21/12/2022
This is the last installment of this project: Ukrainian Families in Castellane.
After three weeks of being absent in October, in the days following our return, we visit our Ukrainian friends in Castellane, Oleg, his mother Olga, his sister Alona, and her children, Lisa who is now 10 months old, and Sophia who is 11. A good friendly visit, we had been bringing them funds as usual for months thanks to the generosity of our donor friends on GoFundMe.
On Saturday, November 12, we visited them again and discovered that for two months they had not received the aid they usually got from the French state!
Olga and Oleg, who both worked, no longer had their jobs. The construction job stopped for Oleg and seasonal work stopped for Olga. In Castellane, the jobs are seasonal from April to November. So, in fact, they only had our help to meet their needs. They are so modest, they didn't tell us before then.
Tatiana, Oleg's wife, and their two daughters had already left to join other family members who have taken refuge in Poland.
In conclusion, our friends had decided to go back to Ukraine and Kyiv via Poland to regroup and repatriate Tatiana and the girls.
We understood that their decision was final, and despite the alarming news coming from Ukraine, the cold winter, the power cuts, and the bombardments that have started again, their determination is strong, they had fixed their departure for Thursday, November 24, by coincidence Thanksgiving Day.
Nancy then decides to relaunch the donation campaign by explaining this situation and the urgency to intervene because we want them to be able to leave with a sum of money that will help them with the trip and if possible, to spend the winter. They did not know what they would find when they returned to Kyiv. They knew that their apartments are intact, but it will sometimes be necessary to climb the 11 floors to their apartments because the elevator doesn’t work without electric power. They will have to go down to protect themselves in the shelters when the alarms go off, no heat in winter, no lights, and no cooking hot food. Electricity is cut off for a few hours or more every day.
What is certain is that Lisa's dad will discover his daughter, whom he has not seen since she was born. Lisa's courageous mother, Alona, left Kyiv 2 days after she had given birth to her daughter.
Within days your generous donations began arriving on GoFundMe. On November 20, we visited them again and brought them the first sum of money. We gave cash because banks can not be trusted in a war zone.
We invited them for a lunch together in Chasteuil. It is on a very beautiful sunny day that we share this meal with them. This is the first visit for Oleg and his mother Olga to Chasteuil. We all had a blissfully, relaxed time together. We marveled that we could have sweet conversations together without a shared language.
Before they left, Nancy found and rented accommodations for their 30-hour drive. One for the first night of the 24th in Austria and the following 2 nights in Poland where they will pick up the rest of their family, then leave for Kyiv.
On the 23rd, the day before their departure, we paid them a last visit to bring them the last of the donated funds.
Nancy and I have, as announced, match all the donations raised in that last week.
Nancy presented a photo book of all the donators with their first names and town translated into Ukrainian. That really started the tears of gratitude.
Marie, the owner of the house in Castellane was there too, she came from Paris to say goodbye and see them one last time. They do not know how to thank us, the goodbyes are extremely warm and moving. They assure us that this money will help them get through the winter.
On November 24, they left Castellane at 5 o'clock in the morning. They arrived in Kyiv safe and sound four days later; they sent news and photos all along the way (thank you WhatsApp). We have news from time to time, but for the moment everything seems to be going as well as possible in the state of the situation.
We send a big thank you to all of you for your support, responsiveness, and generosity.
Stay Kind People and Happy New Year for 2023!!
Nancy, Pascal, and Jan – The Dear Kind People team
