Jesuits support more than 127,000 people during three years of war in Ukraine

Natalia and her granddaughter Nadja, beneficiaries of The One Proposal (mage: Concordia Moldova

Natalia was out buying groceries with her 10-year-old granddaughter when the first bombs hit.

It was April 2022, weeks after Russia had launched an invasion of her homeland, Ukraine. A war which had started in the east had made its way to other parts of the country; a whole nation had been affected, and its people were left with decisions to make.

"Nadja and I were shopping when we heard the first explosions," Natalia, 62, says tearfully. "The child was so frightened that all she wanted was to leave."

The family acted quickly. Natalia would take Nadja with her across the south-western border, while her daughter and son-in-law would remain in Ukraine.

"My daughter told me, 'Go to Moldova, you'll be safe there. We'll stay here to defend our home, and you'll come back when it's all over'," Natalia remembers.

Three years later, it's still not over. Despite ongoing peace talks and hopes of a resolution, there are millions of Ukrainian refugees facing an uncertain future.

One of these, Svitlana, recalls shells hitting her hometown on 24th February 2022, the first day of the war.

She and her family were forced to shelter for a week in their basement, sleeping beside each other all together, crowded on the floor.

When it was deemed safe, she too took the painful decision to escape Ukraine, heading to Slovakia with her daughters and granddaughters.

"The children were under a lot of stress; they were nervous and crying," she says. "We didn't have our belongings with us. It was terrible."

This feeling of helplessness, of the unknown, was shared by Irina, a young mother who lived near Odesa before the war broke out.

'We waited for hours while explosions echoed in the distance. It was a moment filled with fear and confusion.'
Another who made the journey to the border with Moldova, she talks of how her family had no idea what was going to happen to them.

She says: "I remember that day very clearly - the piercing cold, the endless lines of people, and the complete uncertainty.

"We waited for hours at the border for registration while explosions echoed in the distance. It was a moment filled with fear and confusion."

Irina had helped create a small family business cultivating peach orchards. She says it was "extremely hard" to accept that the life she had carefully built was now "on hold", but she was grateful to be safe.

These women and their families, like millions of others who have sought refuge in neighbouring countries such as Romania, Poland, Slovakia and Moldova, as well as more secure parts of Ukraine, have benefitted from dedicated response programmes.

Among these is the efforts of the Xavier Network - a collection of Jesuit international development and mission organisations from across the world - of which Jesuit Missions is a member.

The group continues to work with its partners, Jesuit Refugee Service Europe, to assist those affected by the war in Ukraine.

Under the initiative 'The One Proposal', it has helped more than 127,000 refugees since the conflict began, providing more than 612,000 individual services to those in need.

This includes emergency aid, shelter, education services and support with integration, all designed to help them cope with the effects of the violence and settle into life in their new, temporary homes.

Despite the struggles and uncertainty, there are countless stories of generosity and ongoing signs of hope.

Natalia speaks of the "warmth" and hospitality she has experienced since arriving in Moldova.

Nadja is continuing her education online, has made new friends in the Casa Concordia shelter she and her grandmother are staying in, and has developed a passion for crafts.

"She loves creating little works of art during the activities here," Natalia says, smiling. "I keep them in a box - they bring me joy every day. These moments help us find beauty amidst the difficulties."

Concordia has also supported Irina and her family. Like Natalia, she speaks of the welcoming nature of the Moldovans and their desire to make their guests feel at home.

She works as a kitchen assistant at the shelter, providing daily hot meals for children, the elderly, the poor and the disabled.

"Now I can give something back to those who helped us during our hardest moments," she says.

Her children are able to study while she works, and Concordia organises day trips where whole families can, for a short while, escape the realities of war.

Svitlana and her family have truly benefitted from the sense of community built up at the Trnava Family Help Centre in Slovakia.

She takes part in regular workshops and is having Slovak lessons. Her grandchildren have the chance to attend summer camps.

"I like it very much," Svitlana says. "I don't feel so isolated now, with all this around me. I am an elderly lady, but I still live my life, despite everything that happened."

For more information about the Jesuit response to the war in Ukraine, see: https://jrseurope.org/en/project/the-one-proposal/

And for more information about the Xavier Network, visit: www.xavier.network