Nastia is the eldest of four siblings. Along with her mother and grandmother, they all fled Lviv in the first weeks of the Russian invasion. Only her father remained in Ukraine; today he works as a volunteer delivering humanitarian aid to the population. "We are proud of him because he is a patriot," says his wife, Lubov. Because the family was already familiar with the Salesians in Ukraine, when they entered Poland they were put in touch with a Salesian house in Krakow, where they are now, along with about fifty other refugees. Despite having little luggage to carry, Nastia wanted to travel with her bandura, a traditional instrument that has become a source of hope for all the refugees who enjoy listening to her practice her instrument every evening.

Now it has become a symbol for all who hear it. "At first I didn't think about it, but by playing and singing we remember our country, we give strength and hope to those who are defending our homeland and we can also show that Ukraine is important and that we need help."

The whole family today is very grateful towards the Salesians "for the way we were welcomed and helped. They gave us a lot of love and all the material things we need."

Another beautiful story of welcome is the one being fulfilled in Spain, in Salamanca, towards another family of Ukrainian refugees. In this case, the protagonist is Dasha, an 18-year-old Ukrainian girl who, as part of a course to study English, was already in digital contact with a gentleman from Salamanca before the war. The man's sister, Mariam Fernández, is a teacher at the city's Salesian Vocational Training Center, and when war broke out, she set out to ensure the young woman's help.

"As soon as I heard their story I thought we should do something for her. Then, when I spoke with her mother, Galya, without thinking too much about it, we started the process to bring her other children and her niece with her baby," says the teacher.

Today Dasha and all the younger ones live in an apartment made available by Caritas and attend Salesian schools and the city's Salesian oratory, while Mariam continues to keep busy with the adult women in the group, who have more worries, think about those left behind in Ukraine and have many questions about their future. "I usually have coffee with the mothers while we wait for the children to finish their activities. It's been like bringing new friends into our lives. We give them our time, sometimes they just need time, presence, a little help with paperwork, to get them acquainted with our system," continues the teacher. In fact, together with other members of the Salesian center's educational community, she is also committed to accompanying the refugees in getting to know the city and integrating them into sports, cultural activities...

"If this experience is teaching me anything, it's that solidarity exists," she says finally.

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