The morning of February 24 changed the lives of every Ukrainian family, and Ukrainian mothers faced a difficult decision to save their children by going abroad, as there was no safe region in Ukraine due to Russian missiles. What was the way and how to help IDPs read firsthand.
"Like all Ukrainians, on February 24 I woke up to an explosion and the terrible news that the war had begun. I immediately went home to my parents. That day my family was in a panic and we could not accept this fact of war. My nephews (Solomiya - 2 years, Mark - 3 years) had parents in Ukraine, while my sister was with her husband in the Dominican Republic on vacation "dreams. I understood that the right decision would be to go to Poland, where my sister and family already live My parents and sister were very worried about the road, because it was very dangerous in the first days of the war, but we always met good and sincere people who helped us to overcome it.
For example, food provided by Poland has always been on the Ukrainian customs pass. There was everything you needed: water, sandwiches, cookies, baby formula and even toys. Therefore, you could eat for long sleepless days and nights.
When we arrived at our destination, a few days later we saw that the children were ill and went to the doctor accordingly. My sister's Polish friend helped us with this by taking us to our destination. But what struck me the most was that the doctor did not take any money for the reception when she learned that the children had caught a cold due to crossing the border from Ukraine. A few days later, my sister and her husband arrived and we started deciding where to go next.
I was offered a job in a public organization in Poland, and we went to France. On the day of arrival in Paris, we were immediately shown where the first aid post for Ukrainians. There was everything you needed, namely water, snacks and free tickets to get to the city. Upon arrival in Toulouse, I began to look for all opportunities to enter the master's program. I started going to meetings with representatives and researching information, I collected a lot of documents to submit and I am still waiting for an answer.
Many different aid initiatives have also been organized in Toulouse, such as free lunches, food distribution and information meetings from the Ukrainian Association. Thanks to various groups on social networks, I met many Ukrainians who have now become good friends.
But most of all I was lucky that I am not alone, but I always have support. I am very glad that fate brought David to war, who now shows himself to be the best and constantly supports me in all my questions. And his family has become another island for me, where they will always help and accept.
That is why today I can say that the world is really with us, all civilized nations are with us. This was reflected in the youth exchange in Norway, where we showed our culture and shared realities - everyone supported as much as they could. One guy from Slovenia always hugged at random, so he expressed his words. Another girl from Bangladesh supported in a personal conversation. She was sincerely interested in what was happening in Ukraine. The participant from Turkey was there during the influx of emotional waves and the next day showed the beauty of Norway.
In the end, I want to say that the most valuable thing now is people. They will always help in a difficult moment and rejoice in a happy one. So now, like everyone else, I am working for victory🇺🇦 "