I've never considered myself one of those people who are ready to jump on top of things and act, but after my volunteering experience, and after noticing my natural reaction to requests for help (sometimes from people I barely know), I think I'm not so passive and indifferent after all. And I never thought I was courageous, even thinking I'm a coward in several frightening situations (although fear is what keeps us safe, when fear doesn't paralyze us, at least).
But since the war in Ukraine started, I've had a feeling of powerlessness, because one thing I believe I always had inside me is that strong sentiment that there comes a time when you have to do something, to stand up to someone, that you have to get up and be willing to receive the hits but also deliver them. And that's how I've felt since February, 24th. It was almost like a revelation; what awoke in me was a feeling that we were witnessing a crucial moment in our history, something very similar to the invasion of Poland by Nazi Germany, a moment that could bring the return of dark times all over Europe. And I have 2 small children, the last thing I want is for them to have to go through a period and live in a world that is worse than the one I've lived in so far, because if there's one thing I really believe, it's that we always have to aspire for better and more.
I'm certain that if I were living in Poland I wouldn't be writing as much as I've been so far because I would be in the terrain, in Ukraine, trying to help the best I could, even carrying a AKM or AK-74 if necessary. I might not even be physically here today.
But that's what came to mind. I opened the International Legion's website page several times but I'm not stupid, I know that I don't have any military training nor the physical capacity to be a combat-ready soldier, but I could help in different ways, even using my technical knowledge and experience of computer science to assist the military directly.
But abandoning home would create another serious issue for me, a family crisis and therefore, despite being a thought that still persists here (for example, just today I was checking the job vacancies that the Dutch Armed Forces have open, and if I could help part-time, as a reservist), I considered renting a van and leave for Poland (it's the simplest, just head east and I'll get there, besides being the country with the most refugees) to pick up people, which are almost exclusively women and children as the men have to stay there due to the general mobilization, and bring them over here.
I even commented that with Carolina but she replied with a sounding "No".
So I stuck to contributing, by donating directly to Ukrainian institutions (as recommended by my ukrainian acquaintances) and delivering goods to a social institution, where a friend works, that asked for it in order to help the refugees they welcomed.
For now, I have not offered to house a small family to stay with us, because I know this would bring some confusion within the family and some distrust that would embarrass, at the very least, those who would be sheltered here. But if I hear that people are "sleeping under the bridge" because they have nowhere to stay, then I'll have that conversation again with Carolina and I'll try to do more, because we can't ignore this suffering and do nothing about it, since we never know if our turn to ask for this kind of help will come!
But the truth is that the chances of this being necessary are decreasing, with the retreat of Russian troops, as the news already reported that many Ukrainians are now returning home, ready to rebuild what was destroyed. Depending on what happens in the next few days in the Donbas, the situation could change again, so I keep a close eye on the humanitarian crisis, namely the refugees displacement.
I end this confidence by saying that fortunately there are people who don't think so much about the consequences, or simply have a stronger will than I do, and they organize themselves and jump into providing help. As is the case of Joana Ladeira, a fellow countrywoman also from the same region in Portugal (Sever do Vouga and Aveiro) who with her partner (I believe they are married) assembled a crew, rented 9-seater vans and went to get people from Poland (the top images are photos that she shared publicly). In the meantime she has already arranged for more transport and is doing an excellent job. Please visit their page (it's in Portuguese) and support them too, even if it's just pressing the Like button: Diário Missão Ucrânia
No comments:
Post a Comment