14-year-old Marisa from Ukraine is a great support for her teachers and family
Despite her difficult situation, young refugee from Roma community continues to learn and is a role model for children and adults.
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14-year-old Marisa and her family left their hometown of Mizhirya, western Ukraine, when the war escalated in March 2022. Packing only the bare necessities, they set out on a journey to safety to the Czech Republic.
"We fled in a big car, 20 people in one van, and we drove for two days. I was cold at the border. We waited a long time."
It was a long and difficult journey, but eventually they managed to get to Prague. "We spent some time in Prague as my family found work there. We then moved to another city and then to Lískovec, where my family found work again. Eventually, we settled in Semínova Lhota," Marisa continues.
Although Marisa was excited to start school in the Czech Republic, she had to deal with a language barrier and a completely different education system. Thankfully, she benefited from an adaptation project run by the not-for-profit organization Romodrom, with support from UNICEF.
The project aims to support the integration of Roma refugee children and their families in the Czech Republic by improving their access to health care, education, social and child protection services.
Children´s groups organized by Romodrom also help refugee and Roma children prepare for and integrate into the Czech Republic's education system. The children attend regular classes in music education, physical education, art education and computer science. They also learn Czech intensively and get acquainted with Czech culture and customs.
"We first started going to a group where we learned Czech and about life in the Czech Republic," says Marisa. "Then I was able to join the seventh grade."
Almost one year later, Marisa speaks, reads and writes Czech very well. "At school, my favourite books are letters with Ms. Terezka and reading with Ms. Klárka. I enjoy music education. Besides school, I like listening to music, I am interested in cosmetics and fashion. I would like to become a hairdresser, I enjoy braiding and creating new hairstyles."
Marisa is a great support to her family and teachers despite the difficult situation she found herself in because of the war.
"Marisa is an extended arm for educators. If there is a need to help educators with translation when relaying information to parents, or if parents need to get the information they need, she is both a translator and a reader of minutes. Marisa's school attendance is often affected because she needs to help the family at home. If her parents have important and urgent matters to deal with, Marisa babysits and cares for younger siblings, which is very common in Roma families. Marisa also supports other children from the hostel to attend school. She wakes them up, ensures that the smaller children are safe and accompanies them to the bus," says Pavlína Herberová, a remedy teacher for the Romodrom organisation.
Marisa is also an inspiration for care workers and other members of Romodrom and UNICEF.
"Marisa is a role model for me and a good example of how children who live in difficult environments and are exposed to adversity can continue learning new things," Pavlína Herberová says.
Marisa enjoys her Czech school and wants to continue her education.
"I want to continue to learn the Czech language and go to school, learn to read better, and then play the guitar. That's what I would encourage all children, who are in a similar situation and had to leave Ukraine, to learn a lot," Marisa concludes.
