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UKRAINIAN WOMAN OUR ENGLISH COLUMN THE UKRAINIAN MOTHER IN EMIGRATION When the (Ukrainian mother had been abandoning her home in her native land, die had little realized what a (hard, 'trying life was in: store for 'her. In fact she had been manaced not only by starvation, (by cold and the threat of bombs. 3he perceived that in the unrest of wandering her •edu cational principles w і Hi ibe -shaken, that a foreign country may alien ate even her child. Still she had no choice. The training* of children within the boishevik system of atheism and denouncement debar red her from educational in fluence. Hence she chose 'the other road. Thus she had anyway some probability of educational work. The period of remaining in the camps was1 the beginning of edu cational work in foreign con- tri-es. The crowding together of families in a small area, the pres- sinig of several families into a single room, the uncertainty of tomorrow in the time of .repatria tion were here a serious hin drance. The Ukrainian children in the camps were growing sensitive and nervous and were developing prematurely. Finally came the re settlement, though not for all. A large numiber of Ukrainian mo thers' was still left behind in the camps. These were the hard core refugees wrhose half-starved ex istence without a future still con tinues. The resettled mothers in foreign countries were to face new dif ficulties. The different climate .also to weaken tihe health of mofthers and ch’ildten and the reestablishing of home required the straining of all strength. Both fathers and mothers had to go to work. The child had then to be left under the care of neighbors, and if he was a youngster, -he went to an alien school. This again limited the educa tional influence of the mother. Her time for remaining with her child was diminished and thus her watching over her chi id’s growth could not be so vigilant. The Ukrainian mother had at once become aware of the menace. Therefore she utilized this short time she remained with her child most profitably. She tried to ans wer accurately the child’s quest ions, turning his interests to proper channel, and explained to him the surrounding phenomena. However, soon came before her the problem of training her child in the out land. In the school the newcomer’s children usually face ridicules or scornful conduct toward them, because of their lack of -knowl edge of the language and customs of the country. True, the child learns the speech swiftly, yet at the same time there may form in his mind either a hostile attitude toward his classmates or he may begin to feel ashamed of his ori gin. Both reactions are not desir able. The mother’s task, or of both parents, is then to restore the equipoise of the child in this respect. Also to imbue the child mind with self confidence, to give іn’struction about the Ukrainian people and its wander in es in re cent vears1, as well as to help him find proper relationship to his en vironment. After this menace is overcome, the Ukrainian mother strives to convev to her child some of the tasks she has taken with her when leaving* for the strange lands. The Ukrainian child begins to inform his milieu about Ukraine and its people. In the school, at the children’s gathering and outings — everywhere — the Ukrainian child knows already what to say of himself and his people. The Ukrainian mother in emigra tion is endeavoring to raise her child to be a good citizen of the new land, as well as to make him remember the soil of his parents. Her offspring must continue her work — to inform the world of the wrongs done to Ukraine by the bolshevik regime. The Ukrainian women’s organ izations are helping her afdently in her assignments. Through the efforts of the Ukrainian National Women’s League of America there was published a treatise en titled “Colloquial discourse with mother” which is assisting her in the daily needs for training the ■child. At the meetings of its branches' the educational prob lems are frequent/ly discussed. The women’s organizations are conducting kindergartens and clubs as well as 'arranging per formances for the children. In 1953 the Ukrainian women’s organizations of United States and Canada have started a wide relief action for the sake of the children in the camps in Germany and Austria. The Ukrainian women’s organizations there have put in operation kindergartens and schools which have patrons beyond the sea. Thus the reset tled mothers a re trying to aid the mother left behind in Western Europe in her educational mission. B.
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