Children from Ukraine who have fled to Oxford have claimed that the establishment of a choir group there has made them feel less alone.
The group was founded in January to bring Ukrainian children together by musician and fellow refugee Yevheniia Diachenko.
Cherwell College Oxford hosts the one-hour weekly sessions for those who fled their homes country during the Russian invasion.
Mrs. Diachenko claimed that it had assisted the kids in "forgetting about the bad things and relaxing.".
The 41-year-old, who now resides in Oxford, claimed that when they sing, they express their feelings and occasionally even cry, but in a positive way.
"They miss their loved ones, especially their dads who remain in Ukraine, but they find support in one another, and music soothes their souls. ".
When Mrs. Diachenko and her daughter Katrin, then 9 years old, arrived in Oxford in July of last year, she claimed she wanted to continue running her own private vocal school in Kyiv.
We wanted the kids to play together, talk to each other, and feel more at home, she said.
Her daughter Katrin claimed that after initially feeling "really sad," the singing lessons had helped her acclimate to life in the UK.
"I think art helped me when I came here, and I thought that since my mother is a singing teacher, I can do some singing too to help her," she said.
"I love singing, and the choir is great. I also really like my friends here. ".
Alisa Klauning, a 10-year-old friend of Katrin's, said the choir has given her a sense of belonging.
I feel very safe here, and I feel like I can talk to anyone about what's going on in Ukraine," she said.
