Ukraine
Our response to the war in Ukraine
Displaced by war
We are horrified by situation in Ukraine and the loss of civilian lives. The refugee crisis is significant and growing and we have hurried to translate our titles into Ukrainian to do all we can to help.
A book in one’s own language can be an enormous comfort in unfamiliar surroundings.
Ultimately the books offer a way for adults and children to bond, creating a safe space during what will be a tumultuous time for the reader. This particular type of story is enormously useful for people who have been displaced by war.
In the United Kingdom the government has created a number of schemes to take in Ukrainian refugees. Some individuals will be hosted by their own family members who are permanent residents here, whilst others will be taken in by British families who are looking for a tangible way to help.
Kashfi’s Children is working with Ukrainian non-profits to place books in Ukrainian into welcome packs in host countries. A parallel initiative headed by Hoopoe Books is underway in the US.
We plan to extend this programme to all host nations, such as Poland, The Netherlands, France, Germany, The Czech Republic, Romania and Hungary.
The stories that have been chosen for translation are humorous, share positive messages and encourage the reader to think about how they are similar to others rather than stressing our differences. They are deliberately ambiguous at the end, which helps foster discussion and often relays a gentle lesson, depending on the reader’s current mind-set or situation.
