Sorrow, trauma, anger and defiance.

That's what we found in the villages destroyed yesterday. Walking around the village of Oleksandrivka with the mayor, there was a sadness.  Previous to the war, the village, she says, "was a good place to live, with the usual ups and downs." The school's only remaining wall is, ironically, one with old Soviet Union images. 

A community centre, a library, a cafe.... nothing remains. All gone. She was particularly upset about the school, which had 225 pupils. Now there are no children in the village, having moved to less damaged communities. A look of disbelief. "Who will help us? The government does little, it has other priorities. We rely on aid. For now there is little else. When will the children return?"

Trauma.....we were told of many incidents of brutality by the Russian soldiers. Physical and psychological torture. People would recount what was done to them. Mutilations with bits of ears cut off. Rapes and murders. One man told us of his beatings and how a pistol was pressed to his head. People thrown out of their homes at a moment's notice.

The anger of what was done to them..."how could they do these things, and why don't the Russian people believe what is really happening?"

Finally, defiance. The mayor who says the village will be rebuilt and the children will return. The utter conviction that Ukraine will win the war. The women who stood up to the Russians. The men and women who continue to distribute aid. 

In the photo above, if you look carefully, you can see a destroyed tank.

A shell landed not far from where we were unloading the aid. Most of the helpers hardly reacted, and one with a smile said...."pyrotechnics!!!" And that incident epitomises the randomness of the terror inflicted. On a town already destroyed.

But I have no doubt that it will be rebuilt. In a temporary way initially. We saw a house being made water and weather tight, with materials previously purchased. It might not look good, but for now it's home. And still is for 95 families.  For now we are on the way back to Lviv. I hope it won't be long till we are able to return.

If you can help, please donate in the usual way:

1. Open PayPal and, when asked for name of payee or email, enter trawden4ukraine@hotmail.com. 

2. Use the collection box in Trawden community shop. 

Thank you.