On November 11th 2023 we had a special program on Integration Lifehacks for Switzerland. We had a fun but educative quiz about Switzerland, where three winners got Toblerone chocolates of different sizes. Quite some knowledge gained in the quiz will certainly prove useful for the future. We also had a moment of sharing, where several of us shared our integration experiences.
It was nice to open up and demonstrate our vulnerability, as many people could identify with the issues the others faced.
I am Sara Vitorovic, a 10-year old girl. I am originally from Serbia, and I went to school in 3 different cities, changing the countries already twice in my lifetime. So I have quite some experience in integrating in different environments, which I shared with the group. I also shared my recent experience of integrating in Swiss school system, which was challenging due to my limited knowledge of French. Present Ukrainian teenagers listened carefully in order to pick up some lifehacks.
Among other things, I shared how I felt lonely and invisible when I just arrived in Switzerland. I didn’t know anyone and had issues with French. I was brave enough to bring this up to parents. My parents spoke with the teacher, and the wise teacher helped by allowing me to show off one of my qualities in front of the whole class – English – via a role of a teaching assistant. It helped me to be seen and acknowledged by my classmates.
