Not being able to speak a word of Dutch yet and still being taught here at primary school. This has become reality for three Ukrainian children for two weeks now. They were welcomed with open arms at De Holtenhoek primary school in Vries.
In group 7 is the 11-year-old Dasha, she came to the Netherlands with her mother and sister. They are staying with a host family in Vries and since two weeks the sisters have also been going to school here.
‘Do you get it?’, a classmate types on a tablet in Google Translate, during geography lesson. The online service is a translation service that can translate words instantly. In Ukrainian, the question comes up and Dasha nods. In this way there is always a buddy in the class who helps her in understanding the lesson.
When Dasha and her mother came to the Netherlands, education had not yet been arranged for the Ukrainian children. But they were immediately welcome at De Holtenhoek. “I’m doing well and everything is going great in class,” says Dasha. “We made contact quickly and we play a lot.”
The girls in the class have already become friends. Celeste: “I like it. She’s also very funny and nice and playing outside is a lot of fun with her too.”
View our report about Dasha’s breakdown at school here: