Evening falls in the Tierno Galván de Don Benito park and the noisy games of the little ones contrast with the tranquility of their parents who watch them from a distance sitting on a bench; others form circles while perhaps commenting on school issues. It is a normal afternoon in which the sky threatens rain, but nothing more.
Suddenly, between those anodyne conversations, another very different one sneaks in that attracts attention because it appears in a different language, difficult to understand. And it is that, despite spending weeks listening to Volodímir Zelensky, the Ukrainian language still seems strange to the ear. It is Olena, Maria and Tetiana who are chatting on another of the park benches, under the same clouds and also with their eyes on the little ones, although their concerns are far beyond because the only threat is the rain. It is at least now, because a few weeks ago the sky threatened their lives with bombs. In fact, they still resonate in his mind despite falling 5,000 kilometers from that park.
It is the distance that separates Odessa from Don Benito, the war of peace. A few weeks ago these three women fled with part of their families to escape the war started by Russia in Ukraine. Tetiana did it with two teenage children; Olena with her five young daughters; and Grandma Maria with her two daughters, Maria and Olena, and seven of her grandchildren. In total, 19 people who have been forced by a war to start a life parallel to the one they already had.
“They are very large families with children who cannot live on a single salary”
His journey began in a small town very close to the port city of Odessa, a town so small that, with a mobile phone in hand, it cannot be located on the map. From there they traveled 1,000 kilometers to a reception center on the Polish border where, despite the appalling conditions, they had a little hope.
Then they would not have been able to locate Extremadura on a map either, but that was going to be their destiny. “A friend of the family went with a group of people to Poland to bring humanitarian material and acted as a link between all of us who have collaborated so that they are here today,” recalls Natalia García-Camacho, one of the promoters of the GC association Help that has been created to collaborate with these 19 people. “After leaving the material they managed to bring several families to Spain and my father lent himself to welcome some of the largest ones with more difficulty in finding a host for them,” she continues.
However, the kilometers traveled had made the families of Olena, Maria and Tetiana one: «Coming all in a group gave them security and my father finally said ‘Let them all come…’».
From that decision a month ago, a time in which solidarity has helped them settle. “They arrived with what they were wearing and the Galicia hostel set up several rooms for them to stay there at first,” explains Alicia, Natalia’s sister. “These people have been living in Don Benito for a month now thanks to the solidarity of many people from the town and from other municipalities,” she adds. And it is that, the City Council of San Pedro de Mérida has provided bunk beds to prepare the rooms, many Dombenite businessmen have provided help in these first weeks and the City Council of Don Benito also collaborated through Social Services to process, among others, schooling of minors.
But the first aid also came from various diesel distributors nationwide. “They have turned to cover these 19 people,” says Francisco García-Camacho, father of Natalia and Alicia, since his entire family is involved.
Now, through the association, they seek to channel solidarity to cover expenses such as rent, electricity, water, supermarkets, medicines or clothing. “They come in an exceptional situation and we need people who want to collaborate to subscribe to the association through a fee, no matter how small,” says Natalia, who also appreciates the solidarity of the two families who have given their houses without charging rent during this first month.
“We are going to give work to the four mothers, but we want the money that they are going to earn to be joined at this start by financial support from us because they are very large families with children who cannot live on a single salary,” Alice continues. “I want them to feel part of the association and to be able to lead a normal life here,” intervenes Francisco, who is also grateful to many people who have brought food and clothing to the García-Camacho offices, “we have the doors open for who wants to collaborate in any way they can.
Life in Don Benito
Contact with the association can be made through the email [email protected]. The intention is none other than to support these 19 people in this parallel life that they have begun in Don Benito, a city that has welcomed them with open arms. The minors are already enrolled in the Francisco Valdés, in the Zurbarán, in the IES Donoso Cortés and in the IES José Manzano; They also receive the collaboration of associations such as Minerva and Ozanam, even beginning to stand out in the lower categories of Gimnástico Don Benito.
At school, despite the initial difficulty, it was somewhat easier for the little ones and more difficult for the adolescents, but they all seem already integrated into the school dynamic. “Also, this week we are going to start with Spanish classes for the 19 and school reinforcement”, Alicia advances.
“They really like Don Benito, especially the children, but it’s not easy for those who have left family there making a very tough decision,” laments Natalia in that park where the children’s conversations do not understand languages because between they, in their circles, do understand each other. But among adults, the eyes of mothers do not deceive and talking about what is happening in their country brings tears to their eyes. For this reason, the association was born with the aim of “helping them with whatever they need until they can start their return trip”. And that once there, hopefully, the sky also threatens with rain, but nothing more.
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Eddie is an Australian news reporter with over 9 years in the industry and has published on Forbes and tech crunch.