Anyone, whether young or old, who loves to read can tell you how much books mean to them. Books can provide knowledge and an escape from reality as well as be a source of comfort. With our project, “Fairytales from Home”, our goal is to offer Ukrainian refugees in Romania a sense of well-being and connection to their homeland by installing a library of Ukrainian books in their shelter.
Our team collected and brought the books directly from Ukraine, an effort not only to help the refugees to feel connected to their country, but also one that empowers the community in Ukraine where the books originated. These 150 children’s books as well as some for adults, were transported about 1,058 km traveling from Kyiv to Chernivtsi, then crossing the border in Romania to Suceava and finally reaching their destination in Bucharest.
On February 20, 2023 our team returned to the former university dorm transformed into temporary accommodations housing around 200 Ukrainian refugees in the Romanian capital. On February 23, 2023 all of the books were taken up to the third floor of the shelter to a room that’s being used to teach the children. This makeshift classroom is lined with a few desks and decorated with colorful hand drawn posters of fruits, vegetables, and animals as well as other art made by the children. To continue supporting the Ukrainian refugee children and families our team built a library and it set it up within this classroom, where everyone can enjoy reading in a safe and comfortable place.
“My 13-year-old son Denys loves reading, I’m so happy and grateful to having these books in the Ukrainian language in the shelter”, said Tatiana, a 38-year-old Ukrainian refugee mother of two sons from Mykolaiv.
In November 2022 we began our ongoing campaign, “Together We Can”, which provided daily necessities for the families. With “Room for Hope” in December 2022, we also renovated, furnished, and equipped a common room in the shelter to create a safe and welcoming space for all 67 girls and boys residing there with their families. Everyone was excited to experience this brighter and warmer environment while trying to adjust to the difficult changes in their lives.
Now, with our project, “Fairytales from Home”, we hope the installation of a library of Ukrainian books provides additional comfort to the refugees as they continue to face the challenges of a life away from their homeland.
“Fairytales from Home” is our current campaign in Romania to help and empower Ukrainian refugees. See more here: https://everydayrefugees.org/togetherwecan
Please contact us if you wish to contribute to our projects, or you can directly donate HERE.
