They fled eastern Ukraine and were separated from the rest of their loved ones: two days of waiting for a bus, another two days of traveling surrounded by other women and children like them, and another day by train... until they reached the Polish border. Getting off at Warsaw's central station, Malina was greeted by receiving a toy and she met some of her favorite cartoon characters. It was at that moment that, seeing her happy face, Ladomila promised herself to do everything possible to make sure that Malina, despite everything, would never stop smiling, would grow up in peace and be happy.
The testimony of Malina and Ladomila, gathered by Alberto López, the correspondent of "Misiones Salesianas" in Warsaw, speaks of the amazing work that the Polish Salesians - and not only them - are doing for Ukrainians who have fled the war.
The Salesians in Poland have already taken in over 500 refugees and are working to offer another 600 beds, depending above all on available funds. In their homes, they host mainly women and children and do their best to create a space in which they can feel safe and comfortable.
Great efforts have been made in terms of fundraising and collecting material goods, as well as transport and the preparation of accommodations. Several oratories have been opened for Ukrainian children and young people and psychological and legal assistance is also provided, with the help of some volunteers who translate free of charge.
The amount of work is huge at all levels, not the least of which is coordination. The Salesians are working hard to match the provinces’ needs with the availability of donors and donations. For this reason, a team has been created to identify the most urgent needs; the team includes the Emergency Response Coordinator Fr George Menamparampil, the Economer of the PLS Province – Gabriel Stawowy, the Economer of the PLE Province Krzysztof Grzendziński, and the Economer of the UKR Province – Ivan Mazurchevych.
Six other people are involved in drafting projects, gathering information, communicating with Polish and European Provinces, and purchasing, monitoring resources, and general coordination. The team has established contact with Salesian organizations in Italy, Spain, and France and has also already drafted 16 small projects covering refugee relief requests for a minimum period of 3 months; meanwhile, work continues to prepare larger projects and involve new partners.
From Malta, to conclude, the Salesians also inform about other initiatives: in addition to several, growing financial donations, they have also established correspondences with local media to publicize the Salesian work in Ukraine and the needs of relief efforts.
