One happy day

Seventeen honoured children – from places including Afghanistan, China and the Democratic Republic of the Congo – sat under blue UN flags to receive state recognition. They have all taken refuge in the Czech Republic. The government and the United Nations have decided to pay tribute to them. Even though all 17 began school here without knowing a single Czech word, they have gradually achieved excellent results and many of them are now counted among the top pupils. In the mirrored hall at the Education Ministry, they are now winning the applause they deserve. Because this is an extraordinary success.

Three years ago, one family, for example, took a few personal belongings and left their home with their hearts full of fear. They succeeded in secretly crossing the Turkish border, and with fake passports they got Czech visas. This is, in brief, the story of the Shera family from Syria. On the run was a mother with five children, of whom the youngest was 6 years old at the time. They are Kurdish, which means members of a persecuted Syrian minority. The children's father, because of his origin, disappeared into a Syrian jail five years ago, and no one has heard from him since.
The family spent two years seeking asylum in the Czech refugee camp in Kostelec nad Orlicí. They all lived in one room there, and the kids started to go to the local elementary school.

"It was…