Ukraine: How Polish children and schools are helping young Ukrainian refugees

Following Russia's invasion of Ukraine last month, many people have left their homes and travelled to neighbouring countries, such as Poland, to escape the fighting.

Polish schools across the country have been welcoming Ukrainian children and Polish school children have been donating items for them such as toys, clothes and food.

Newsround has been reporting from Poland and visited a school in Krakow in the south of the country, to see how they've been helping refugees.

Nine-year-old Yarko and his family escaped from the Ukrainian city of Lviv on the day Russia invaded the country. They've now settled in a house nearby, with their cat, and he even started school in Poland last week.

He's already made friends with boy named Vitali, who speaks Ukrainian, and translates for him.

Yarko left Ukraine last week and explained that it was a difficult time.

"I had to pack my bags and it was stressful," he said.

He and his family travelled to Poland by car and the journey took them three days.

"I drove with my older sister, my grandmother, mother, father, little sister, older brother and the cat."

"When we were driving here, I thought it would be good in Poland and there would be lots of Ukrainians and I was right," he added.

Yarko says that he thinks Krakow is a very beautiful city with a lot of history but he hopes he will one day be able to return to his home.

"We will stay until the war in Ukraine stops and we have peace."

Starting a new school can be a very scary time but Yarko said that he was settling in really well and enjoying it.

"At first I felt shy, but now I am able to be myself."

"I have a lot of good friends at school who are ready to help me. I feel it one hundred per cent. I feel good here, like in my school in Lviv."

Yarko's school have also been donating all sorts of useful things that people coming here might need to help the Ukrainian refugees such as warm clothes, toiletries and bedding.

The school children here all say it's important to help.

"If this had happened to us we wouldn't be very happy. We would be in a difficult situation that is why we help so that these children won't be sad," says eight-year-old Kaja.

"I've donated clothes, food and drink, toys, school supplies and rucksacks."

Natalia who's also eight-years-old added "I'm sad as children have to pack everything up in a little suitcase."

"To take one backpack and leave behind your whole home, and all your toys - it must be really difficult."

The teacher later explained to us that there were two more Ukrainian children joining the school that day.

But not only that - Yarko has found friends and normality and safety in Poland too.