Ukrainian and Syrian refugees could go to the fair in the Westerpark for free today. The day was a nice distraction for the children, but it also gave the parents mixed feelings. “It is very sad, because my husband is still in Ukraine,” said one mother.
The children and their carers were picked up by three buses from various reception centers in the city. When they arrived at the fair in the Westerpark, everyone received a wristband from fair operator and initiator Frans Stuy, with which they could spend almost three hours in each attraction.
A Ukrainian mother is happy about the afternoon: “I think it’s good for a child to be in a different environment and do something fun. This is nice.” Stuy was also satisfied: “You see the happy faces of the children, that’s what it’s all about. Instead of sitting in a box like that all day long. That doesn’t make you happy either.”
“It’s a huge contrast. My parents are in Kiev, for example”
The fair is a good distraction for the children, but the carers present had their heads elsewhere: “It’s a huge contrast. My parents are in Kiev, for example. We think about them all the time,” said a Ukrainian mother.
Another mother from Ukraine also recognizes this feeling: “In Ukraine, my children heard explosions all the time. Now that we are here, everything is back to normal.”
Freedom and Peace
A Syrian boy emphasizes that he is happy to be in the Netherlands: “Freedom is above all else. It is nice to be safe, that is the most important thing.”
Stuy thinks there should be more initiatives like this: “Our children are raised in peace. These children have suffered quite a trauma. I think we should welcome them with our hearts.”
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