Refugees from Syria have been able to attend Icelandic lessons given by members of public in the town of Akureyri for the past month, the project has gone well according to organizers, and coordinators from the Red Cross who are in charge of receiving the people and assisting them on arrival. They say it helps them to connect with locals and the volunteers say it’s a great way to meet the people and get to know them. The refugees go to night school where they receive Icelandic lessons, the volunteers are reinforcing those studies and helping with homework on top of the proper language lessons they take. One of the volunteers, Hrönn Björgvinsdóttir says that they take turns meeting at each others houses, Bjorgvinsdottir is on maternity leave and her pupil is a stay at home mom. “We start our day with having a chat and then we start the lesson, I feel like we have gotten to know each other and we have become friends” Bjorgvinsdottir told Visir’s reporter.
The town of Akureyri received 26 refugees in January this year and a family of five is likely to be received in addition after having been dislodged for the last four years.
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