One of life’s absolutes is that change is inevitable. Indeed, a recurring theme during my recent two weeks in Poland was how much the Ukrainian refugee situation has changed.
Whether for the better or not depends on individual circumstances; as the tragic war continues, the refugee crisis has eased and much in Poland has stabilized. However, both Ukrainians and Poles now have to make adjustments from thinking short-term to making plans as best as possible for the future. Much is up in the air, and hard decisions are being made every day.
For example, with one exception, the 40 women and children in the Kaniwola community have returned to Ukraine, as have many others. In my visit shortly after my arrival with the dozen or so who still remained in Kaniwola, I was told their need to decide what to do was hastened when the gmina (local authorities) took back the building they were living in for its pre-COVID use as a hostel for vacationers in that lake region. They were making arrangements to leave by the end of June; the rest had gone already. Several were returning to their homes and families near the Belorussian border, which according to latest reporting was becoming dangerous with troop buildup.
One woman’s apartment complex in Chernigiv had been destroyed, but she was going to move in with her mother. The children, they told me, were looking forward to returning, and while to an extent the parents were also, at the same time they were quite worried. The women asked if they could take some items we had given the community; I responded they could take whatever they could manage to pack up. I also gave them some donated funds for their return trip.
A week or so later, I happened to meet one of the families who had gone back earlier to a home that had not been destroyed. They had returned to Kaniwola for a few days to purchase some goods they could sell in the little store they owned and also to see the remaining Ukrainians one more time. They spoke of their pride in how Ukrainians had come together to defend their country and of their volunteer efforts. They were grateful for the welcome they had received in Poland. This family has three children, so the father was able to leave Ukraine, but had stayed while the wife and children had been in Poland. Another motivating factor for their short visit (after a three-hour drive plus five hours at the border) was to maintain their eligibility for the monthly support (about $125 per child) Poland gives families for each child, which for them was a large sum.
In my meeting with one of the owners of the Rozmaryn restaurant, I was told that things had “settled down” and they had taken down their sign for free lunches. However, if someone came in and asked, they were given a meal.
The private school near Warsaw which had taken in Ukrainian refugees and integrated the children into the curriculum was letting them stay until the end of July, when the building needed to be reconfigured for school use. The living conditions which had been set up were very well done. I spoke with the director and some of the mothers, who expressed thanks for the funds which had allowed Ukrainian children to attend the end-of-school-year camp. The director continues to try to help each family adapt; some donated funds went to support these efforts. She is willing to give partial scholarships for any Ukrainian children who want to continue at the school come September, but it is hard to predict what will happen.
The couple in Zamosc who run the Lapigua foundation (on Facebook and www.lapigua.org) continue to do amazing work. They had helped all of the Ukrainians who had to move out of the local wedding venue and did not want to return find new accommodations either in Poland or other European countries, and through their fundraising network and volunteers were helping Ukrainians with their individual needs and transporting essential goods into Ukraine. A current focus is sending water purification supplies to places in Ukraine where water sources had been compromised, as well as providing medical treatment for a a Ukrainian wounded in the war. Money left with Stefie will go towards these needs. There was to be a meeting with other local entities who were supporting refugees with the goal of better coordinating their work.
I also heard about the clean water problems from Lukasz, the man who continues to go into Ukraine about twice a month. Recently he has been focusing on this issue and on rescuing women who have been raped by Russian soldiers, bringing them to safer parts of Ukraine or to Poland for treatment, both medical and psychological. During our discussion, he advised that the best way we can offer these women support is financially, and I was able to leave some money with him prior to his return to Ukraine.
As the crisis has ebbed, some in Poland have lost interest, are having to focus on their own needs as high inflation hits home or are dealing with “volunteer fatigue.” Still, many individuals and small organizations have stepped up to tackle the growing long-term needs. I have made several new connections and will share these stories in future articles. Thank you to all who are making it possible to ease at least a little the disrupted lives of Ukrainian people.
Ilona Kwiecien is a Jaffrey resident whose parents were Polish refugees after World War II. Her last Army assignment before retiring in 1998 was as Army attaché in Kyiv for 2 1/2 years. She arrived in Poland March 21 to help refugees displaced by Russia’s war in Ukraine, returning to Jaffrey April 14. She recently went back to Poland for two weeks, returning July 5.