope with hosting a large number of refugee children.The refugee children and families we met had experienced trauma and anxiety of being separated from their homes and loved ones. Yet they were determined to continue their education and pursue a better future, despite the challenges that come with adapting to a new culture, language and curriculum. As a former refugee, I believe the education I received was the crucial factor in giving me a chance at building a new productive life. In the short term, for every refugee child, education is about maintaining hope that they can have a better future. Access to schooling is also an important gateway to receiving social services, psychosocial support and integrating into their new communities.