VOA教育报道2022--乌克兰难民在德国重建生活

Ukrainian Refugees Rebuild Lives in Germany

About 40 children have already started private classes in Berlin, just weeks after fleeing the war. Two teachers, who also fled to Germany, welcomed the children into their new classroom.

Millions of Ukrainian refugees have crossed into neighboring countries, like Poland, as the war in Ukraine continues. Many have made their way to other European countries like Germany.

The refugees are trying to rebuild their lives. Some have already started the necessary routines like going to school.

Mariia Kerashchenko is a mother of two children and a Ukrainian refugee in Germany. She just sent her seven-year-old son, Myroslav, to his first day of school with about 40 other children.

With tears in her eyes, 30-year-old Kerashchenko told a reporter, "It gets me emotional when I see all the help and solidarity¹ here."

"Every day, I hope that we can go back to Ukraine, but it is too dangerous for now, so in the meantime it is wonderful that my son can go to school in Germany," she added.

The lessons will help prepare the children to enter the normal school system in Berlin. Burcak Sevilgen and Faina Karlitski organized the volunteer initiative for the refugees. In two weeks, the two raised money, organized the cost-free classrooms, and advertised the program on a messaging service.

The children were nervous as they entered the building with their schoolbooks and pencils. But they can look forward to three hours of lessons a day. They will follow their curriculum from Ukraine and also take German language classes. The children are able to take part in after-school activities like painting and other arts and crafts.

Two Ukrainians, Natalia Khalil and Tatjana Gubskaya, will teach the students. Natalia, from western Ukraine, is age 33. She is teaching the third and fourth graders. Tatjana is age 56. She is teaching second graders like she did back home. She will also teach first graders. Gubskaya fled Ukraine with her daughter and a seven-year-old grandson. He is in her classroom.

"The kids are grateful to have some kind of routine again and meet other children from Ukraine — they and their mothers have all been very stressed lately," said Gubskaya.

The teachers will be paid in donations, about $550 a month, until they are officially permitted to work.

Burcak Sevilgen is a teacher in Berlin and her friend Karlitski is an administrative² advisor³. Together, they wanted to help get at least a few of the refugee children back to school quickly. They spent all of their free time organizing the classes. They raised money and organized classes with help from a Berlin children's support program called Arche.

"We both have always had an eye for social issues and wanted to help here as well," Sevilgen said.

The program received an offer for rooms at no cost in a Berlin immigrant neighborhood. The Ukrainian refugee mothers in Berlin connected with the program on a messaging service called, Telegram.

Since men ages 18 to 60 in Ukraine are not permitted to leave, the majority of Ukrainian refugees are women, mothers and their children. Three million Ukrainians fled abroad and another six million are without homes inside of Ukraine's borders.

Every day about 10,000 refugees arrive to Berlin in trains. Germany has registered almost 250,000 Ukrainian refugees already. But the real number of refugees is unknown because thousands more have arrived by car. They are usually not registered if they come by car.

Ukrainians do not need a visa to enter the country. Many of the refugees are staying in shelters or with relatives who immigrated⁴ in earlier years. Some Ukrainians are even staying at an old airport.

The government is organizing a task force to help refugee children to attend schools in 16 German states. Many schools, including private ones, have taken in a few Ukrainian students. Berlin officials are creating a special welcome class for the children and will include German language classes.

A similar program to this was used to help immigrant children attend school in 2015 and 2016 when 1 million people fled conflicts in Syria, Iraq and Afghanistan.

Words in This Story

solidarity – n. unity⁵ for a common cause

initiative – n. a new approach or plan for something

curriculum – n. lessons and subjects in a course of study

grateful – adj. thankful or gracious

task force – n. a special group that works to complete a set objective

1 solidarity   

n.团结；休戚相关

参考例句：

• They must preserve their solidarity.他们必须维护他们的团结。
• The solidarity among China's various nationalities is as firm as a rock.中国各族人民之间的团结坚如磐石。

2 administrative   

adj.行政的，管理的

参考例句：

• The administrative burden must be lifted from local government.必须解除地方政府的行政负担。
• He regarded all these administrative details as beneath his notice.他认为行政管理上的这些琐事都不值一顾。

3 advisor   

n.顾问，指导老师，劝告者

参考例句：

• They employed me as an advisor.他们聘请我当顾问。
• The professor is engaged as a technical advisor.这位教授被聘请为技术顾问。

4 immigrated   

v.移入( immigrate的过去式和过去分词 )；移民

参考例句：

• He immigrated from Ulster in 1848. 他1848年从阿尔斯特移民到这里。 来自辞典例句
• Many Pakistanis have immigrated to Britain. 许多巴基斯坦人移居到了英国。 来自辞典例句

5 unity   

n.团结，联合，统一；和睦，协调

参考例句：

• When we speak of unity,we do not mean unprincipled peace.所谓团结，并非一团和气。
• We must strengthen our unity in the face of powerful enemies.大敌当前，我们必须加强团结。