​Bairns without borders, a story of compassion and inclusion - Steve Cardownie

I was recently invited to an event in Hermitage Park Primary School by a friend of my family, Nadiia, whose daughter, Nastya has attended the school since her arrival in Scotland from Kyiv in Ukraine.

Hermitage Park Primary School

The event was called “Bairns without Borders” and featured a short film which told the story of some of the Ukrainian, Sudanese and Syrian refugee children who fled their war-torn countries to find refuge in Edinburgh.

Last year the school was awarded Scottish book trust funding for the refugees to create their digital story about their journey to Leith.

Acting headteacher, Lisa Black, said “We were thrilled to be awarded funding to create our “Bairns without Borders” writing project. This bridged the cultural gap between our refugee (Ukrainian, Sudanese and Syrian) and non-refugee pupils by offering connection and celebrating courage through digital storytelling.

"Our pupils gained digital storytelling skills, but more importantly it also reduced stigma and amplified the voices of the marginalised.”

The funding paid for author and historian, Dan Gray to be the school’s author in residence and to help produce the story, and music therapist, Kathryn Holt also helped pupils process any trauma, reliving their experiences and then composed a song about it.

Prior to embarking upon this project, the Hermitage Park refugee school children had integrated well with their fellow “Leither” pupils with the universal language of football being one of the catalysts, as playground kick-abouts boasted international participants where it didn’t matter where you were from, you still got blootered.

Lisa commented that “Our pupils used their multinational voices to address anti-refugee rhetoric and misinformation by learning how to research and question sources on human migration and political situations in a partisan, children’s rights approach.

“There are many special moments in the movie but if I had to highlight one, it is the recital at the end between Lyan from Sudan and Emma from Ukraine.

"At the time neither spoke English yet they built up a friendship from the shared language of childhood and even the shared language of Scots, as they recite ‘A Dug, A Dug.’

“In times of global challenges and uncertainties, these young people instil hope in me. By embracing diversity and fostering cultural exchange, they lay the foundation for a brighter and more interconnected future.”

Certainly I am aware of the warm welcome afforded to my relatives from Ukraine since they arrived in Leith, but as a Leither I am not surprised.

The port has a rich history and well-deserved reputation for embracing people from outwith these shores and some of the street names reflect the seafaring nature of the town and the work that this little primary school is doing to promote tolerance and understanding should be applauded serving as an example of what unites us, rather than divides us.

This great little film was made by the students using their iPad and lasts about 20 minutes, but the school was keen to shed light on the work that went on behind the scenes, stating that “When you watch it you will see the values of compassion and inclusion from our Leith pupils. You will also see the values of resilience and courage from our Ukrainian and Sudanese pupils.

"Most of all you will see a connection that transcends the barriers of nationality and culture.”