Geert van Roij from Heythuysen has been home to Ukrainian refugees since the beginning of March. Where it used to be busy in the house, the situation has now calmed down.
In the first weeks, the family with four young children was quite busy, but now one of the mothers has left with her child and the three other children are going to school.
language school
The children take the bus every day to the Language School, on the grounds of the AZC in Baexem. According to Geert, the children love going to school. “They don’t mind if they have a day off. They just talk about going to school,” he says.
The children do well at school and pick up Dutch words quickly. According to Mieke Mennen of the Language School, you notice that Ukrainian children are already schooled. “They can actually get into the reading and math process very quickly,” Mennen says.
Also read: Video: Living with Ukrainian refugees
To learn a language
Mother Julia Gorova, who looks after the youngest of ten months at home, is also happy that the children can go to school. “Everything is going well at school. The children are happy. I think it is very important that the children go to school. And that they learn the language of the country where they are now,” says the Ukrainian.
Not safe
Gorova has a lot of contact with her family and friends left behind in Ukraine. In her home city of Kiev, some people are trying to pick up their lives again. Gorova isn’t thinking about going back yet, especially because of the kids. “It is not yet safe where they are. Of course I want to go back, but I do not think it is safe yet,” explains the mother.