They are living in Durres, but their lives continue to be linked to Ukraine.

88 Ukrainian children go to school in Albania every day. With the help of online platforms, they’ve been able to continue their classes without missing out on a single hour, even though many of their teachers continue to stay in Ukraine, and are at risk for their lives.

“My day starts with breakfast, classes and some activities. I play volleyball and talk to friends,” – said Anastasia, who is a teacher.

There’s a total of 170 Ukrainians living in Durres. Many of them are children who don’t have their parents with them. Many of these parents stayed back in Ukraine and entrusted their children to these teachers.

“Children are trying to learn and play and live a normal life – as much as they can at least. We try to not talk to them about war and we believe that the best thing for them right now is to stay positive and focus on positive things,” – said Tatiena, another teacher.

Fear about their parents and close ones is still a reality for them and they try to keep in touch as much as possible.

Tatiena told Euronews Albania that she had left her husband behind in Ukraine, but her daughter was the one who suffered this separation the most.

Since the beginning of the Russian invasion of Ukraine on February 24, around 2 million children have fled the country.