March 29, 2022
News
Victoria fled with her children from the Ukrainian town of Cherkasy. They travelled to safety for almost a day and a half without having anything to drink or eat. When they finally arrived in Poland, they did not know where to go. They were in a completely new place. Fortunately, a Caritas worker helped them. Read the whole story.
Home is no longer a safe place to be
Victoria Omlajinko comes from Cherkasy, a town located in the central part of Ukraine. It lies on the banks of the wide Dnieper, so wide that you can hardly see the other side. The river is a bit like the sea. You can walk around on the beaches, play beach volleyball or have a drink... I mean, you could. It is not safe in this area now.
Victoria is sitting in a Caritas tent in Przemysl, Poland, 12 kilometres from the border with her homeland. Her three children - 12-year-old Vladislav and two 10-year-old girls, Alina and Alisa - are snuggled up to her.
She constantly checks her phone. Wowa, the husband and father, should call them soon. He is 37 and works in Poland, and is on his way to pick them up from Szczecin. The children warm their hands deep in their pockets. They are cold and tired. The journey here was terribly long, 30 hours.
Victoria was worried about the children and the journey into the unknown
On the first day of the war, bombs fell on the airfield next to the town of Cherkasy. Victoria heard the explosions. She did not want to believe it. She waited a few days, hoping that the conflict would soon be over and it would be over. Every day she heard sirens. Helicopters flew over their house. Her friends and family were leaving. Victoria was worried about her children, but at the same time, she was terrified to take such a difficult journey.
But then she just could not take it anymore. The safety of her children was key. She decided to flee to the Polish border. It was like going into the unknown. First, a friend drove the family to the nearest train station. They were lucky to get on the train. There were 20 people in the compartment, the corridors were clogged. They had almost no water, no food.
It took them 15 hours to reach Lviv, a Ukrainian city near the border with Poland, by train. The children managed to fall asleep during the journey, but Victoria only closed her eyes for a few minutes. When they finally arrived in Lviv, they found a bus to take them to the border. They waited there for several hours. They were cold, waiting to get permission to enter Poland. And then they arrived in Przemysl.
They found a shelter in Caritas tent in Poland
When they arrived in Poland, Victoria did not know what to do. She needed to find a safe place for her children until her husband arrived in a few hours. She met our colleague from Caritas Poland who took her and her children to the tent. He brought them food and hot tea, and the children were given some of the toys that donors had sent to Caritas.
"I still hope the war will end soon and we can go back home," says Victoria. The hardships of the past few days are visible on her face. She may smile from time to time, but she does not seem completely convinced of her words.
Donate to help people like Victoria. Thank you for helping with us.
Read the story of Ludmilla who fled the country with a baby and five years old twins.
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