There were nearly twenty in the classroom, all Ukrainian refugees who had just arrived in Quebec. They probably have a fever.
This is often the case before the first lessonsaid Mylène, francization teacher at the Accore adult education center in Châteauguay, who immediately began presentations.
Welcome to class!
The lesson is given exclusively in French, which most students do not understand. Never mind, they have to learn. They are here Monday through Friday for eight weeks.
Everything goes through language, explained Nicoleta Caraulan, coordinator at the Roussillon Immigration Reception and Training Service (SAFIR), who registered new students. In fact, with his team, he takes care to meet almost all of their needs.
If I didn’t know the language, he insisted, it would be impossible or very difficult to integrate into this society.
Being fluent in French will definitely be an asset for those wishing to find a job. The Minister of Labor, Employment and Social Solidarity, Jean Boulet, indicates that 522 companies have expressed a desire to take Ukrainian nationals, on the Emploi Québec site.
There is a lot of empathy, he believes. We know the Ukrainian environment, the shocks caused by the war, of the Russian aggression, and have a desire to help.
A new family
Among the group, Olha Kozlovzka and her 27-year-old daughter, Anastasiia Edelman, arrived from Ukraine just 12 days ago. Both women left kyiv on the third day of the war. They stayed for about a week in western Ukraine, before crossing the Polish border on foot.
We walked all night, cold, Anastasiia said. My mother and I looked at each other and said, “Can we survive?”
Our story is not tragic, he added. Some stayed on the subway for weeks without food. We were told that the neighbors who remained were injured or worse.
We are finally well, after two months of stress, Olha says. I am grateful to everyone who helped us.
When they left class, Normand Thérien and Anne-Marie Langelier waited for them to take them home. This retired couple lives in Léry, west of Montreal. They chose to welcome the two Ukrainians into their home.
This is very goodNorman explained.
They, Anne-Marie added, before resting, their throats tied with emotion, they were peculiar.
They renovated the rooms previously owned by their children to accommodate their new roommates.
The first day, Anastasiia, I forced her to sleep because she wanted me to look at her CV, confession of Anne-Marie. The youngest worked on video making, while his mother, Olha, is until now a professor of philology at the university.
I am convinced that the two will find a job equal to their abilities.added Anne-Marie.
Finding some normality
A few kilometers away, at the Natalie Socqué dental clinic, a newcomer had just joined the team. Less than a month after her arrival, Victoria Gabal has already found a job as a hygienist.
I was a dentist for 15 years in Ukraine, he said. I was even treating patients in kyiv when my husband called me on February 23rd.
One day before the first bombings, he wanted to leave. Along with their two children, four-year-old twins, the couple ran into the road. Eventually Victoriaia never returned home.
And he has no plans to do so anytime soon.
To be honest, in my heart, my country is Ukraine, he explains, his eyes red. But we knew we had a crazy neighbor. I don’t think it’s possible to go back there.
The family is also hosted by a couple from Quebec. They seem to be part of the family, says Barbara Pagé. She and her husband Wayne sleep in the basement to give them space.
While Victoria works, the twins go to daycare and her husband Maksym, attends francization classes every day of the week, in the same class as Anastasiia and Olha.
It’s not easy to start over, but with a little help, they can get there.
Source: Radio-Canada
