– When it was winter, the bison asked the other animals where they found food, Marta and Misha’s dad reads. Little sister rests her head on big brother’s stomach as they listen. Dad is next 2,000 kilometers away, but his voice is with them. The two children have fled the war in their home country and live in the German Langenfeldt, north of Cologne. Dad lives in Bucha in Ukraine. Started crying Since the war started a year ago, several million Ukrainians have fled the country. Around 90 percent of them are women and children, according to estimates from the UN. – When we got the books, I started to cry, says Rita Bilean. She is the mother of 4-year-old Marta and Misha, 11. – No words can describe what it’s like to hear the books read by someone who is so close to you, she continues. The small family left Ukraine in March and have been living in Germany for almost a year now. The tale of a bison who wants to cave with a bear brings dad back into the children’s lives, if only for a little while. Big brother and little sister listen to dad reading. “How can we give them joy?” – We asked ourselves “how can we give them some joy?” And help them stay in touch with their homeland?” Stories are the best way, says Andrij Shmyhelskyj to news. He is the founder of Better Time Stories. A non-profit company that makes the books. The name plays on bedtime stories, good night adventures, as we call it. Shmyhelskyj created an App. He had already started doing that before the war. Because after several years abroad, including six years in Norway, the idea was born. He wanted his daughter to know Ukrainian and know the voices of her grandmother and grandfather in Ukraine. Then came the war and work on the app took off. Via it, dad, or another close friend or relative, can read in a story. The audio file is sent back to the young refugee. Along with a colorful book, it’s nice to listen to a familiar voice. The stories are intended for children aged three to seven. Andrij Shmyhelskyj also says that mothers have said that they like to hear when the fathers read to the children. Photo: Reuters Also learning a new language But the books do more than comfort a little one who longs for home. Because Andrij Shmyhelskyj lives in Amsterdam now and knows that learning a completely new language in an unfamiliar country can be challenging for a little paw. So the books are written in two languages. And together with the audio file from Ukraine, there is also a recording where the book is read in German or Dutch. Thus, Ukrainian children living in Germany, Austria, Belgium or the Netherlands can learn the language of the country they have ended up in. In Germany alone, 1 million Ukrainian refugees are registered, and a third of them are children. – It gives a good feeling to sit with the children and hear my husband’s voice. Then it feels like we are all together, says Rita.
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Here the children in Germany hear their father in Ukraine reading fairy tales – news Urix – Foreign news and documentaries
