June 25th, 2022

By Joseph Nichols, 

Lutsk

The conflict in the east continues to push people out of their homes and into safer regions. These safer regions are not always so safe, though. Last night the whole country was again under missile attack, including the Lviv, Chernihiv, and Zhytomyr Oblasts (Oblasts are similar to U.S. states). The Kids Program is still being well received and is expanding into new towns where the IDP population is growing. Children and young adults need social interaction and a chance to share their thoughts with peers. Our teachers do the day-to-day work, and we try to provide the space, supplies, and a small payment to them – usually 500 hryvnia ($14) a day.

Many “students” and teachers move into neighboring countries when their family resources dry-up, or circumstances change. As men between the ages of 18 – 60 are not allowed to leave the country, most of the refugees and Internally Displaced People are women and children. Sustaining a family, safety, education, health care are all just part of the issues faced daily. I guess that’s true everywhere, though. Some people in Ukraine face additional challenges – immigrants from Muslim countries, Roma (aka Gypsies), Tatars sometimes are excluded from local assistance programs. We recognize this and offer a completely inclusive and open-door welcome.

Thank you for all your generous donations.