As the war in Ukraine continues, New Zealand will soon be welcoming those who have been successful in applying for one of the Government’s special visas.
More than four million people have now fled the conflict in the eastern European country.
The New Zealand Government hopes it will be able to resettle up to 4000 refugees through its 2022 Special Ukrainian Visa, which was launched more than three weeks ago.
A children’s book is being made to welcome kids from war torn Ukraine into Zealand. (Source: Seven Sharp)
It allows Kiwi Ukrainians to bring family members who had still been living in the country over.
That includes children who have likely witnessed some of the devastation their country has undergone since Russia invaded in late February.
The offensive is being refocused to eastern areas. (Source: 1News)
“At the moment, the stories we’re hearing from the ground is that the children are in distress,” says Viktoriya Pashorina-Nichols, who is the spokesperson for the volunteer advocacy group, Mahi for Ukraine.
“A lot of them are anxious, a lot of them are fearful. They hear shelling and bombing literally on an hourly basis in some towns.”
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Pashorina-Nichols believes that arriving in a new country, after what may have been their first plane ride, will be extremely confusing for them.
“I have faith that once they see the love and welcome that New Zealanders will show to them, they will feel supported.”
In order to try and help these children feel more at home, Mahi for Ukraine is helping to create a book featuring messages and pictures from Kiwi kids.
The book is the idea of South Auckland-based children’s author and teacher, David Riley, who has no personal connection to Ukraine but wanted to do his bit to help.
“I was just thinking about how they’re going to be feeling about everything they’ve been through and what it’s like to have your life uprooted like that and moved to a completely new place with a new language,” Riley told 1News.
“Everything is going to be completely foreign to them.”
The Mahi for Ukraine team has already received many messages, mostly in English but some in te reo Māori too. All of these will be translated into Ukrainian.
“We’ve got one group, which is from a school that’s using it as an NCEA art assessment, so the students are going to be doing art pieces based on a famous Ukrainian artist, mimicking her style,” says Riley.
“I hope Ukrainian kids will have a safe flight to New Zealand and I hope they’ll have lots of food and water,” reads one message from a child at St Peter’s School in Christchurch.
“I’m so happy that you came to New Zealand,” says another. “I hope you have a good time, because everyone is really nice over here.”
The plan is to print 2000 copies of the book and while a publisher is working pro bono on it, a sponsor is needed to cover the printing costs.
For Pashorina-Nichols, the project is a personal one. She is Kiwi Ukrainian and still has family members in the country.
“My hope is that as soon as every Ukrainian kid that arrives here in New Zealand gets a copy of the book it will put a massive smile on their face.”
“I think it’s beautiful in a book because it’s something that they can hold onto,” says Riley. “It will be like a taonga from Aotearoa for them.”
Immigration New Zealand says that as of the evening of April 2, there have been 678 expressions of interest so far from Kiwis wanting to sponsor family members.
From that, there have been 394 visa applications and 185 visas have been granted.
The United Nations says more than 1200 Ukrainians have so far been killed in the conflict. That includes dozens of children.
However, the UN says the true number of civilian deaths may be far higher and it could take years to know the full toll.
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