How Ukrainian is helping refugee children in Portugal to mobile phones the traumas of war
Teacher Viktoriya Dubchak, 23, has been dealing closely with some Ukrainian children who arrived in Portugal as refugees with their mothers, fleeing the war that Russia insists on putting off.
Vik also arrived in Portugal Ukraine, in 2033, at the time with years, when his four parents probably came to the European Union to the best living conditions.
His maternal grandparents were born in his home country, now in their 60s, plus his uncles and little cousin, with whom he has constant concerns. She helps WhatsApp to know that they are listening well, even in some calls Viktoriya can get the sound of the older ones without.
As the alarm, which constantly reminds us of the war situation in which Ukrainians have been living since February 24, often sounds the teacher’s grandparents no longer run to the bunker, stay at home. It is a normality of war that interferes with mentalities and decisions.
Meanwhile, the aunt and six-year-old cousin had already arrived in Portugal, but the uncle, still old enough to fight, could not leave the country.
The cousin, whom Viktoriya had seen a few times, has now joined the rest of the Ukrainian boys and girls studying at the Santo Domingo International Schoolin S. Domingos de Rana, municipality of Cascais, where Viktoriya Dubchak with the basic education course, finishing with the master’s degree in Portuguese teaching, history and geography teaching of the 2nd cycle, Portuguese language and foreign education, among the 11 and 15 years, from 5th to 10th years.
Children from all over the world come to the international school, teaching in English. The five Ukrainians who were already enrolled before the war began to be joined by five more, coming from similar schools.
The biggest coincidence happens with a Spanish teacher who met three of her students, brothers, from an international school in Ukraine.
To improve and facilitate the integration, inclusion and multiculturalism of these broken families, the school developed a teleschool project. Online, it is possible, live, from 4 pm to 5 pm, Portuguese classes, Tuesday also in arts, humanities and English. The teleschool project for Ukrainians aged 5 to 12 began in early May and will last until the end of this school year, starting again the following year.
Classes will also be accessible, being available on a digital platform, accessible at different times.
The arrival of Viktoriya’s cousin gave the teacher a new idea. Instead of being just an online project, add extra curricular activities in face-to-face mode.
The school attends to attend Cascais, a county that has already received 18 children from 3 to 17 years old in its schools, the teacher’s cousin a few public words of war has already spoken and so he didn’t play, reaching the house and drawing many students afflicted of war. .
“This is not going to heal anyone’s trauma, but it will direct the focus to something positive when trying to communicate with others and put what disturbs them in the background”, says Viktoriya Dubchak. “When children are light and, despite the war, they don’t know what’s going on, I feel useful. But dealing with more determined children costs a lot. Their sad looks, some aggression, evidenced by the designs of tanks, planes, bombs and drones that help people.”
Also a joint initiative of the Ministry of Education (Directorate-General for Education) and RTP is promoting education in Ukrainian and Portuguese for children, youth and even adults who have recently arrived in our country to achieve a better one.
The basis of classes #I study at home there are different aspects of everyday life and a set of essential lexicons, all available on the RTP Teaching website. These are 14 Non-Mother Portuguese Language programs, in which two, one in Ukrainian and the other in Portuguese, teach Portuguese to beginners, promoting, at the same time, a Portuguese culture in articulation with cultural aspects. ukrainian. A basic and audiovisual dictionary of Portuguese/Ukrainian is also available on RTP’s educational platform.