Education is the passport to the future

Vranje, October 2024 – "I think every child should hear this: don't be afraid to try something new, to pursue what matters to you, to change things. School has given me so much support, and I've had a great experience traveling around Serbia and meeting many new people," shares sixteen-year-old Beatrice from Ukraine. 

When speaking with this young girl, one can sense the wisdom and maturity that her challenging life has fostered over the past few years. Known as Bea to her family, friends, and teachers, she was born in the Czech Republic, where she attended preschool and learned Czech. At age four, her family moved to Ukraine, where she started first grade, made new friends, and learned another language. Her peaceful, happy life in Ukraine was shattered by the outbreak of war in February 2022, forcing her to finish eighth grade thousands of miles away, in Serbia.

The war's beginning found Bea and her father in Serbia, where they had traveled for passport-related reasons, as both hold Serbian citizenship. Her mother and two brothers stayed behind in Ukraine. 

"I thought we'd sort everything out in two weeks, and that I would go back to celebrate my birthday with friends on February 16. But everything turned upside down, and now I've been in Serbia for three years. I live in a (refugee) camp with my parents and younger brother. My close friends are back there, and it’s hard not being able to see them for so long”, Bea explains 

Currently a third-year student at the Economic and Trade School in Vranje, Bea is one of the top students in her class.

"It's not like I'm just sitting with books all the time. I listen carefully in class and grasp the material. My teachers are often surprised at how well I understand everything, even though I come from another country and didn’t grow up speaking Serbian,” she says.

Since the start of the refugee crisis, and now amid the ongoing war in Ukraine, UNICEF, in cooperation with the Ministry of Education and the Commissariat for Refugees and Migration, has been supporting schools to ensure access to formal education and provide additional learning support for refugee and migrant children.

One way this is achieved is through Learning Clubs in schools, where migrant children can study, socialise, develop skills, acquire digital competencies, and engage in volunteer work. During the holidays, schools are also supported with informal education programs, such as Summer and Winter Schools, where all students can learn English, participate in intercultural and environmental workshops, and receive support from volunteers, including migrant high school students who took part in these programs when they were in primary school. This year, Bea joined as a volunteer herself.

"It was amazing. I hadn’t had the experience of working with younger children before. I was supported by a girl from another class, and together, we led workshops on discrimination for fifth- and eighth-graders. In Belgrade, we attended a seminar and received UNICEF training on these topics. Our second workshop focused on skills, and for the third, we taught English to first- and fourth-graders," she explains.

At the Refugee camp and in school, Bea has helped other Ukrainian children learn Serbian, including them in projects and workshops. She regularly attended the Learning Club as well.

"We always had support from Serbian, English, and Russian language teachers. Kids from my class and other grades would join, eager to learn about our culture. We created a presentation on Ukrainian culture and literature, and Roma girls in our school shared in Romani while we spoke in Ukrainian," says Bea, adding that her greatest support in school activities comes from her counsellor, Jelena Tasic.

Since 2017, the school has welcomed many children from Syria, Afghanistan, and Ukraine, with consistent support from both the school and students.

Since 2023, Jelena has been coordinating the Learning Club, which provides supplementary, additional, and preparatory classes for all children.

"Once or twice a month, students from each subject can come to the Club to socialise and receive academic support. Teachers are pleased with the students' achievements, and the students genuinely enjoy attending. Although the project has ended, we’ve included the Learning Club in the school’s annual plan," Jelena explains.

In the Learning Club, teachers and students have celebrated International Day of Tolerance, Human Rights Day, and Christmas. They organised workshops on empathy and tolerance, while peer educators led sessions on violence prevention and reproductive health.

"Bea completed peer education training and has blended well with other students. She's naturally a child who loves to talk, engage in workshops, and isn’t afraid of public speaking. I encouraged her to join other extracurricular activities, and I believe it has helped her grow," Jelena notes.

Bea’s classmates—Helena, Teona, Kristina, and Nina—speak of her in glowing terms, describing her as intelligent, resourceful, and humorous.

“She’s someone you can always rely on. She’s adapted well and communicates wonderfully with everyone. The two of us got close through UNICEF’s UPSHIFT project. Our team, called Antiperon, worked on fire prevention,” shares Helena.

Kristina has been friends with Bea since sophomore year.

"She mostly helps us with every subject," she laughs. 

Nina and Teona agree that Bea is active in class and knowledgeable on many topics. They say she at times helps them with math and Serbian tests. 

"She’s so smart, and I’m amazed by her Serbian vocabulary – it’s even broader than ours sometimes. She’s enthusiastic and creative, and we love hanging out with her," Teona adds.

Bea’s mother, Elvira, is very proud of her success in school and how well she gets along with her peers. 

Bea has grown fond of Vranje, her school, and her friends, but she aspires to study in Belgrade or the Czech Republic after high school.

"I’ve started exploring IT and doing well. It interests me, so I take courses at the (refugee) camp and online. I also see myself in international relations. Since fifth grade, I’ve wanted to become a lawyer and help people," says Bea.

Nothing less is expected of Beatrice than to continue helping others. She will certainly never forget how much the outstretched hand meant to her.