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True integration of a refugee is not only about the ability to adapt to a new
environment but also in preserving their own identity, which becomes a strong bridge between the past and the future.
The initiative of Svitlana Zaluzhna, a prominent figure in the Ukrainian community in
Lithuania heads the TULA (UA+LT) initiative, which aims to help Ukrainian families in their integration process in Lithuania.
Values of the TULA project
Svitlana Zaluzhna, project manager, emphasizes that the core value of TULA is not only
financial support but also a personal connection with people and open communication. The project creates a platform where Ukrainians and Lithuanians can share experiences, tell their stories, and engage in frank dialogue on a human level.
First and foremost, TULA (UA+LT) seeks to preserve cultural diversity and support mutual
understanding between nations by promoting active communication and mutual learning of traditions, values, and histories.
"We have found more humane methods and tools for integrating Ukrainians, which really unite people at the level of hearts, at the human level. That is, these are not the usual methods of integration: help in finding a job or opening a bank account. I agree that this is also an important part of integration, but we are doing a human-oriented integration when people of different nationalities find common values that unite them and make them human," says Svitlana Zaluzhna.
The TULA (UA+LT) project not only focuses on adults in the process of integrating Ukrainians in
Lithuania, but also actively works with children and adolescents, understanding their special needs for support and adaptation.
Svitlana Zaluzhna reveals that the project's efforts are aimed at creating favorable
conditions for young people going through a particularly difficult period of adaptation. Taking into account the psychological aspects of their development, the project offers a variety of activities and programs aimed at reducing stress and finding meaning in the new environment.
"We believe that no one is working with teenagers at all, and this is an urgent need that also needs to be addressed. Children or teenagers are in the most vulnerable zone. They have a lot of questions now. This age-specific developmental psychology is already difficult, and to all this is added a change of country, environment, language barrier and search for meaning." says Svitlana.
This comprehensive approach allows TULA not only to facilitate the integration of
adults, but also actively help the younger generation grow up in a stable and supportive environment where they feel accepted and understood.
Challenges and solutions
Location can affect the integration of Ukrainians in Lithuania, as the experience of
TULA (UA+LT) project participants. Refugees from Ukraine who have settled in Vilnius have more opportunities for cultural development and social communication than those who live in smaller cities. The main cultural events, clubs, and organizations are usually concentrated in the capital, which can leave Ukrainians in the regions alienated from cultural life
However, the TULA project is actively expanding its activities to small towns in
Lithuania, where the need for communities and cultural events for Ukrainians has been identified. The opening of such communities helps not only to engage Ukrainian residents in integration activities but also to involve them in active participation in community life.
"And speaking of our project, during the events in the regions, we found many potential opinion leaders who could, with our help, develop such separate author communities in small towns in Lithuania that would have existed without our project," - Svitlana recalls for the future.
The importance of Lithuanian participation in the project
Svitlana Zaluzhna, TULA project manager, acknowledges the importance of Lithuanians'
role in the integration process of Ukrainian refugees. Although Lithuanians often come to cultural events, their participation in the camps is a challenge. With this in mind, the project actively promotes interaction between Ukrainians and Lithuanians in various spheres of life.
"It is very important to have Lithuanians in the integration process, because when we spend time together, we learn about each other's cultural characteristics. Through dialogue and communication, we understand how different we are and how similar we are at the same time. Only if you communicate with people, spend some time with them, do you realise that we have basically the same problems on a human level, except for the war," - Svitlana emphasises.
Communicating with Ukrainians helps Lithuanians to better understand the situation
faced by refugees. refugees face. For example, Lithuanian women learn from Ukrainian women's courage, which becomes an inspiring example for them. Such mutual exchanges of experience strengthen mutual understanding and promote integration on a practical level.
"For example, we had a woman in the camp who admitted that she needed this experience of communication to understand that she was strong and could do anything, because she was raising three children alone."
In particular, one of the Lithuanian teachers, whose class consists of children from
Ukraine showed interest in understanding Ukrainian culture and traditions. She actively joined the project to better understand her students and find ways to support their learning and adaptation.
"She openly said that she wanted to understand our nation, how we live, what we talk about, how we laugh, what we eat, etc. And many Lithuanians also want to know more about Ukrainians, because before the war, they did not have so many Ukrainians in their lives."
These mutual interactions help not only to create a favorable environment for
Ukrainian refugees in Lithuania, but also serve to strengthen the partnership and mutual understanding between the two countries. Through such initiatives, Lithuanians can show their support and respect for Ukrainian culture and people.
Why can't all Ukrainians integrate in Lithuania?
Some Ukrainians living in Lithuania feel that they are not able to to integrate into the
local society. For many of them, the notion of "being one of their own" in Lithuania remains unattainable.
Svitlana Zaluzhna thinks that, firstly, successful integration requires a person's desire to
open up to new cultural experiences. to open up to new cultural experiences and accept the new environment. If this desire is not present, the integration process may be delayed or even fail. It is important to have an open heart and understand that integration is not about losing one's own identity, but about gaining new cultural experience.
Secondly, the concept of "being one's own" can be a philosophical issue, as each person
is unique and cannot completely change to become "one of their own" in a different cultural environment. Integration is about maintaining one's own identity, not trying to become someone else.
Plans for TULA
In the future, the organizers of the TULA project plan to expand their activities, focusing
on small towns in Lithuania, where integration processes can be more difficult. In addition, they aim to involve more participants, in particular women and adolescents, and support them in the process of adapting to the new environment.
Another important thing that we would like to implement is an expanded family programme with a focus on supporting women, women's leadership, women's resources, family relationships, parenthood, and to do even more, perhaps even separate work with teenagers. This is what we are planning, what we would like to focus on, based on the experience of our past programmes.