New EC children’s book to help Ukrainian refugee children’s integration

The Hungarian edition of the European Commission’s new book aimed at helping the integration of Ukrainian refugee children in local schools was released on Tuesday, as part of a European campaign, the agency promoting the book said.

The book entitled “The Girl Who Kept Her Eyes Open” tells the story of a young Ukrainian girl in Hungary, who meets a particularly attentive Hungarian girl at her new school. The book illustrates the importance of children noticing and supporting each other, when there are children at their school who have been forced to move to a foreign country due to war, the agency said in a statement.

There are currently some 40,000 Ukrainian war refugees in Hungary, more than 5,000 of whom are children forced to leave their entire life, often their families, friends and schools behind because of the war.

The book targets children aged 7-10, as well as their parents and teachers. It is part of the EC’s Keep Your Eyes Open campaign which aims to raise awareness among young people of victims’ rights. The book calls for solidarity with and understanding for war refugees, who are in need of particular types of support and attention.

“Understanding the experiences of people fleeing war and recognising their rights is essential to building a healthier, more compassionate and fairer society. Engaging children at an early age through the book will hopefully help us to shape a brighter future for all,” the statement quoted EU Commissioner for Justice Didier Reynders as saying.

The book has been translated into 13 languages so far and will be distributed in schools, libraries and NGOs.

Source: MTI