Children write and draw to show support for Ukraine – NRK Norway – Overview of news from different parts of the country
Then Karen Finnbakk Susort (8) at the end of February was visiting the cousin Emma Linnea Jenssen Finnbakk (8) in Levanger, the right wing got a little about what had happened in Ukraine.
When they were going to bed, they took out paper and pencil and wrote:
«To Jonas Gahr Støre. We want them to help Ukraine because the Prime Minister of Russia makes such stupid choices. He breaks the law and is not kind to Ukraine. We want Ukraine, and we help »that they can also help.
– We felt a little sorry for Ukraine, so we wanted to write a letter. We wrote that we wanted to help as much as we could, says Karen Finnbakk Susort.
The finished letter was shown to Emma’s father, who asked him to send it to the Prime Minister.
He took a picture of the letter and sent an e-mail.
– We wanted him to know that, says Karen.
Turn on the sound to hear Emma read the letter:
Will show support
Many children are worried about the war in Ukraine, and a record number will help raise money.
Many also resort to blank sheets and crayons, but unlike during the pandemic when they drew rainbows and wrote “Everything will be fine”, the children now only need two colors.
In class 3C at Lakkegata school, the pupils become eager when they have to draw.
– I only need blue and yellow, because those are the colors of the Ukrainian flag. We have to make it a little nice for them, because it has been a little hard for them to be in that country with a lot of war, says Bo Halvorsen Jæger (8).
Several of the students are clear that they are drawing with Ukraine’s colors to show support, but three girls in the parallel class will not just draw. They start a club and have had a meeting with the principal to start a fundraiser for Ukrainians.
– We intend to help as much as we can from here, says Ayten Struijk.
Natural reaction
Marte Gerhardsen, director of education in Oslo, says the most important thing the school does now is to be present for the children and young people. In several schools, students draw flags.
– All students, regardless of age, get to know about the war. Very many students sit with a very strong impression, and need to digest it. We try to facilitate that, says Gerhardsen.
Psychologist specialist Ragnhild Holm Løwgren says it is natural for children to express themselves through play and drawing.
– It is about digesting one’s own understanding, and of property feelings and thoughts, says Løwgren.
She believes drawing can help children when it comes to stress and anxiety. She says it is always good to be able to express how you feel, and show it to someone you trust.
– Children are in a rather helpless situation without any power, and they need to appeal to those who have power and who have the opportunity to do something.
She emphasizes that if the children suddenly draw a lot of war-related things, it is good if the parents follow up and talk to the children about it so that they can get help to understand and handle the impressions.
She says that even adults can benefit from not just taking in the news.
– Maybe we should also sit down and digest it a bit, think and express what we want to do, and act in the same direct and nice way.
Glad to have written letters
In the letter, Karen and Emma wanted to convey that they wanted Ukrainians to get help to get to Norway or “some other nice country”.
The two will welcome them to Norway.
– I had a very happy feeling inside me when I had written that letter, says Karen.
– I am happy to have written to the Prime Minister, because maybe he can help Ukraine, says Emma.
– Do what we can
Prime Minister Jonas Gahr Støre (Labor Party) writes in an e-mail to NRK that he thinks it is good that Karen and Emma care about what is happening in Ukraine, and at. “Norway is doing what we can to support and help Ukraine”.
– We will also put pressure on Russia, together with other countries in Europe and in NATO, writes Støre.
He writes that after a quarter of an hour many refugees will come from Ukraine to Norway, and that he met some of them last week.
– Their stories made a strong impression on me. Now I hope that after a quarter of an hour they will be well received in classrooms and local communities around the country, and that we stand up to help those who come to Norway, writes Støre.
He has been on several school visits recently, and writes that he knows that many children think a lot about the war and the innocent people who are harmed.
– The war in Ukraine is painful and almost irreversible for all of us, and I think most adults share the children’s unrest, and have just as many questions about what is happening, writes Støre.