An eight-year-old schoolgirl who fled Ukraine following the Russian invasion has been welcomed into a Winchester Brownie unit.
Yaroslava arrived at the end of May last year with her mum and elder sister after their home city of Mariupol came under siege and was largely destroyed.
Unable to speak English, Yaroslava was missing friends and family back home as they started their lives from scratch thousands of miles away.
When one of their host family’s neighbours suggested she might like Brownies, Yaroslava was keen to give it a try at the 5th Winchester pack based at Hyde Parish Hall.
Yaroslava said: “I like Brownies because I can meet my friends there and play with them. They have started to understand what I say to them, and I understand them as well.
“I was worried the first time I went because I didn’t know anyone, but everyone was very friendly.
“In Ukraine I attended lots of clubs but nothing like Brownies. I like it because we do lots of fun things and everyone makes me welcome.”
Her mother Maryna Dablo, who ran her own language centre in Ukraine and is now working as a teaching assistant, said: “Yaroslava has made friends at Brownies which I am so pleased about. She is happy there and it has really helped her with her English. She looks forward to going each week and has been warmly welcomed by all the girls and leaders.”
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Mariupol has been militarily controlled by Russia since last May following a three-month-long siege by Russian forces.
“Leaving our home has been very hard for all of us. We cannot go back because it no longer exists,” said Maryna.
“When Mariupol was blocked we couldn’t leave for 50 days. We didn’t have a car and were worried about the kids but finally we got here. We are very thankful to the British people; they have encouraged and helped us a lot.”
Since joining Yaroslava has received her first aid skills builder and mindfulness badges.
Despite the initial language barrier, Yaroslava opted to say her Brownie promise in English instead of Ukrainian when she officially enrolled in December.
She attended her first pack holiday in January which was a two-night superhero-themed weekend.
Leader of 5th Winchester City Brownies based at Hyde Parish Hall, Sarah Wild said: “We are delighted to have Yaroslava as a member and are pleased that we've been able to help her make new friends, provide a safe friendly environment, learn new things and have fun.
“When Yaroslava first joined us, the language barrier meant that we weren’t always sure how much she understood despite our best efforts. However, over time her English has improved, and it was a wonderful moment when she chose to say her Promise in English despite having the option to say it in Ukrainian. She has really come out of her shell since joining us and always has a happy smile on her face.”
For more details, visit girlguiding.org.uk.
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