| LETTERS OF HOPE |

Ukrainian war refugee children whom Natalie, founder of Bridges to the Broken, had the chance to visit and cloak in warm winter clothing

Although English language classes have been offered in Ukrainian public schools ever since the dissolution of the Soviet Union, they have only recently risen to a venerable status in Ukraine. Such rise is inextricably linked to the recent military conflict between Ukraine and Russia, a conflict that has prompted many Ukrainian government officials to ban Russian language courses from public schools, replacing them with English classes.

War, however, is not the only driving force behind the growing currency of English classes in Ukraine; a nation-wide awakening to the power of an English-speaking tongue has also played a profound role. In late 2014, newly-appointed Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko publicly espoused the merits of a thorough command of the English language, declaring, “English should become the second language to be taught in schools. There is a connection between people's standard of living and their level of knowledge of English. The more Ukrainians speak English, the better off Ukraine will be."

While the surging demand of English classes may be the product of a complex interplay of forces and ambitions, its result is plain and indisputable: Ukraine now boasts a population of more than 11 million English speaking civilians, many of whom are refugees of the ongoing war.

This ripe condition lends a rare opportunity to humanitarian relief organizations and lone individuals in the United States seeking to help victims of the Ukrainian turmoil: the opportunity to directly communicate and correspond with war refugees. Unlike refugees of other nations, such as those of Syria and Kenya, many Ukrainian refugees are proficient enough in English to read and understand correspondences written in the language.

In light of this unique opportunity, Bridges to the Broken has launched an initiative to directly send letters of encouragement to Ukrainian refugee children currently living in refugee camps, children who, as a result of the war, have lost their homes and, in many cases, their families. Realizing the great power that a simple “you are not alone in this” can wield, we desire that these messages of hope will embolden Ukrainian children and remind them that humanity is rooting for them.

Bridges to the Broken is accepting 1-2 page letters of encouragement written by adults and children alike. Please contact blessingsforthebroken@gmail.com to receive instructions for sending letters to the Bridges to the Broken P.O. box. This coming December, all letters will be personally delivered by Natalie to refugee children in Ukraine.

References:

"Teach English, Not Russian in Ukraine Schools: President."  Yahoo! News. Yahoo!, 3 Oct. 2014. Web. 08 Nov. 2015.