We hear that Boris is out of a job ....

This being the case we surely could find him a position in the food tent.....might not meet great officials of state but you'll not have much opportunity to get into bother.

So a really interesting day in many ways. We have an opportunity to link into a financial donor in the USA. However, like us, he wants to make sure that money is spent efficiently with some, but little, cost, so that most of the monies go directly to the people that need it most.

To this end we are making a short trip to Odesa, the Ukrainian spelling of the city as we found out today. Odessa is apparently the Russian way.

This morning was spent making contacts with organisations working in Odesa. We have found an organisation that helps 500 to 700 families a day. We booked the train ticket to Odesa. Sets off at 21:20 from Lviv and gets to Odesa at 10:50 the following morning.

Afternoon spent teaching English....a lot of fun, which ended up with the children having ice cream....the children might not learn anything else but now know how to order an ice cream! It was good to see them laughing and smiling.

In the late afternoon we got a message from two sisters and their children, saying that they were being bombed in Eastern Ukraine and whether we were able to help.

We're working on it.

Shortly afterwards, a phone call from a woman and child stuck in Poland, desperately seeking a sponsor, having had her house destroyed. A primary school English teacher and young child. Practically begging for a way out. This is why we still need sponsors. 

In the afternoon, whilst at the railway station, buying our train tickets, we met with a volunteer who we know from our first days in Lviv, V. that wants to start providing hot meals for refugees arriving at the station. For this, he needs a commercial type fryer. We have put him in contact with someone who might be able to get this for him. What was funny, is that he said that he had already sourced potatoes and oil ...nearly ready to go then:) But that's the good thing, though. Small ideas can grow.

Finally the moments that bring a bit of peace: two children, oblivious to it all, playing badminton with rackets bought with money from an English fund-raising venture.