๐๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ข๐ฏ๐ช๐ข๐ฏ ๐ญ๐ข๐ฏ๐จ๐ถ๐ข๐จ๐ฆ ๐ช๐ด ๐ต๐ฉ๐ฆ ๐ง๐ช๐ณ๐ด๐ต ๐ด๐ต๐ฆ๐ฑ ๐ต๐ฐ๐ธ๐ข๐ณ๐ฅ ๐ข ๐ด๐ข๐ง๐ฆ ๐ง๐ถ๐ต๐ถ๐ณ๐ฆ.
Hanna chose the JRS intensive course and, in just a few weeks, she was able to speak Romanian better in everyday situations: at the doctor, at school, and in daily life. She could ask for help in Romanian with confidence and be understood, without relying on interpreters.
Because of the war, Hanna Yanytska left her hometown of Odesa together with her two sons and sought refuge in Bucharest, immediately after the war began, in March 2022. Like for millions of Ukrainians, it was not an easy decision for her either.
From the moment she arrived, she decided to take action and, knowing English, she quickly found work with international organisations supporting Ukrainian refugees.
โ๐๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ธ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ท๐ผ๐ฏ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด๐ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐จ๐ธ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐,โ Hanna recalls. โ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐๐ป๐ด๐น๐ถ๐๐ต. ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฎ๐ ๐จ๐ก๐๐๐ฅ, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐น๐ฑ ๐ฉ๐ถ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป. ๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐บ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ผ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ธ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฅ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ฅ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ป๐ด๐น๐ถ๐๐ต. ๐๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฒ๐บ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐น๐ถ๐ธ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฒ๐ป๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต.โ
Over time, things began to change and, as a result, humanitarian projects started to scale down more and more, and many Ukrainians lost their jobs. For Hanna, and many others like her, it also came with the realisation that the war would not end as quickly as everyone had hoped.
In September, Hanna was left without a job, and thatโs when she made a decision: to take learning Romanian seriously.
โ๐ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ผ๐ป๐ด๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐บ. ๐ ๐ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ถ๐น๐ฑ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐๐ฒ๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฅ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฐ๐ต๐ผ๐ผ๐น๐. ๐ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ธ ๐บ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ณ๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ถ๐น๐ถ๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐ด๐๐ฎ๐ด๐ฒ, ๐ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐น๐ฑ๐ปโ๐ ๐ฏ๐๐ถ๐น๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐น๐ฎ๐๐๐ถ๐ป๐ด.โ
At first, Hanna attended courses with another organisation. Then she found out about the JRS Romania intensive Romanian language programme ๐ค and applied immediately. One and a half months of intensive work: 3 hours of lessons on weekdays, 4 hours on Saturdays, lots of homework and class discussions, an intensive schedule that required focus and determination. When you are a mother of two, every effort becomes even harder. Still, the experience was very beneficial, mainly thanks to the course structure as well as the unique approach of their teacher, Ms. Laura.
She explained the logic of the language, why there are so many exceptions and how they work, the cultural context in which certain expressions are used, and much more. โ๐ช๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฎ๐ฑ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฑ๐ถ๐๐ฐ๐๐๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฐ๐น๐ฎ๐๐, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐๐ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฒ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐ณ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ.โ
After just a few weeks, Hanna could already have everyday conversations in Romanian. She remembers that during a doctorโs visit, where she would normally speak English, gradually, without even realising it, she had started speaking Romanian. โ๐ ๐ฎ๐๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ปโ๐ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐น๐, ๐ฏ๐๐ ๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐๐ผ๐ผ๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ฒ ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐บ๐๐ฐ๐ต ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐๐๐ฒ๐ฟ.โ
Today, Hanna dreams of finding a job in a Romanian company, so she can support her children even better as they adapt and make sure they lack nothing in this new country. โ๐ ๐ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ด๐ผ๐ฎ๐น ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐ฏ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ฏ๐น๐ฒ ๐๐ผ ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐น๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ. ๐๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ, ๐บ๐ ๐ฏ๐ผ๐๐, ๐ ๐ฎ๐ธ๐๐๐บ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ก๐ถ๐ธ๐ถ๐๐ฎ, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐ ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐น๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐๐ผ๐ด๐ฒ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ.โ
ศtefan Leonescu, the project coordinator, tells us that โ๐ช๐ต๐ฒ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ธ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐น๐ ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฅ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป, ๐๐ถ๐๐ต๐ผ๐๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐ต๐ฒ๐น๐ฝ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฎ๐ป ๐ถ๐ป๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ, ๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐ป ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐บ๐ถ๐๐๐ฎ๐ธ๐ฒ๐, ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ ๐ฏ๐ฒ๐ด๐ถ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐น ๐ฎ๐ ๐ต๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ผ ๐ด๐ฎ๐ถ๐ป ๐ฎ ๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฒ ๐ผ๐ณ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐น ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐ถ๐ฟ ๐ผ๐๐ป ๐น๐ถ๐ณ๐ฒ. ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ผ๐ฝ๐น๐ฒ ๐ฎ๐น๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฑ๐ ๐น๐ผ๐ผ๐ธ ๐ฎ๐ ๐๐ผ๐ ๐ฑ๐ถ๐ณ๐ณ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐ป๐๐น๐, ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฑ๐ผ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ป, ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ, ๐ฎ๐ ๐ฎ ๐ฟ๐ฒ๐๐๐น๐, ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป ๐ต๐ฎ๐ ๐บ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ต๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ผ ๐๐๐ฐ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ฒ๐ฑ.โ
At JRS, we believe integration is a process of transformation and adaptation. It does not happen overnight. It is hard, sometimes exhausting, and it takes time.
We are not talking about assimilation. We are talking about inclusion, about the real chance to communicate more easily with the people around you and to find your place in a community, without losing your identity. When you begin to understand the language, local customs, and culture, many things that once seemed impossible suddenly become simpler.
Itโs about that moment when you tell yourself: โYes, I can live here.โ Maybe even: โThis is home.โ The moment when you no longer feel defined only as a โrefugeeโ or a โforeignerโ in a foreign country, but as a person, a neighbour, a parent, an employee, as part of a place.
As Romanians, we should appreciate the efforts of those who learn Romanian, because it is not an easy language at all. Especially for someone coming from a language with a very different sound system and pronunciation. That is why it matters to encourage, to be patient, and to support these efforts. Because sometimes, a word spoken in Romanian with courage is the first step toward a stable and dignified life here.
We see these steps every day: people moving from โI donโt know how to say itโ to โI managed.โ At JRS Romania, we are proud to stand beside those who are building a new future, with hope, courage, and dignity.
We build integration together.
๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฎ ๐๐ฅ๐ฆ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐บ๐ฎ๐ป๐ถ๐ฎ ๐ฝ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐๐ป๐ฒ๐ฟ!
๐ง๐ต๐ฒ๐๐ฒ ๐ฐ๐ผ๐๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฝ๐ฝ๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ธ ๐ณ๐ผ๐ฟ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ฒ๐น๐ผ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ (๐๐๐ฅ๐), ๐๐ถ๐๐ต ๐ณ๐๐ป๐ฑ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฝ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ฑ ๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ ๐๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฝ๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ป ๐จ๐ป๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ต๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ด๐ต ๐๐ป๐๐ฒ๐๐๐๐จ.
