By Joseph Nichols, Organizer
Since the beginning of the war I have utilized many shelters during announced air raids. Many had no lighting, were flooded by leaky pipes, doors locked. Some had “hosts” demanding money, or proof that you were an occupant of the building. Some demanded that crying children leave. Some were clearly unsafe for women, and alcohol use was quite common. Under-served populations such as Roma and refugees from Mideast and African countries were literally kicked out.
This war did not changed the fact that Ukraine, like all other countries in the world, has it’s share of racism, corruption, poor civil administration, and all the maladies of a poor, emerging population.
“Keep The Kids Learning” (Care4Ukraine.Org) is supporting the people it can with the hope that they will help bring the country into a better world. We are also working to identify the “bad-players” and shine a bright on them for others to see. It’s this latter effort that is the most dangerous these days.
From Pravda.com.ua (03 June 2023):
“Law enforcers checked 5,000 shelters in Ukraine, almost 20% of them are unsuitable for use
Ihor Klymenko, Interior Minister of Ukraine, said that as of the morning of 3 June, law enforcement officers had checked more than 4,800 shelters across the country, and almost 900 of them are unsuitable for use.”
Victoria Ivashko is a nine-year-old girl who died with her mother in the Russian attack on 1 June 2023 in the Desnianskyi district of Kyiv. The shelter they were trying to access at a medical clinic was locked – they were killed by falling missile debris.