A Quebecer of Ukrainian origin who lives in Shawinigan, Mauricie, and her spouse are trying somehow to support their loved ones who are at the heart of the conflict in Ukraine.
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Arrived in Canada for 13 years, Kateryna Chernetska watches the images of war and fears for the safety of her family.
“My aunt, my uncles, my cousins, my cousins… They live there. They hide underground to protect their lives. They lack supplies. They are surrounded by Russians. The Russians are killing the world. They say they are just attacking strategic places, but that’s not true,” exclaimed the woman who now lives in the Grand-Mère sector.
It is thanks to a few minutes of internet connection that she can have news of her family, but communication is very limited.
“Today my aunt sent me a message: ‘Today we are still alive, but we are hiding. We try not to go outside, because it’s dangerous,” she added.
“We always have our eyes on our screens to see what is happening in real time. Often the news comes to us like seven hours later. That too is a bit frustrating,” commented Ms. Chernetska’s spouse, Luc Fortin.
If she has the support of people in her community, she would also like to have it from her host country and the countries surrounding her native land. The solution, she said, would be to close the airspaces around Ukraine to at least avoid airstrikes.
She and her husband feel helpless across the ocean, but their way of helping is to share the message and raise awareness about the conflict in Ukraine.
Ms. Chernetska has also printed and distributed leaflets in the street and in businesses with the procedure to follow to offer financial support to the Ukrainian army. She hopes people will be generous and that this can help slow down Vladimir Putin’s troops.
Reference-www.journaldemontreal.com