„I love drawing people! Today, I want to draw friendly people,” says Nastea as her pencil gently strokes the paper, creating friendly figures just as she envisions. This need is universal, not just for Nastea. She is fortunate because, in the Happy Bubble Center in Suceava, she has found many friendly people, including graphic artist Mihai Pânzaru-Pim, a teacher at the „Ion Irimescu” School of Arts in Suceava.
Every Tuesday, the center hosts art therapy sessions for Ukrainian refugee children in partnership with the „Institutul pentru Parteneriat Social Bucovina” Association. The therapy is based on using art and creativity to have a positive impact on the mental and emotional well-being of children. The main goal of art therapy is to harmonize mental states by developing self-expression and self-awareness.
Art – the link between souls
At the last meeting, 10 Romanian and 14 Ukrainian children participated. They enjoyed the graphics course because Mihai is more than a teacher; he is a friendly, sensitive person who builds tangible bridges between Ukrainian refugee children and Romanian children, helping overcome cultural and linguistic barriers. He even builds bridges directly into the children’s souls, sketching them with invisible pencils.
He joined the Ukrainian children in 2022, „after the war broke out, tearing so many souls apart, shattering so many dreams.” „Now, it’s been two years, only pain and sorrow. Their suffering disturbs us. They are beings who don’t deserve this,” says Mihai.
Out of affection for them, he doesn’t speak Russian, even though he knows the language, precisely not to hurt them. „I learned Russian for 8 years. But I avoided speaking Russian for their souls. We understand each other through looks!”
„We became friends without knowing the Romanian language
Deep appreciation for Ukrainian culture is reflected in the careful selection of topics covered in the lessons, creating a captivating and relevant learning environment for all participants. The children become an active part of this process, engaging with enthusiasm and expressing their creativity freely. This active participation not only strengthens connections between refugee children and Romanian children but also fosters the integration process into the host society.
„When we paint, we don’t need to know other languages; we understand each other. In our drawing classes, we made friends with children from a Romanian school, even without knowing the Romanian language,” says Yaroslav, who is delighted with the „interesting activities prepared every day by the teachers.” He is six years old and comes from Kyiv. Although far from home, he enjoys coming to the center.
The same sentiment is echoed by 9-year-old Uliana, originally from Odessa. „In our drawing classes, children from Romanian schools often join us. We’ve gotten to know each other, and we’ve started to be friends, all without knowing the Romanian language,” says Uliana. „There are always many children in our center; we are always loved and welcomed here. Children are always interested; we learn many new things, receive help in everything, and learn to be friendly.”
„We learn not only how to draw but also how to communicate
In the art class, Mihai offers them the freedom of expression they need. They choose the workshop theme. „At the last meeting, they chose friendship. I make them a drawing, a non-academic drawing, an accessible drawing for them, to go straight to their hearts. You have to feel the child. The child is a delicate flower; you must not aggress it, not even with a look. It is the center of our loving attention. I love them, and I stand by them with joy,” says Mihai.
The constructive freedom Mihai provides is an extraordinary encouragement for children. „I really like the fact that our teacher always asks us what we want to draw, instead of telling us what to do, like in a regular school. We are treated like adults, and that’s beautiful,” says Uliana.
And the feeling is mutual, as the children gather around him with affection. „I love our drawing classes with our teacher. During his lessons, we learn not only how to draw but also how to communicate with each other. We draw nature, animals, but what I like most is when we draw little cats,” confesses Uliana.
We hope peace won’t be delayed much longer!
However, it’s not just the children who benefit from these connections. „I recharge with energy from them, but I like to think that I also give them energy. It’s this joy,” specifies Mihai, who hopes for an end to the conflict. „The greatest gift for me would be to find out at some point that these children go home happily because peace has been restored. That would be the ultimate gift for me. […] We hope peace won’t be delayed much longer!”
The main purpose of these events is not only the integration of Ukrainian refugee children into Romanian society but also providing the opportunity for children from both countries to share their own culture. Participation in common activities creates favorable conditions for the self-realization of children, revealing their inner creative potential, and developing leadership qualities, regardless of their specifics.
Drawing and graphic art classes are not just moments of learning but also opportunities for children to express their emotions and thoughts through art, reinforcing their self-esteem during the adaptation process to new realities, says Vasilii Guțu, coordinator of the Happy Bubble Suceava center.
Healing activities
Besides the art workshop, there are many useful activities for Ukrainian children. „I really liked the session about bullying; they taught us that it’s important to respect each other and never harm other children. I think this will be useful for me in the future,” says Yaroslav. „I liked when we all prepared for the Christmas matinee together with teachers and other children. I recited a verse and participated in a dance. We sang Christmas carols and received gifts from Santa Claus.”
Uliana remembers participating in a literature club at Happy Bubble for the first time: „We read a book about Christmas, discussed the story everywhere, and then drew characters from the book.”
The Happy Bubble Socio-Educational Centers, developed by the World Vision Romania Foundation as part of the Ukraine Crisis Response program through DEC2 phase B funding, are child-friendly spaces. They are organized to provide daily socio-educational services to Ukrainian refugee children and their families, as well as community integration activities to facilitate children’s integration into school, prevent child and adult abuse, learn the Romanian language, and socio-professional integration of parents.
Happy Bubble Centers are accredited social and educational services as Educational Hubs by DGASPC and local ISJ.
