Polina is 8 years old, she has come to Madrid fleeing the war and is going to live with her aunt. The little girl is sad because she has left her father and grandfather behind and he doesn’t quite understand why they have to live apart.
His gaze is a reflection of what he has lived and what he has left behind. “She is worried about dad, that dad will come here or when she can return to Ukraine to return to her normal and happy life,” explains her aunt, Lilia Rokitska.
Polina has traveled more than 3,000 kilometers to arrive, together with the rest of the women in her family, in Madrid. His aunt explains that “he is with many people he does not know, with a language he does not understand”which makes it “a bit difficult” for her and for all those little refugees, for whom NGOs like Save The Children offer psychosocial help.
“They arrive after having left their homes and surroundings. After spending three days in a queue for miles to reach the border. The first feeling is fear and uncertainty“, explains Andrés Conde, director of Save The Children.
Hundreds of children are housed in a pavilion on the border with Poland. And although some greet with some enthusiasm, volunteers like Llanos García explain that they are very affected: “They come with certain traumas that he has asleep… that manifest sleeping, with screams.”
Many of these little ones have traveled to Spain and their destination is families they already know, because they have already welcomed them on other occasions. Definitely, safe environments like Polina’s in which to recover the smile.
Source: Lasexta
Mario Twitchell is an accomplished author and journalist, known for his insightful and thought-provoking writing on a wide range of topics including general and opinion. He currently works as a writer at 247 news agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
