Stories of evacuation from the Pokrovsky district by the Caritas-Spes Sloviansk team
The streets of peaceful countries are already filled with bright decorations, the aromas of gingerbread cookies, and Christmas melodies. Meanwhile, in Pokrovsk, where Mykola Leontovych composed his Carol of the Bells, and its surroundings, the sounds of enemy shelling echo, and there are destroyed homes instead of picturesque winter landscapes.
But the saddest part is that people continue to live in such conditions. Our fearless angels from Caritas-Spes Sloviansk are helping them evacuate with all their stuff, as no one knows what awaits them in their new homes. “I call it a road to nowhere,” shares Ksenia from the Sloviansk team, who often participates in evacuations as a driver. “They already recognize us at all the checkpoints, saying: ‘The blue van and red sweaters mean evacuation".
Every evacuated family has a unique story. Ivan came from Vinnytsia to work in Donetsk Oblast, where he met his beloved wife, who had also come to work from Lviv. They bought a small house, lived there their entire lives, raised three children, and joyfully welcomed their grandchildren. But the Russians forced the couple, now in their 70s, to pack their lives into boxes and head into the unknown, taking only what was essential and leaving behind the most precious thing—the grave of their son, who was killed during the shelling.
Last week, the team reunited this family. In early November, the parents were evacuated to Kyiv Oblast, where they found a rental house. Saying goodbye to their daughters was difficult, as the chances of seeing each other again seemed slim. Yet, just two weeks later, thanks to the Caritas-Spes Sloviansk evacuation, the family was able to embrace each other once more and begin a new life together.
Each week, evacuations from the Pokrovsk district become increasingly difficult. “Recently, I was driving along the usual route to evacuate three mothers with children (the youngest just 4 months old), but the soldiers at the checkpoint wouldn’t let us pass because the road was already under enemy fire, and civilian cars were being shot at immediately. As a mother, I couldn’t abandon three little children, so, hearing gunfire behind me, I found an alternative route and got them out. During the evacuation, I felt no emotions—only the goal of saving lives. But on the way back, when I returned to Donetsk Oblast, the tears overwhelmed me,” Ksenia recounted.
It is difficult for people to give up everything they have worked for years, besides, you never know what will await these people in their new place of residence. But the standard evacuation procedure does not provide space for belongings, and Caritas-Spes is always ready for non-standard solutions to save people. So we are deeply grateful to Caritas Paderborn for their assistance in saving lives.
