Finding “humanity and kindness”
Three years into the Russia-Ukraine war, Lutheran Disaster Response continues to accompany refugees
Article from: Livinglutheran.org
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The first day after Russia’s full-scale invasion into Ukraine, Nadiia Kharytonova watched from her window as the streets filled with people fleeing Odessa by car. At first, she didn’t want to leave her home. “But, thinking of my children, who were frightened and traumatized by the sound of sirens and bombing, I decided to gather our things, pack our lives in a bag, and head for peace and safety,” she said.
Kharytonova and her husband, who was out of the country when the first bombs fell, reunited in Romania. Upon her arrival, her priorities were to find a place to stay and access medical care, especially for her daughter who has cystic fibrosis and insulin-dependent diabetes. An acquaintance directed her to AIDRom, an organization that receives support from Lutheran Disaster Response (LDR). With AIDRom’s assistance, Kharytonova’s family found a place to live; received food, medicines and hygiene products; enrolled the children in school; and applied for Romanian citizenship.
After her family’s needs were met, Kharytonova was determined to help other refugees. She began volunteering and was soon hired as a translator by AIDRom. She now welcomes new refugees, listens to their stories—many of which are similar to hers—and ensures they get support.
“What is most important,” she said, “is that in the ELCA-funded project I found a second home, a second family, where I can be a driving force for help, for change.”
While the stories that Kharytonova hears sometimes leave her shattered at the end of the day, she also witnesses hope as she sees her fellow Ukrainians settling into their new communities. “I don’t think I could find the words to express my gratitude and satisfaction,” she said. “But I could say, on behalf of myself and the refugees who have received assistance from this project, that it has changed and is changing lives—and doing it in the best way possible.”
Over the past three years, LDR has accompanied countless people affected by war, both in Ukraine and in neighboring countries. By partnering with companion churches and community-based organizations in Europe, the widespread impact of Lutheran Disaster Response reaches people on a local level.
“In the ELCA-funded project I found a second home, a second family, where I can be a driving force for help, for change.”
Helga (last name withheld) arrived in Budapest with two of her sons as her husband, a military chaplain, and her oldest son, a soldier, stayed in Ukraine. Through an Evangelical Lutheran Church in Hungary program, supported by LDR, her family began to settle into a host community.
The program supplied Helga with initial financial assistance so she could secure an apartment and school supplies for her sons. The psychologist also received support in writing a résumé to find a job.
“It was a pleasant surprise for me to receive an offer to provide psychological counseling and assistance to a young girl who came to me because of a panic illness,” Helga said. “So, without any hesitation, I agreed, and in return, I also receive financial assistance for [doing] my favorite work.”
With her sons in school and a job she enjoys, Helga can now reflect on how she was welcomed in Budapest: “In a difficult time, it was very pleasant to meet humanity and kindness.”
Training future coders
In addition to helping refugees resettle in a new country, LDR supports underserved people in Ukraine. The Roma people, a marginalized ethnic group primarily residing in Europe, have always faced pervasive discrimination. In Ukraine, LDR supports digital literacy and coding classes, known as the Afterschool Geekery program, for Roma children in underprivileged communities.
The Roma community of Tury’a Pasika was already a difficult place to grow up. Boys start working beside their fathers at a young age; girls help around the home and sometimes marry young. Most children don’t get very far in school. The cycle repeats itself generation after generation, said Nadia Fontosh, who teaches the Afterschool Geekery program.
The war between Ukraine and Russia has exacerbated the situation. Some men have been drafted, while others have gone into hiding to avoid service in the army. This leaves women to care for their families alone and most cannot work outside the home.
“I want to show them that there is a path beyond the struggles of the tábor (Roma camp)—a future where they can read, write, dream and build a life they choose for themselves.”
Through the Afterschool Geekery program, Roma children learn coding skills that offer more employment opportunities for them as they get older, increasing their chances of breaking out of this cycle of poverty.
“I truly believe that there is hope for these children, and as long as I can teach, guide and love them, there will always be hope for a better future,” Fontosh said. “They have so much potential. They are smart, kind and eager to learn.”
Many of the students arrive early to the Afterschool Geekery, eager to begin the class, which takes place after their regular schooling. They start simple: students use a computer program to draw things like flowers or butterflies. Then Fontosh guides them through the coding needed to animate their drawings.
Not only is coding experience a valuable skill to help them find jobs, but it also helps the students with critical thinking, problem-solving, perseverance and creativity. Fontosh said the many lessons they learn enable them to consider lives that are different from those of their parents.
“I want to show them that there is a path beyond the struggles of the tábor (Roma camp)—a future where they can read, write, dream and build a life they choose for themselves,” she said.
Guided by Christ’s call to care for our neighbors, LDR is committed to walking alongside those affected by the ongoing war. Whether they are settling in new countries or staying in Ukraine, families and individuals are displaying their incredible resilience in the most uncertain of times.
