On the Ukranian Borders: Building Despite Everything

Since 2022, Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (Libraries Without Borders) and its partners have been deploying libraries in Poland and in Moldova to guide and support populations displaced by the war in Ukraine. Installed in reception centers and schools, these cultural spaces allow children and their parents to recharge, familiarize themselves with the local language and culture, and escape from a challenging daily life in exile.

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Two years after the start of the war in Ukraine, the United Nations identified close to six million Ukranian refugees in Europe, about 15% of the country’s population. Welcomed principally in the neighboring countries–Poland, Moldova, Hungary, Slovakia, and Romania–they all try every day to continue living, far from help and despite trauma.

“Children in particular have been–and are still–confronting significative challenges. They need to adapt rapidly, learn a new language, catch up on school work and find new friends. Although there are fewer and fewer of them, those who are not enrolled in school suffer from isolation.” Annemarie Vanlangendonck, Life Polska Foundation.

With almost a million Ukranians, Poland is the country that takes in the most refugees. Faithful to its mandate to facilitate access to knowledge for everyone, BSF deployed three libraries Ideas Box in the country: one in the community center of the Kocham Debniki foundation in Krakow and two others in the Life Polska foundation in Warsaw. Every day, children meet there to read comics and childrens books selected in Ukranian and English, play board games, draw, watch films, or simply rest.

For the parents, notably the single mothers, resources are also available to give them the keys to best support them while they try to integrate their child.

“However, access to culture rests a need that is very necessary. In war periods, books aren’t only a way to escape reality, but they also act as a catalysing power to reconstruct and preserve their dignity.“ Lucja Malek-Kornajew, Kocham Debniki foundation.

To enable the Ukranian children aged 16-17 to complete their studies, the Life Polska Foundation has put in place a training program in which BSF and the Corridor Citoyen association organized their art workshops during the winter of 2024.

“With help from the famous Rafal Milach, their lives in exile are captured on disposable camera film. A way to tell their stories and forget in an instant their daily trials, these workshops gave birth to the photo exposition that has traveled throughout all of Europe.” Annemarie Vanlangendock, Life Polska Foundation

Due to the conflict happening in Ukraine, the Polish government regularly highlights the financial resources needed to support these welcome spaces and community centers where the number has diminished greatly from the last couple of months.

“The integration needs are more important today than the funds raised. Fortunately, initiatives like the ones around the Ideas Box, allow families to access numerous resources and activities: manual workshops, Polish courses, and literature circles.” Lucja Malek-Kornajew, Kocham Debniki foundation.

Same thing in Moldova, which sees that European and international financial aid to Ukranian refugees is seriously diminishing. After two years, five Ideas Cube, accompanied by their tablets, have been installed in many Moldovan schoools, in collaboration with the NGO People in Need. These digital libraries provide access to millions of educative and cultural content to help welcomed Ukranian students not drop out of school.

Two Ideas Box were also deployed to the sides of the We World organization and the national Library of Moldova in Chisinau, the capital, where a grand number of refugees are concentrated. Every day, animators, professors, and librarians rely on the content of our libraries to organize a large agenda of activities for every age. Unanimously, their essential roles are highlighted in BSF during these difficult times.

“When even the strongest will is not enough to overcome the challenges and trauma of the war, it is in solidarity that hope lies.” Elena Colesnicova, We World.

Bibliothèques Sans Frontières (Libraries Without Borders) is an international non-profit that strengthens the capacity of people in vulnerable situations by facilitating access to education, culture, and information. In more than 30 countries, we create innovative cultural and learning spaces that allow those affected by crisis or precarity to learn, to play, to build communities, and to construct their futures.