A primary school in Italy warmly welcomed two children who fled the Ukraine war. A video of Dimitris (8) and Victoria (10)’s first day of school inspires on social media.
Pomigliano d’Arco/ Italy – Dimitri (8) and Victoria (10) are two Ukrainian refugee children from Lviv, a city in western Ukraine. Because of the Ukraine conflict with Russia, they had to leave their homes overnight. Italian media are now reporting on the history of the siblings.
Escape from Ukraine: Siblings now at home near Naples
According to the daily newspaper Corriere della Sera the two children fled to Italy together with their mother Tatiana and their grandmother Dana. They traveled by bus for four days before reaching the town of Pomigliano d’Arco near Naples. Her grandmother Dana has lived there for over 20 years – she was visiting in Ukraine when war broke out. Dimitri and Victoria lived with their parents in Lviv – there it became known today that the hospital is overburdened with children injured in the war. The father of the siblings is still in Ukraine.
A friend of Dimitris and Victoria’s grandmother, she is a teacher at the Don Milani elementary school in Pomigliano d’Arco. Without further ado, she established contact with the Rector Maria Barone. It was immediately clear to the headmistress that she would welcome Dimitri and Victoria to her school – even though neither of them spoke a word of Italian so far.
Escape from Ukraine: Video from the first day of school goes viral
On their first day of school last week, the 8- and 10-year-olds were warmly welcomed by their new classmates and teachers. A video of the overwhelming reception is going viral on social media. Grandmother Dana had posted it on her Facebook page.
The short cinematic sequence shows Dimitri and Victoria entering their new school for the first time. They are greeted loudly by over 200 children. Her new classmates clap their hands and wave blue and yellow flags. Two students finally take the children by the hand and lead them to their respective new classes.
Escape from Ukraine: The fate of Dimitri and Victoria moves people
On social media, some users are deeply moved. One woman comments that she has watched the video over 100 times. “I get more and more emotional every time,” she writes. Another woman wishes for peace and light-heartedness for the children.
“We are very happy that we can take in the children, but also very concerned about the conflict, which is becoming more bitter every day,” says when asked by Corriere della Sera the principal of the elementary school. “We would like not to have to take the children – because that would mean that the war is over.”
The fate of Dimitri and Victoria also moved the parents of other children attending primary school. According to media reports, ten families have agreed to take refugees from Ukraine into their homes. In Germany, too, there is a wave of willingness to help Ukrainians who have fled. Aid campaigns are currently underway in many counties. How you can best help people in this country read here. (jb)
#War #Ukraine #day #school #refugee #children
