A Tale of Two Iniquities

Today I helped to complete visa applications for a mother and her 15 year old daughter. The mother has cancer and does not seem to have a good prognosis. Of course, when the war started, all her cancer treatment stopped and she was unbelievably grateful to have the opportunity to go somewhere safe where she can restart it. However, because her daughter doesn't have an international passport, despite being very ill, she has to take her on that iniquitous 120 mile journey back towards the Ukranian border, to the Visa Application Centre in Rzesov to have her biometrics completed. Bob, by annoying enough people, has managed to arrange a car to take them and will go with them.

 As if she didn't have enough to deal with, this mother has an older son who is fighting in the Ukranian army. I couldn't bring myself to ask about her husband, for fear this might be too much for her.

But there somehow manage to be positives. After the applications were finished, mother and daughter went to the tent for some food, and were introduced to another mother who will be moving with her daughter to the same area of Dorset,  where another Ukrainian community is developing. We have been told that Dorset Council is very supportive.

The other iniquity was on a much smaller scale. We were walking through the massive shopping centre opposite the tents, when Bob spotted a practically new pair of brand name trainers stuffed into a bin. Evidently, someone had bought a new pair of trainers and not thought any further - even though he probably walked across the square and passed all the refugee tents.  Of course, we took them straight to the clothes tent where they will be well used.

The title photo Is of our amazing Ukrainian interpreter, Polina, a refugee herself, who was busy from 11 am to 6 pm. Even when she was offered some hot food, she was happy to let it grow cold as she thought it was more important to help someone.

The other photo was taken yesterday whilst people were queing for an Easter box. 

The photo of a heater is a rogue picture that found its way in and I don't have the technology to delete it! It was a kind offer to Bob in case his English class gets too cold!

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