Jim (11) and Kate (9) were so concerned with the suffering of the war and the misery of the Ukrainian children that they decided to take action. After carnival, the brother and sister from Uden asked their teacher if they could collect toys at school. The school and the other children reacted so enthusiastically that a classroom full of toys is now available for children who have fled the war zone.
In a classroom of primary school Aventurijn, group 3 students work diligently to make bags for the toys. More than two hundred already. They are painted with the Ukrainian flag and with texts in the Ukrainian language, such as ‘welcome’.
Many children have painted a Ukrainian flag on their heads and one boy has even dyed his hair yellow and blue.
The room next door looks most like a toy store, with mountains full of stuffed animals. Children are busy packing the bags.
Jim and Kate are proud of the result. They had not expected so many toys beforehand. “We think the war is very bad and want to help the children who come to the Netherlands from Ukraine,” says Jim. He himself handed in LEGO and stuffed animals.
Almost all children have toys and cuddly toys at home that they no longer play with. They now go to children who are undoubtedly happy with them
Miss Rianne notices that the war makes a deep impression on children: “Some are afraid that it will also be a war here and even sleep badly. Of course I try to reassure them. By doing something positive for children from Ukraine, they get a good feeling.”