“Coffee with a Taste of War” - A young Ukrainian dreams of becoming a writer in Poland

Drawing inspiration from her own life, Aleksandra, a 12-year-old girl from Lviv, Ukraine, is an up-and-coming novelist with a passion for reading. By her own count, she reads ninety books a year.  

“I would love to travel and go to London”, dreams Aleksandra.  

Aleksandra arrived in Poland with her mother in March 2022. When speaking, she radiates this amazing positive energy.  

“She is a very strong, but very stubborn girl,” says her mother Tatiana. “Aleksandra was born prematurely, and when she was one year old, she was diagnosed with lower leg paralysis. To this day, she cannot walk properly, she needs assistance and must use a wheelchair.”  

Tatiana found the Avalon Foundation in Warsaw, a partner organization of the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in Poland, through social media. The foundation works with adults and children living with disabilities by providing rehabilitation services, medical and orthopedic equipment, food vouchers, and educational trips. Since July 2022, the Avalon Foundation, in cooperation with IOM, has assisted nearly 1,800 refugees fleeing the war in Ukraine.  

Aleksandra receives physiotherapy sessions three times per week. “I am more at ease with my movements, and my mood improves when I talk to Avalon employees. I really like the people who work here,” she says.   

Aleksandra has significant potential to improve her mobility and lead a more active life, according to her physiotherapist, Barbara. “She is a girl who fights very hard for independence, so I see big improvements, and successes in her future. She is eager to work, also during home assignments, so I hope that by the end of the sessions, she will straighten up more and her steps will become longer and longer,” says Barbara. 

Aleksandra attends Ukrainian school online as she feels more comfortable in her native language. She is concerned that children in Poland may judge her. “I'm afraid that the children will stuck on the fact that I'm Ukrainian and I'm different from them, that my body is a little different,” she adds.  

When asked how she finds her new life in Poland, Aleksandra ponders: “I like it [in Poland]. At first, I didn't like it and I really wanted to go back home, because I missed my family. Everything was new to me. I was not sure how my life would turn out. In time, I got used to it. Now I feel freer in this country, although sometimes I yearn to go back.”  

Aleksandra and her mother are happy in Warsaw. They love that public transport is adapted for people with disabilities. At the Avalon Foundation, she has already become friends with the other children doing physiotherapy and goes there with a smile on her face.  

Aleksandra is currently looking for a publisher for her novel, "Coffee with a Taste of War," which tells the love story of a Ukrainian girl and a Polish boy. 

This story was written by Ewelina Kawczynska, IOM Poland Public Information Coordinator.

The Avalon Foundation's activities are made possible with the support of U.S. Department of State, Bureau of Population, Refugees, and Migration.