The club ‘Integration of the Wise’ was founded in Burgdorf over a year ago. Since its inception, more than fifty older women have come to regular meetings with like-minded people. And these are not only Ukrainian women! Women from Iraq, Turkey, and, of course, Switzerland joined the Ukrainians to play sports, paint, knit, and sing. The Ukrainians also took part in the preparation and holding of a large integration and intercultural event in Burgdorf, organised by the Bewegung Plus Church, the International Night, where they learned about the culture and traditions of Afghanistan.
‘The idea of the Club was to unite Ukrainian women who ended up in Switzerland, fleeing the war,’ says Svitlana Prokopchuk, the Club’s organiser and head of the USB Ukraine Switzerland Bern branch of the Association in Burgdorf. – ‘The Ukrainian women attended language courses and I saw how they come together to socialise and spend their free time. In order to better integrate and learn German, I also invited other migrants to our classes.”
At first, the members of the Club were painting. After a few lessons, they mastered the art of Petrykivka painting. Later, they organised ‘evening parties’: the women brought their own dishes, tasted them, and shared recipes. The participants also welcomed the idea of organising literary meetings. The women had a great time sharing their experiences and books. “Each of the participants has her own favourite book. But sharing our experiences contributes to our development, encourages us to think, and inspires us to read more,’ said one of the participants at the literary meeting.
The Club members also knit. They sent several dozen pairs of warm socks to Ukraine for the defenders of Ukraine. Those who did not know how to knit had the opportunity to learn from their experienced friends.
“Singing occupied a special place in the lives of the participants. We couldn’t count the number of concerts we organised together! We sang Ukrainian folk songs, and later the women even took part in Swiss choirs and sang in German for the Swiss audience,’ recalls Svitlana Prokopchuk.
Sports also became a regular part of the women’s routine! Weekly classes were conducted by Olha Matanova, who developed her own training technique that allowed her to stay healthy for many years. Such classes not only help the body stay healthy, but also improve mood, structure life and promote integration.
