Humanitarian--Update on Ukraine Refugees in Bulgaria--CARITAS Organization

 

Mothers can do anything

(a few months in the life of a Ukrainian mother with many children in Bulgaria)

 

Tell us how you came to Bulgaria.

We did not plan to come to Bulgaria. You could even say that it was by accident. We already thought of where to go. We decided that because the language in Bulgaria was close to Ukrainian, it would be easier for the child's education to adapt. On the way we met a guy who brought us by car to Ruse and then we came to Sofia. And so we stayed here.

What made you want to leave?

The war, the explosions, it was scary. It's very important for a child to study, to continue his life normally.

How did you find out about Caritas?

I called some friends, asked where we could get help and they directed me to Caritas Sofia.

How do you feel in Bulgaria?

Good. But I worry about my relatives in Ukraine. If I wasn't so worried about them, it would be fine.

What challenges did you face at the beginning?

Housing first, work, medical care. My eldest daughter needed a dentist, I had to pay 320 euros. With the school we solved the issue very quickly. On March 12 we came, on March 16 we already met the teachers and the coach at the sports school. Our acquaintance whom we met on the way helped us a lot. He was with us everywhere. He knew Bulgarian, Russian and English very well.

How did you find a job?

I applied at Lidl. They arranged a number of issues very quickly - medical care, Bulgarian courses, employment contract, everything. But the job itself was difficult. My hands hurt a lot at the beginning, especially at night. But not anymore, I'm used to it now. There are electric trolleys and I learned to work with them. There was training and I managed to pass the exam. Now I work mainly in the bakery.

All the children are now at school in a sports school, only the youngest doesn't go to kindergarten yet. We are sorting that out now.

How has Caritas helped you?

Caritas Sofia helped me a lot. I was very worried about how I was going to manage to pay both rent and bills, especially in winter, so now we save a lot of everything we get from Caritas, to manage after the three-month program. My oldest daughter is 19 years old and helps me a lot. If it wasn't for her, it would be very difficult for me. It is impossible for a single mother. My salary is 1500 BGN, so the help from Caritas is very useful for us.

What would you wish for?

I only wish for one thing - to have peace. No war. When the information about the terrible violence in Bucha started coming in, I packed my bags and we left. I didn't want to risk my children's lives. I didn't know how things would turn out next. Whether the troops would stop or continue to take over territories. In the first days there were explosions in the village next to us - Byala Cherkva, 1-2 kilometers from our home. It was very scary. Every time I had to go down into the shelter with my children, I faced the uncertainty of whether a bomb fell on us they would find us in those shelters or not.

How did you manage to organize the departure?

My husband is in government service. The state arranged bus transport to a border town and from there everyone got as far as they could. We travelled through Romania by Bulgarian bus and got to the border in Ruse. From there we were picked up by car - the Bulgarian who helped us. It was a great happiness for us.

After the tiresome journey from Ukraine via Poland and Hungary, Alexey finds a safe space in Bulgaria with his 5 children – four boys and a girl. He is a Ukrainian Orthodox priest, 37 years old, married.

Two weeks after the start of the war in Ukraine, the family decided to leave. They took a bus to another city in Ukraine, then through Poland, they reached Hungary, where the family remained for a month. During the stay in Hungary, the kids managed to calm down from the stress from the sudden evacuation of their home and the change of the environment. Meanwhile, the priest communicated with the Bulgarian Orthodox church inquiring about accommodation and a potential job. He received a positive answer and the family commenced their journey to Bulgaria. They have been in the summer house of the St. Mina monastery for over a month now.  Alexey is still looking for a more stable job and hopes that soon the kids will be enrolled in school and in kindergarten.

The premises, where they live at the moment, are not suitable for the winter. Thus, at the end of the summer, they will have to look for a new place to live. At this point, he found out about Caritas Sofia’s housing programme. He found out about Caritas Sofia from the groups in the social media. After visiting the St. Anna Refugee and Migrant Centre, he is thankful for the care and the support he receives. He shares his happiness for the help his family receives, and for the help that is available for other refugees from Ukraine.

To benefit from housing support at the end of the summer when the kids start school and kindergarten and the summer house at the monastery is no longer suitable for the family he sees as a great opportunity. He also realized that he can receive assistance with the process of enrolling his kids to school and kindergarten. There still a long way ahead in the journey of settling in, but the family feels supported by the Caritas Sofia team in accessing basic services and help.

As a servant of the Orthodox church, Alexey wishes for a unity among the people and he hopes soon to be able to return with the whole family to their own home in Ukraine.

Voucher coverage in June 2022

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has helped with donations for Caritas to destribute food vouchers, medical vouchers, housing and utilities. Caritas has many other donors who are part of this refugee project in Bulgaria. 

Humanitarian -- Sofia, Pazardzhik, Buhovo, and Plovdiv, Bulgaria

 St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral is in the center of Sofia, capital of Bulgaria. Walking on the streets and sides walks are tricky. They mostly have cobblestone paved roads and sidewalks. We tripped on almost all the walkways throughout the city. The streets are mostly one way and very skinny. There was a park where street vendors sell their artwork. 

It is very easy to get around this city. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-days Saints' church and mission home is about 6 blocks from this cathedral.  

It was 80 degrees when we arrived and the day was lovely. At night we walked across the street to the Doctor's Garden Park. This monument is dedicated to all the doctors who had lost their life during war times. 

Many families and children were at the park till all hours of the night. This park is about 2 blocks from the city center.

The Church of Latter-day Saint missionaries helped us with translating. We are thankful for their time and knowledge of the language.

We visited four organizations that serve the people in Bulgaria. One was a children's hospital for diseases. Another helps the homeless and the disabled children. One was the University Hospital that is public and in need of medical equipment. The other was an organization that works with refugees, Roma/Gypsies and helping children with education to learn the Bulgarian language.

Here is a good site to read regarding Roma People

One of our projects (ADRA-partner) was in a small village called, Pazardzhik. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints donated  toward building this medical center for the city. The city has a lot of Roma People. They are in a very poverty stricken state. The medical facility will have one GP doctor and one dentist. The rest of the building will consist of social environment and psychological Therapy, bathrooms and showers, and it is even set up for handicap. There is also a children's room. This project will be open in February of 2022.

Plovdiv is one of our favorite places. Bulgarians refers to Plovdiv as "The City of the Seven Hills". We walked the hills. 

Plovdiv was known by the name Philippopolis and founded as far back as 359 BCE. There still remains walls and part of a Roman colosseum.

Our last project is just outside of Sofia. This hospital was situated by the mountains in a lovely area. However, this place is a hostel for homeless along with rehabilitation patients. The village is called, Buhovo. 

We are heart stricken at the poverty level of the building and facility. The concrete and tiles are crumbling, the paint is chipped, there is rust on every window, the mattresses are sagging, the rooms are very small with up to 4 people in them. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints have donated some medical equipment and mattress covers for some of the beds in the past. We were told by the head doctor that some of their homeless were just dropped off by family members or others and never were heard of again. This project is probably one of the most emotionally felt humanitarian efforts we have encounter so far. 

Because this hospital does not have heaters the staff put all the women in one room and the men in another just to keep them warm during the winter time. LDS Charities will be donating heaters for 30 rooms, and 2 for larger rooms. LDS Charities will also supply them with new mattresses.