In Lublin, eastern Poland, a new house for children and foster families from Ukraine was recently opened. The first family moved in November 2022.
- Olena, her husband Nazarii and ten children arrived from Kyiv. Their house there is under constant threat of bombs. In Lublin, the children have a stable environment to learn, play and develop their hobbies. Yet, they cannot wait to go back to Ukraine. What they miss the most are their pets – hamsters, cats and dogs – currently cared for by friends of the family in Kyiv.
- The family of Yelyzaveta and Oleksii arrived in Lublin in late December. To give their ten children the best environment to grow up in, the parents built their dream house close to Kyiv, where the family could grow vegetables and enjoy sports and arts together. When the invasion started, the shelling damaged the house, and the family fled to southwest Ukraine, to a city close to the border with Romania. After three months, they came back and repaired their house. But the shelling started again. On top of that, there were now power outages and a lack of running water. Yelizaveta and Oleksii had to leave again – this time, they found a safe space for their family in Poland.
- Luba and her two children arrived in Lublin right before New Year’s Eve. In Ukraine, Luba worked for SOS Children’s Villages. Today, she continues her mission by supporting other families in their daily lives. In her conversations with staff of SOS Children’s Villages Poland, she says that focusing on work keeps her from thinking about the war, at least for brief moments.
Forty-one people in total can stay in the house in Lublin. Right now, 14 spots are still available.
« We are prepared to respond to the needs of foster families and children in residential institutions. We stay in contact with local authorities and are ready to welcome new people whenever needed. »
Adam Jaszczuk, director of the programme of SOS Children’s Villages in Lublin
