We were very pleased to receive a special grant from New Earswick Meeting to support the Refugee School in Moscow.

The “Kids are Kids” Integration Centre caters for about 80 refugee and migrant children, who have arrived from a variety of places including Africa and the middle east. The Centre helps the children integrate into Russian life. It runs activities for preschoolers, classes in Russian for school students, and a full teaching curriculum for children who are excluded from state education because their parents have no Moscow registration.

More than 80 people – university students and professors, private tutors, psychologists – volunteer with the Centre to deliver the programmes.

Recently the Centre has struggled to find funding to cover costs, which include stipends for programme coordinators and meals and travel for the children.  Friends House Moscow helps as much as it can.

This special grant (from a legacy) of £3,000 is enough to keep the Refugee School running for another six weeks.  After that there is a desperate need for more funds to help the School to continue.

New Earswick is a Quaker Meeting near York in the north of England. The photo is from the Refugee School website (in Russian), http://kidsarekids-center.com/.