The work of the Salesians in the Ukrainian emergency has not stopped. The delivery of food, medicines, clothing and other basic necessities is proceeding at an almost daily pace in the hardest-hit areas, such as Kharkiv, Dnipro, the Lugansk and Donetsk regions; and the same is true for the care of refugees arriving in the various Salesian Provinces in Poland and other countries close to the theater of war.
Many Salesian schools in Ukraine continue to operate and also offer online classes, as well as host minors and displaced persons in their locations. Most Salesian activities are aimed at the education, socialization, and care of minors and adolescents in all dimensions.
But it's not all easy: Eva, who fled together with her three brothers, Ivan, Vitya, and Petro, and who crossed the border to Poland on foot, says: "We escaped taking little with us. I feel the lack of communication very much. I’d like to participate in online classes from our school in Zhytomyr, but it’s impossible. And I can't believe that I have to stay in another country for a long time. We really miss our past life."
Inna, on the other hand, is an educator at an elementary school in Zhytomyr. "I live and work in Ukraine and most of my lessons happen between air raid alerts. To video-transmit the lessons I use my cell phone, which isn’t very convenient, as you can guess... It would help me a lot if I could have a laptop. But anyway, I try to do my best for my students, my school, and my country, and even when I'm lecturing with the sound of explosions in the background, I keep on working."
It is with these situations in mind that the "St. Thomas of Canterbury" Province (GBR) has launched a fundraising campaign to purchase laptops and computer devices for the benefit of young Ukrainian refugees and teachers left to teach in Ukraine.
"100% of the funds will be used to support Ukrainian children, teachers, and school administration... We’ll start by trying to help students in schools in Zhytomyr and Odesa," say the campaign leaders, who also add, "If we fail to guarantee an education for this generation, then we shall have to acknowledge that war has won."
Meanwhile, in the countries bordering Ukraine, refugees are the object of attention in schools, as well as in Salesian oratories, where they receive education and leisure initiatives capable of restoring an appearance of normality. Those housed in Salesian reception centers receive 24-hour accommodation, food, and all the help they need, such as sports activities and psychological and spiritual assistance to help them overcome the traumas of war.
While economic, moral, and symbolic support to the Ukrainian population continues to come from all over the world: even from Mongolia, where the 20 children of the special assistance center led by the Sons of Don Bosco of the Vietnam Province made a collection in favor of their Ukrainian peers. They collected 104,190 tugrik, a little more than 30 euro. It is a small amount, but it represents a great and wonderful example of solidarity, generosity, and brotherhood.
