“I turned on the TV and, as soon as I saw Putin pushing a speech, I understood that the war was starting, because he always stands out with a long speech before any global changes, justifying his actions in front of his nation.”, Inesa remembers. Her husband was in the Ukraine Army. He went to work and never came back home.

They had the emergency suitcase ready, so Inesa only grabbed clothes for the trip and woke up Karina, her 6-year-old daughter. She didn’t want to run away, but she did that for her husband: “He said that he will feel at peace in his heart, knowing us being safe.”

Inesa and her daughter found accommodation in one of CONCORDIA’s houses, along with several other women with children. They are safe and warm there.

Since they arrived, they looked for a way to help other Ukrainians, to feel useful. Every Ukrainian received an Epidtrimka (Epid-support) – 1000 UAH (approx. 30 EUR) for Covid expenses. Inesa misses home but she does not lose hope, and tries her best to help other refugees. “We feel good here, don’t think that we are ungrateful… But we do miss our homes and can’t wait to go back…”, she says.

JRS is working together with the Xavier Network, Concordia Moldova, the Society of Jesus in Europe, local civil society, and NGOs in a coordinated Jesuit response. Together we help thousands of people like Inesa. You can read more about The One Proposal: the coordinated Jesuit response to support the Ukraine Crisis here.