ROMANIA — The conflict in Ukraine changed the lives of it’s citizens, but also of it’s neighbors. In Romania, the citizens from the north of the country can feel the results of the war as thousands of refugees crossed over the borderlines to try to find a safe place. From the very beginning, the churches and Christian organizations from the Northern area of Romania got involved in helping the Ukrainian refugees with everything they need. One of these organizations is Kairos Agency. We will found out how this Romanian association got involved and how the volunteers can be a blessing for troubled Ukrainian refugees.

Kairos Mission Agency opened its doors for Ukranian refugees and landed a helping hand to those running from the war. Starting with 24th of February, when the Russian troops invaded Ukraine, the Agency was very involved in the refugees crisis.

Valentin Hrihorciuc – President Kairos Association:

The first Ukrainian refugees arrived in the first day of the war, we fed them, we sheltered them. Most of them came with bare hands, so we had to take care of them and assure them the logistic part.

Andy Worsop – Director, Kairos Mission School:

To be able to accommodate the refugees there was a need to extend the sleeping spaces.

Valentin:

In this location we had up to 60 persons, even the course room we transformed it into a bedroom, we had mattresses even in the library and after that we brought some beds.

Valentin Hrihorciuc, president of Kairos Association, says that in the last days the medical situations increased.

Valentin:

There are persons that come with their disabilities, persons that use a wheelchair. We have, for example, a woman, Natalia, that is in a wheelchair. She is accompanied by her son, also ill with a mental disease, and his illness got worse because of the shock this boy went through. He was trying to tell me what he saw, the missiles, the tanks and all these things affected him greatly.

Laura Voicu – Volunteer Kairos Agency:

We organized in the backyard, in a container, a medical cabinet for the situations that we meet here in our refugees center.

Eszter Studnicka – Volunteer, medical assistant, Irland:

We gathered all the medical equipment, the medicines, the first aid tools and everything that is needed to be able to help the ones in need and the chronically ill ones.

Each person has their own story, but there had been some desperate situations.

Andy Worsop – Director Kairos Mission School:

Natalia Otavciuk is from Kiev and found shelter at Kairos Center.

Natalia Otavciuk – Refugee:

I came to Romania at the advice of my friends, they told me I could find shelter here. You all know that we, in Ukraine, are going through a very bad period, all Europe, the whole world knows that and thank God, here there are people that are helping not only me, but a lot of people by offering shelter, protection. They help us a lot with communication, so we can understand each other. They basically offer the help the people in my situation and need. I have lost everything I had because of this was. But we do not complain, we don’t loose our hope, God gave us health, strength to go forward. We are brothers and sisters and I pray God will help us stay alive and go back to rebuilt our country.

The volunteers that are working in the refugees activities are from the whole country, from abroad or they are students of Kairos Mission Agency.

Ionuț Haureș – Volunteer Kairos Agency:

I am a volunteer coordinator and that means that I have to handle all the people that want to help the refugees.

Laura:

I came here for a week, but there are people who came here every day since the war started. I can handle the medical situations, I can give small medical help when it’s needed.

Eszter:

Because me and my husband are medical staff, we felt the need to help the ones that are in greater need than others, so that they can go and get to a safer place.

A special situation is the one of Roman Hmelnițchi, from Cernăuți, who was a refugee and now is volunteer.

Roman Hmelnițchi – Ukranian refugee, volunteer Kairos Agency:

On the 25th of February I arrived here with my family, my wife and 5 children. The Lord helped us to meet Mr. Haureș Cornel. He gave me a cup of tea, and while I was drinking that tea I knew I have to stay in Romania.

The volunteers at Kairos Agency are glad to support the refugees.

Ionuț:

We had people that arrived here and didn’t expect anything from us. We had people that told us: We never thought Romanians would be the ones to help us so much.

Laura:

I would like to urge everybody who wants to be a volunteer for a week, to give from their time. I can say it’s worth it and for sure they will be happy with this decision.

Ionuț:

To see and to be able to read on their faces gratitude, I think this is it. At least for me it was the reason that motivated me to do this.

The churches in Romania, no matter their confession, are very organized in this process. Also, in this period of time, any help is welcomed, from prayers to direct involvement to financial support.

Valentin:

We constantly need volunteers. We need prayers first of all, we pray God will lead us in this period of time so we can organize very well, but we also need financial support.

Andy:

From the beginning of the crisis in Ukraine, the Romanians had the opportunity to show the love of God for the troubled people.

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