Oksana (not her real name), a 44-year-old English teacher from Ukraine, fled Kharkiv with her son, 17, and two daughters, 13 and 10. Eventually they reached Poland and found a safe place to stay in a refugee shelter run by an Orthodox monastery.
Oksana has a serious heart problem (rheumatic disease of the mitral valve), which causes challenges in daily functioning and can be fatal. Once they arrived in Poland, her youngest daughter was diagnosed with acute pancreatitis. But these health challenges—not to mention the need to leave home as refugees—haven’t stopped Oksana from making the most of an extremely difficult situation. “Because of the children’s future, and the opportunities for work and development, we would like to stay in Poland,” she told staff.
Each month, Oksana receives money through an IOCC program to help with daily expenses. With funding from partner UMCOR, and in collaboration with Eleos Poland, IOCC is helping Oksana and other Ukrainian refugees cover essentials. “The money…allows me to take care of myself and my children in Poland,” Oksana said. “We use the money to buy basic necessities, such as food and clothes for the winter. After the first transfer, we bought a large amount of fruit for the children, because they missed it the most.”
“We are grateful to the monks…for their hospitality and a great atmosphere,” Oksana said, “as well as to Eleos, IOCC, and UMCOR for their financial support!”
