By Svitlana Manzer
When people talk about integration, they usually think of children starting school or young adults entering the labour market. Much less attention is paid to older people, even though starting over after forced displacement can be just as challenging later in life.
In Burgdorf, a group of women is proving that belonging has no age limit.
More than a year ago, the “Integration of the Wise” club was created as a place where Ukrainian women who had fled the war could meet, support one another and rebuild their social lives. Since then, the initiative has grown into something much larger. More than fifty women now take part in its regular activities—not only from Ukraine, but also from Iraq, Turkey and Switzerland.
What began as a meeting among compatriots has become an intercultural community.
The idea came from Svitlana Prokopchuk, head of the USB Burgdorf branch, who noticed that many Ukrainian women stayed after their German classes simply because they enjoyed being together. Inviting women from other communities felt like the natural next step.
Since then, the club has become a place where friendships are built through shared experiences rather than shared biographies.
The activities themselves are wonderfully ordinary. The women paint, discovering the traditions of Ukrainian Petrykivka art. They organise evenings where everyone brings a favourite dish and exchanges recipes. They discuss books, recommend new authors and inspire one another to keep reading. They exercise together every week, not only to stay healthy but to keep life active and structured.
And they knit.
Dozens of pairs of warm socks made by the group have travelled from Burgdorf to Ukraine, where they reached those defending the country. Women who had never knitted before learned from those who had done it for decades. Skills were shared as naturally as conversations.
Music has become another common language. The women sing Ukrainian folk songs, perform together and, over time, some have even joined Swiss choirs, singing in German for local audiences.
The members of the club also participate in the wider life of their community. During Burgdorf’s International Night, organised by BewegungPlus Church, they helped create an intercultural evening and, together with participants from many countries, discovered the traditions of Afghanistan.
Perhaps that is what integration looks like at its best.
Not abandoning your own culture, but bringing it to the table—and being curious enough to discover someone else’s.
Sometimes belonging begins with something as simple as sharing a song, a recipe or a cup of coffee. And sometimes, those small moments become the strongest bridges between communities.
