Nick and I are raising funds for the Borysfen Steiner Waldorf School in Kyiv to help support our friends Liza, Greta and Teo Semydochna. 

Liza and Greta are twins who came as Ukrainian refugees to Class 8 at Michael Hall School last year for almost a year. They are modest, capable, creative students and keen musicians.   They fled Kyiv with the help of the Red Cross having taken refuge first in Bucha where their grandparents live - it took four traumatic attempts to escape (they left because when Bucha was under siege there was not enough food for everyone).  Olga tried but couldn’t tell me the full story of their escape until she returned to Kyiv when she told a journalist their story and sent it to me.  They went first to Austria where the girls attended a German speaking school, albeit with very little German themselves. They came to Michael Hall School in Forest Row because of Olga's determination that they should continue their Waldorf education - Olga was one of the originators of the Borysfen Waldorf School in Kyiv. While they were here in the UK the girls also supported Olga while she continued her Masters degree in Psychotherapy online, taking it in turns to take time off school to look after little Teo who is now 3. They all returned to Kyiv in May to rejoin Olga's husband Viktor and be reunited with their grandparents and wider family.  Much as we miss them, and much as they loved their time at Michael Hall School and were incredibly grateful to be received by the school and hosted by a family in Hartfield, it has been a joy to see the girls look so happy to be reunited with close friends and family and to see Teo start kindergarten.

Life in Kyiv is not smooth or comfortable but is manageable thanks to the air defence system.  Economically it is less manageable - the school has been determined to reopen this school year and the girls' class has been reunited as they enter Class 9.  However the war has inevitably meant that many families at the school have a greatly reduced or no income - in this family's case, Viktor volunteered in the army from the beginning of the war and is now training to be an army instructor in flying unmanned aerial vehicles.  Olga is still completing her Masters in Psychotherapy alongside parenting a very young child  and now, thanks to Teo being at kindergarten and having her parents and Viktor to help with childcare, has some part time work in the fairly new field of military psychology, helping military commanders to support their troops in coping with the psychological impact of the war.  Both she and  Viktor are determined to work to support the Ukrainian cause.  The Waldorf school does not have independent funding and is dependent on parental input.  Funds received will go first to paying for Liza, Greta and Teo to continue attending their school and then to fund more bursaries for students at this school.  The school fees are approximately £300 per child per month.

We would be so grateful if you could help us to raise funds for these hardworking and dear friends as they do their best to support their country and navigate hardship during the war.  

You can help by attending the workshop (booking button to the right) or if you would like to donate without attending, please send to Sarah Delfas 31546254 60-83-71 referenced LizaGreta and I will send it directly.

Photos - top, Teo, bottom, Olga with Greta (left) and Liza (right) in September this year when their school reopened.  On this special day when all schools start back in September their school opted to gather outside for fear of Russian airstrikes on school buildings.