How Ukrainian Teen Refugee Girls Live in Georgia

Masha, Dasha and Jenya walk around Kutaisi, Georgia, where they live as refugees since the war in Ukraine started. The teenagers attend the public school #13 in Kutaisi, where they met and became friends. They come from different cities of Ukraine.

The girls share their stories of living in a new town, going to a new school, finding new friends and new life in Kutaisi – a small town in the Western Georgia.

Dasha Mostovaya, 13, from Mariupol, Ukraine lives in Kutaisi, Georgia with her mom.

UNICEF/Geo-2022/Turabelidze

“We came here because it was not safe to stay at home. The war has marked everyone’s lives and everyone had to change all their plans.   

When I went to a new school here, I liked it right away. The classmates are so friendly! I really miss my old school, but I have more friends here, I have more fun, I go out more frequently and I like my life here.

I like many subjects at school but my favourite is sports. I would really like to go back home, but only when everything is over, when everything is back to normal. I want to see my friends, my grandmother who stayed back. I really want to give her a hug” - says Dasha.

Jenya Sorokina, 15, is from Kherson, Ukraine. Jenya also lives in Kutaisi, Georgia and is enrolled in a public school in Kutaisi, where she met Masha and Dasha.

“I came here with my mom and my little dog. That’s it – that’s my whole family. When the war started, it was really scary. I was worried about my loved ones, my friends, my mom. I was worried about my dog, because I am responsible for him. War is such an immoral thing.”

UNICEF/Geo-2022/Turabelidze

“The new school is really nice, it’s a place where you want to come every day. All my life, I had trouble understanding math. However, here I started to like math – even though I am still not that good at it. My teacher is so kind to me that I started to understand and solve some problems. If I make a mistake, I am not told that I am stupid and I don’t know anything. Here the attitude from teachers is different: “You are not good at math? It’s ok - you are good at something else! Maybe Algebra is not your thing, but in Geometry you are doing better!” It is really cool that teachers find individual approaches to each student" - says Jenya.

"I want to say to everyone who is in a similar situation as me – I want to ask you not to give up. Everything will be great in the end; we will all return home" - she added.

Masha Khalupka, 14, from Kyiv, Ukraine. Masha, her mother and her sister left Kyiv on 24 February, 2022 to flee the war. Since then they live in Kutaisi.

UNICEF/Geo-2022/Turabelidze

We left because mom and dad were scared for my life, for my sister’s life. My dad is still in Kyiv, I am here with my mom and my sister. I feel like I became a grown up overnight. We - children have seen what we were never supposed to see. 

I was really worried when I first went to the new school, because I had never changed schools before. I had gone to one school since the beginning. Here everyone and everything was new to me. But I am really happy, because I got to meet with Jenya, Dasha and our other classmates. I really like our class, we are very friendly. 

All summer I set at home, with no one to talk to. Now I have fun and spend time with my new friends. I really like it” - Says Masha

More than 180,000 citizens of Ukraine have entered the territory of Georgia since 24 February 2022 (UNHCR data). As of November 2022, around 25,000 remain in Georgia. Around 25% of Ukrainians staying in Georgia are minors.

UNICEF Georgia has been involved in response to the crisis caused by the war in Ukraine. With UNICEF’s support, the Government of Georgia provides one-time financial aid to vulnerable Ukrainian families with children. In total, more than 3,000 Ukrainian children will receive financial aid in the first quarter of 2023 to help them cope with the challenges related to winter.