Salesians working with young refugees and their families to ensure their transition is filled with hope

(MissionNewswire) Salesian missionaries in Slovakia and Poland are still working to provide support and education for Ukrainian refugees. From offering shelter and meeting basic needs to organizing activities that bring a sense of joy, Salesians have been working with young refugees and their families to ensure that their transition into their new communities is one filled with hope.

In Žilina, in the northwest of Slovakia, Salesians took children to a museum and castle in Orava. The entire group was able to spend a day amid nature and culture. In Bratislava, Salesians have been working to organize the provincial house to welcome refugees from the Salesian foster home in Lviv. Salesians created new spaces for rooms, a large living room for free time and a kitchen.

Older youth who were already housed at the provincial house helped with the process, cleaning and moving furniture. They were happy to be able to lend a hand and also had a good time socializing and making friends. With the changes, Salesians have been able to bring younger children back from host families that had been providing for their needs and have them live together at the provincial house.

Salesians in Slovakia have also sent a new convoy of humanitarian aid, primarily food and medicine, to Ukraine. The shipment is going to smaller towns where people are waiting and depending on this aid.

In Tarnowskie Gory, Poland, Salesians have provided activities to keep children active and engaged, including simple art and handicraft workshops. Children are able to have fun and be creative, forgetting the ugliness of war for a while.

Salesians in Poland have received support from Bosco Global which provided food and other provisions for 30 people, mainly women and children. Bosco Global also contributed to the purchase of beds, towels, household items, cleaning and hygiene products, medicines, clothes, and transportation costs for Salesian shelters in Gdansk, Lubrza, and Szczecin.

Joaquín Rodríguez, director of Bosco Global, said, “As we see every day in the media, it seems that a solution to the conflict is not yet close. That is why we remain in dialogue with the Salesian Emergency Coordination in Warsaw, Poland, to continue supporting this emergency. Together, we continue to collect donations from all over the country, which we are sending to support this emergency.”

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – RMG – Salesian commitment to refugees never goes on vacation

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