When I arrived, I learned of a few people returning to Ukraine. Tatiana and her daughter Sasha planned to return to Kryvyi Rih and Julia to Nikopol, both cities in Eastern Ukraine. Julia’s daughter, mother, and sisters planned to remain in Poland. They had been here since I came in October 2022, and even earlier. Julia left during the day and I missed saying goodbye to her, but I went with Sasha and her mother and a caravan of friends from Fundacja Nidaros (Nidaros Foundation) to the bus station for their bus that left at midnight.
Sasha sits on her bed talking with friends, it’s her last day at the Foundation, she and her mom will return to Ukraine that night. When I first met her in October, I would often see her with a baby, pushing a stroller, helping out. When I returned in the Spring, the baby was no longer there, and I expressed my surprise because until that moment, I thought it was her sibling, I had seen her so often with that red stroller. She smiled, told me it wasn’t hers, and how much she missed that baby, and that family had already returned.
Packing a few final necessities.
Julia on the morning she leaves, spirits are good for everyone. Julia seems happy to return.
Sasha and the daughter of Tania, also Ukrainian, who works at the Foundation.
Elwira helps her mother Julia pack some final pieces.
Tatiana readies herself for leaving that night while Julia packs last minute items for her departure that afternoon.
Julia and Elwira share a hug.
Last day coffees.
Julia left in the afternoon, and the group got together in the evening ready and waiting to take Tatiana and Sasha to the bus station.
The to head to the bus station.
Sasha says her goodbyes.
On the way to the bus station, everyone helps.
Tatiana looks for the bus.
So late at night, the bus is mostly empty except for our crowd from the Foundation. Tatiana takes a call and starts to smile and laugh. I imagine this is someone who is waiting for her at home.
There was some initial confusion about where the bus would be, but at last they found it. Most of the transportation going into and coming from Ukraine are small cargo vans.
There are a few people heading east, back to Ukraine, some children. The TV is on in the van, they’ll be driving all night. Tatiana and Sasha hand the driver their luggage.
The final goodbyes.
And the group heads back to the Foundation. Since I’m writing this a few months after this trip, I have been in contact with Sasha. They are home and everything seems to be going ok. My biggest question was, what will they do once they get home? Both Julia’s and Tatiana’s cities are in Eastern Ukraine, close to Dnipro, Zaporizhia- and while their cities have been somewhat spared, those regions haven’t. Is there work, is there food? Tania, who works at the Foundation, explained that they’ll probably be able to find work. But the inflation on food- 3x what it normally costs- the scarcity of food- this will be the struggle. Sasha says her mom is working and they are doing ok.