Little Ukrainians in Germany: Yaroslava Kosenko invited them to read a special book

Yaroslava Kosenko, a volunteer at the Stadtbüchereien Düsseldorf, once again gathered little Ukrainians for a reading. This time she chose the book Lesyunia, created to support children in difficult times.

The author Andrea Berger has specially developed this story to help children develop their strengths, find ways to self-regulate and overcome life challenges. The book contains interactive exercises for self-healing and was translated into Ukrainian by Natalia Kickenbeck, with illustrations by Lisa Buhner.

Supporting the Ukrainian language abroad is an important part of the mission of the Ukraine Reconstruction Fund, which on September 6 already spoke about this initiative of Yaroslava’s. The cultural space in Düsseldorf under her care has become a platform for a number of cultural and educational events designed to preserve the national identity of children forced to leave their homeland because of the war.

At the previous event, Yaroslava organized a reading of the book The Postman by Kateryna Sad from the Staryi Lev publishing house, which was accompanied by a screening of the illustrations on a big screen.

“Such projects are of great importance for supporting Ukrainian culture among children, no matter where they are now. By reading together in their native language, children keep in touch with their cultural heritage, supporting their mental and emotional development,” said Victoria Korsunova, Director of the URF Kyiv Office.

She also added that “the Ukraine Reconstruction Fund provides comprehensive support to cultural projects abroad, as they help Ukrainian children not only feel their native environment, but also confidently adapt to new conditions while preserving their identity.”

Yaroslava Kosenko, a volunteer at the Stadtbüchereien Düsseldorf

Cultural projects abroad remain a priority for the URF: they help Ukrainian youth preserve their identity and find support among their compatriots.