A story of refuge: my experience in the welcoming culture of Refugees Welcome

My name is Daryna Kyshchak, I am 21 and I come from the city of Zhytomyr in the Ukraine. In February 2022, I was one of the millions of Ukrainians who were forced to leave their homes because of the aggressive Russian invasion. Together with my sister, we set off on a long journey until we reached Barcelona. Once we arrived, a family of friends living in Vic warmly took us in. 

Upon arriving in a new country, the adaptation period during the first months was difficult, because I didn’t know the language, I had no legal residency nor money of my own. Nevertheless, with the help of Catalan society and our host family, I soon learnt to speak Spanish on a conversational level and basic Catalan. I also made new friends at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and found a job at a local supermarket, which wasn’t easy because it is often difficult for refugees to find a job. 

After successfully completing a degree in the Ukraine, moved by my passion for education and the support I received, I decided to pursue postgraduate studies at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona and enrolled in a Masters’ programme in Psychoeducation. Afterwards I had the opportunity to collaborate with the organisation Refugees Welcome (RW) as a volunteer to do my Masters’ internship. 

My experience as a volunteer was an eye-opener to the lived reality of thousands of refugees around the world. I understood the importance of our work to create spaces to meet and create a culture of peace and coexistence. Refugees Welcome has managed to organize more than 150 coexistence experiences in Spain to foster this much needed culture of welcoming that is so valuable for refugees in a world where the number of people who are mercilessly forced to flee their homes has risen to 120 million according to the UNHCR. Our citizen platform promotes this culture of welcoming by creating spaces of coexistence for displaced population and local population, based on equality, horizontality, and mutual respect and, in doing so, it promotes their social integration, the development of their personal potential and participating in the community.  

To give an example, on 9 June we visited the Sant Cugat monastery. These gatherings become an essential space of discovery, where everyone can find support and feel united. After an interesting visit of the monastery, refugees coming from different countries spoke in the language we are learning, making us feel connected, interested, and united while actively sharing the stories of our life. Each is a story of braveness on our way towards a new life. Here, in a different country and society, having to learn to communicate in a new language, it can be challenging in some cases, even tough. But these gatherings allow us precisely to feel supported and part of a community that is able to overcome adversity. 

I am grateful for the opportunities in life and for being a volunteer at Refugees Welcome and encourage you to share this post on your social media and share with family and friends to they can all learn about the cause of refugees around the world.